Computer-intensive conditional inference

Abstract

Conditional inference is a fundamental part of statistical theory. However, exact conditional inference is often awkward, leading to the desire for methods which offer accurate approximations. Such a methodology is provided by small-sample likelihood asymptotics. We argue in this paper that simple, simulation-based methods also offer accurate approximations to exact conditional inference in multiparameter exponential family and ancillary statistic settings. Bootstrap simulation of the marginal distribution of an appropriate statistic provides a conceptually simple and highly effective alternative to analytic procedures of approximate conditional inference.