Experimentation.ExposureMappingInterference.Variance
Design-based variance estimators for exposure-mapping HT means and effects, including conservative estimators under pairwise exposure conditions.
Conservative 14 core · 0 supporting Design-based variance estimators for Var[ŷᵀ(d)] and Var[τ̂(dk,dl)]. ★ E_htVarEst★ E_htCovEst_le★ E_htEffectVarEst_ge★ E_htVarEst_eq_addBias★ E_htVarEst_add_htA2_ge★ E_htCovEst_eq_of_noEffect★ E_htCovEstA_le★ E_htEffectVarEstA_ge
Conservative variance estimators (Aronow–Samii 2017, §5)
Design-based variance estimators for Var[ŷᵀ(d)] and Var[τ̂(dk,dl)]. In the
positive-joint regime (π_{ij}(d) > 0, π_{ij}(d,d') > 0 for i ≠ j) the variance
estimator htVarEst is exactly unbiased (Lemma 5.1, varun). The covariance
Cov[ŷᵀ(dk),ŷᵀ(dl)] is unidentified, so its estimator htCovEst is only nonpositively
biased (Prop 5.4, ncov, via Young's inequality 2ab ≤ a²+b² for the diagonal term).
Assembling these gives the conservative effect-variance estimator htEffectVarEst with
nonnegative bias (Prop 5.7, consvar) — the input the interval result consumes.
The zero-pairwise refinements handle the π_{ij} = 0 corner cases. Prop 5.2
(E_htVarEst_eq_addBias, varbias) characterizes the bias of htVarEst as the explicit
correction A = ∑_{π_{ij}=0} y_i y_j; the Young correction htA2 (Â₂) restores
conservativeness (Prop 5.3, E_htVarEst_add_htA2_ge, a2). Prop 5.5
(E_htCovEst_eq_of_noEffect, no_bias_cov) shows htCovEst is exactly unbiased under no
effect. The general covariance estimator htCovEstA (Ĉov_A, eq:ht_cov_general_estimator)
is nonpositively biased with no positive-cross-joint assumption (Prop 5.6,
E_htCovEstA_le, cova); its Young correction ranges over all j ∈ U with
π_{ij}(d_k,d_l)=0 (faithful to the paper — the diagonal j=i, always zero since
d_k ≠ d_l, subsumes the unidentified −∑ᵢ y_i(d_k)y_i(d_l) term). Assembling these gives
the general conservative effect-variance estimator htEffectVarEstA with nonnegative bias
(general consvar, E_htEffectVarEstA_ge).
For a finite assignment space, a finite unit population, a unit-trait space, an exposure space, a randomization design, exposure-indexed potential outcomes, an exposure mapping, unit traits, an exposure level, and an assignment, the Horvitz--Thompson variance estimator is the sum of its single-unit inverse-propensity terms and its ordered-pair terms over distinct units.
Definition (Lean source)
For a finite assignment space, a finite unit population, a unit-trait space, an exposure space, a randomization design, exposure-indexed potential outcomes, an exposure mapping, unit traits, two exposure levels, and an assignment, the Horvitz--Thompson covariance estimator is its ordered-pair cross-exposure term over distinct units minus its single-unit Young correction.
Definition (Lean source)
For a finite assignment space, a finite unit population, a unit-trait space, an exposure space, a randomization design, exposure-indexed potential outcomes, an exposure mapping, unit traits, two exposure levels, and an assignment, the conservative effect-variance estimator is the sum of the two variance estimators minus twice the covariance estimator, divided by the square of the population size.
Definition (Lean source)
Lemma 5.1 (varun). In the positive-joint regime — every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under d and every off-diagonal pair has nonzero same-arm joint exposure propensity under d — the Horvitz–Thompson variance estimator is exactly unbiased for the true design variance of the HT total.
Formal statement
Proof (Lean source)
Proposition 5.4 (ncov). Suppose the two treatment arms dk, dl are distinct, every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under dk and under dl, and every off-diagonal pair has nonzero cross-arm joint exposure propensity — the positive marginal and positive cross-joint regime. Then the Horvitz–Thompson covariance estimator is nonpositively biased for the true design covariance of the two HT totals.
