Nonnegative variance component estimation for mixed-effects models

Abstract

This paper suggests three available methods for finding nonnegative estimates of variance components of the random effects in mixed models. The three proposed methods based on the concepts of projections are called projection method I, II, and III. Each method derives sums of squares uniquely based on its own method of projections. All the sums of squares in quadratic forms are calculated as the squared lengths of projections of an observation vector; therefore, there is discussion on the decomposition of the observation vector into the sum of orthogonal projections for establishing a projection model. The projection model in matrix form is constructed by ascertaining the orthogonal projections defined on vector subspaces. Nonnegative estimates are then obtained by the projection model where all the coefficient matrices of the effects in the model are orthogonal to each other. Each method provides its own system of linear equations in a different way for the estimation of variance components; however, the estimates are given as the same regardless of the methods, whichever is used. Hartley’s synthesis is used as a method for finding the coefficients of variance components.