Comparisons between parallel systems with exponentiated generalized gamma components

Abstract

ABSTRACTConsider two parallel systems with their independent components’ lifetimes following heterogeneous exponentiated generalized gamma distributions, where the heterogeneity is in both shape and scale parameters. We then obtain the usual stochastic (reversed hazard rate) order between the lifetimes of two systems by using the weak submajorization order between the vectors of shape parameters and the p-larger (weak supermajorization) order between the vectors of scale parameters, under some restrictions on the involved parameters. Further, by reducing the heterogeneity of parameters in each system, the usual stochastic (reversed hazard rate) order mentioned above is strengthened to the hazard rate (likelihood ratio) order. Finally, two characterization results concerning the comparisons of two parallel systems, one with independent heterogeneous generalized exponential components and another with independent homogeneous generalized exponential components, are derived. These characterization results enable us to find some lower and upper bounds for the hazard rate and reversed hazard rate functions of a parallel system consisting of independent heterogeneous generalized exponential components. The results established here generalize some of the known results in the literature, concerning the comparisons of parallel systems under generalized exponential and exponentiated Weibull models.