Asymptotics of M-estimators in two-phase linear regression models

This paper discusses the consistency and limiting distributions of a class of M-estimators in two-phase random design linear regression models where the regression function is discontinuous at the change-point with a fixed jump size. The consistency rate of an M-estimator (r) over cap (n) for the change-point parameter r is shown to be n while it is n(1/2) for the coefficient parameter estimators, where n denotes the sample size. The normalized M-process is shown to be uniformly locally asymptotically equivalent to the sum of a quadratic form in the coefficient parameter vector and a jump point process in the change-point parameter, in probability. These results are then used to obtain the joint weak convergence of the M-estimators. In particular, n((r) over cap (n) - r) is shown to converge weakly to a random variable which minimizes a compound Poisson process, a suitably standardized coefficient parameter M-estimator vector is shown to be asymptotically normal, and independent of n((r) over cap (n) - r). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.