Formal statement
Proof (Lean source)
Proposition 5.7 (consvar). Suppose the two treatment arms dk, dl are distinct, every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under dk and under dl, and every off-diagonal pair has nonzero same-arm joint exposure propensity under dk and under dl, as well as nonzero cross-arm joint exposure propensity — the positive-joint regime. Then the assembled Horvitz–Thompson effect-variance estimator has nonnegative bias: its expectation is at least the true design variance of the effect estimator τ̂.
Formal statement
Proof (Lean source)
Proposition 5.2 (varbias). Assuming only every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under d — without the positive-joint assumption — the expectation of the Horvitz–Thompson variance estimator equals the true design variance of the HT total plus the signed zero-joint correction A = ∑_{π_{ij}(d)=0} y_i(d)·y_j(d).
Formal statement
Proof (Lean source)
For a finite assignment space, a finite unit population, a unit-trait space, an exposure space, a randomization design, exposure-indexed potential outcomes, an exposure mapping, unit traits, an exposure level, and an assignment, the Young-inequality correction adds, over every ordered pair of distinct units with zero same-exposure joint probability, the two corresponding half-weighted squared observed-outcome terms.
Definition (Lean source)
Proposition 5.3 (a2). Assuming only every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under d, adding the Young correction Â₂ to the Horvitz–Thompson variance estimator makes it conservative for the true design variance of the HT total: Var[ŷᵀ(d)] ≤ E[V̂ + Â₂].
Formal statement
Proof (Lean source)
Proposition 5.5 (no_bias_cov). Suppose the two treatment arms dk, dl are distinct, every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under dk and under dl, every off-diagonal pair has nonzero cross-arm joint exposure propensity — the positive marginal and positive cross-joint regime — and the two exposures share the same potential outcomes: y_i(dk) = y_i(dl) for every unit i. Then the Horvitz–Thompson covariance estimator is exactly unbiased for the true design covariance of the two HT totals: the Young diagonal correction (y_i²/2 + y_i²/2) = y_i² = y_i(dk)y_i(dl) is exact, so the nonpositive bias of Proposition 5.4 vanishes.
Formal statement
Proof (Lean source)
For a finite assignment space, a finite unit population, a unit-trait space, an exposure space, a randomization design, exposure-indexed potential outcomes, an exposure mapping, unit traits, two exposure levels, and an assignment, the general Horvitz--Thompson covariance estimator is its distinct-unit cross-exposure sum minus a Young correction over every ordered pair with zero cross-exposure joint probability.
Definition (Lean source)
Proposition 5.6 (cova). Suppose only the two treatment arms dk, dl are distinct and every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under dk and under dl — with NO positive-cross-joint assumption. Then the general Horvitz–Thompson covariance estimator Ĉov_A is nonpositively biased for the true design covariance of the two HT totals: zero-cross-joint off-diagonal pairs drop from the first sum, while the Young correction (summing over every j with π_{ij}(dk,dl)=0, including the diagonal) dominates the corresponding −y_i(dk)y_j(dl) covariance contributions termwise via y_i(dk)y_j(dl) ≤ y_i(dk)²/2 + y_j(dl)²/2.
Formal statement
Proof (Lean source)
For a finite assignment space, a finite unit population, a unit-trait space, an exposure space, a randomization design, exposure-indexed potential outcomes, an exposure mapping, unit traits, two exposure levels, and an assignment, the general conservative effect-variance estimator is the two variance estimators and their Young corrections, minus twice the general covariance estimator, divided by the square of the population size.
Definition (Lean source)
Proposition 5.7, general form (consvar). Suppose only the two treatment arms dk, dl are distinct and every unit has nonzero exposure propensity under dk and under dl — without any positive-joint assumption. Then the assembled general Horvitz–Thompson effect-variance estimator has nonnegative bias: its expectation is at least the true design variance of the effect estimator τ̂.