Statistics – Analyzing the Distribution of $\\frac{X^{t}AX}{X^{t}X}$ in Multivariate Normal Distribution

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In the multivariate normal case for $X\sim N_{p}(0,I)$, consider an idempotent matrix $A$ of rank $k<p$. I need to find the distribution of $\frac{X^{t}AX}{X^{t}X}$. I know that $X^{t}AX$ follows chi square with $k$ df. The answer is that the ratio follows beta. But I'm finding it difficulty to see how $X^{t}X$ follows chi square with $(p-k)$ df.

Best Answer

You have $$X^T X=X^T AX+X^T(I-A)X$$

By Fisher-Cochran theorem, a necessary sufficient condition for $X^T AX$ and $X^T(I-A)X$ to be independent chi-square variables is $p=\operatorname{rank}(A)+\operatorname{rank}(I-A)$, which is certainly true here because $A$ is idempotent.

So $X^T AX\sim\chi^2_k$ is independent of $X^T(I-A)X\sim \chi^2_{p-k}$.

It follows from a well-known result (also mentioned on wikipedia) that $$\frac{X^TAX}{X^T AX+X^T(I-A)X}\sim\text{Beta}\left(\frac{k}{2},\frac{p-k}{2}\right)$$

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