Rate-optimal nonparametric estimation for random coefficient regression models

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Abstract: Random coefficient regression models are a popular tool for analyzing unobserved heterogeneity, and have seen renewed interest in the recent econometric literature. In this paper we obtain the optimal pointwise convergence rate for estimating the density in the linear random coefficient model over H"older smoothness classes, and in particular show how the tail behavior of the design density impacts this rate. In contrast to previous suggestions, the estimator that we propose and that achieves the optimal convergence rate does not require dividing by a nonparametric density estimate. The optimal choice of the tuning parameters in the estimator depends on the tail parameter of the design density and on the smoothness level of the H"older class, and we also study adaptive estimation with respect to both parameters.


One considers the linear random coefficient regression model $Y_j=A_{0,j}+A_{1,j}X_j$ for the i.i.d data $(X_j,Y_j)$, $j=1,\dots,n$. Here, $A_j$ are unobserved i.i.d. random variables with the bivariate Lebesgue density $f_A$. Further, $A_j$ and $X_j$ are independent. The aim in this article is to obtain optimal convergence rates in the case that $f_A$ is estimated over Hölder smoothness classes and $X_j$ have a Lebesgue density $f_X$ satisfying a so-called ``design density inequality. The study concentrates on how the tail parameter $\beta$ in this inequality influences the optimal rate of convergence of $f_A$ at a given point $a\in\mathbb{R}^2$ in a minimax sense if $\beta>1$. The second section of the paper is devoted to the construction of an estimator for $f_A$, denoted by $\hat{f}_A(a;h,\delta)$. The procedure is inspired by an earlier paper: [\textit{S. Hoderlein} et al., J. Econom. 201, No. 1, 144--169 (2017; Zbl 1391.62058)]. Results related to the upper bound on the convergence rate for the estimator, optimality of the achieved convergence rates for the pointwise risk in minimax case and uniform rate of convergence are given in the third section. In the fourth section, results on adaptation with respect to $\beta$ for given smoothness and adaptation by the Lepinski method are shown. The fifth section is devoted to all proofs.











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