Estimating sample size with weibull failure

Abstract

In censored type I samples, the total number n of individuals may be unknown. If the parent distribution is exponential, BLUMENTHAL-MARCUS (1975) estimated n using Bayesian and non-Bayesian approaches. In the present work we shall extend their results to the case where the underlying life time distribution is Weibull. This extension will include the non-Bayesian and Bayesian estimators. A numerical investigation is also presented.

Keywords:

• Censored samples
• exponential
• weibull
• Bayesian estimator
• sample size
• conditional and unconditional maximum likelihood estimator