Solved – Help needed on algebraic steps for Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Multivariate Normal Distribution

covariance-matrixlinear algebramaximum likelihoodnormal distribution

The negative loglikelihood is as follows:

$$\dfrac{nd}{2} \log 2\pi + \dfrac{n}{2} \log |\Sigma| + \dfrac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n(x_i-\mu)^T\Sigma^{-1}(x_i-\mu) \tag{1}$$

If I take differentiation with respect to $\mu$ on $(x_i-\mu)^T\Sigma^{-1}(x_i-\mu)$, the result becomes as follows:
$$2\Sigma^{-1}\mu – 2\Sigma^{-1} = 2\Sigma^{-1}(\mu-x_i) \tag{2}$$

So

$$\dfrac{\partial l(u, \Sigma)}{\partial \mu} = \dfrac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^n2\Sigma^{-1}(\mu-x_i) = \Sigma^{-1}\sum_{i=1}^n(\mu-x_i) \tag{3}$$

But what I can't do with the algebraic steps for the next step to get the following result:

$$\mu_{MLE}^{*} = \dfrac{1}{n}\sum_{i=1}^n x_i \tag{4}$$

How can I go from $(3)$ to $(4)$? Hope to get algebraic steps for it.

Best Answer

It's quite easy. Just equate the equation 3 to zero and solve for mu. Have a try and lets see what you get.

Have a look at this https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_likelihood_estimation

Example part. I think you get some mistake in your equations.

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