Finite sample correction factors for several simple robust estimators of normal standard deviation

Abstract

Estimation of the standard deviation of a normal population is an important practical problem that in industrial practice must often be done from small and possibly contaminated data sets. Using multiple estimators is useful, as differences in the estimates may indicate whether the data set is contaminated and the form of the contamination. In this paper, finite sample correction factors have been estimated by simulation for several simple robust estimators of the standard deviation of a normal population. The estimators are the median absolute deviation, interquartile range, shortest half interval (Shorth), and median moving range. Finite sample correction factors have also been estimated for the commonly used non-robust estimators: mean absolute deviation and mean moving range. The simulation has been benchmarked against finite sample correction factors for the sample standard deviation and the sample range.