World Applied Sciences Journal 7 (10): 1331-1334, 2009 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2009 Corresponding Author: Dr. R.U. Khan, Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202 002, India 1331 Recurrence Relations for Single and Product Moments of Record Values from Gompertz Distribution and A Characterization R.U. Khan and Benazir Zia Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202 002, India Abstract: In this study we give some recurrence relations satisfied by single and product moments of upper record values from Gompertz distribution. Further a characterization of the Gompertz distribution based on conditional expectation of function of record values is presented. AMS subject classification: 62G30 62G99 62E10 Key words: Record single moments product moments recurrence relations Gompertz distribution characterization conditional expectation INTRODUCTION A random variable X is said to have a Gompertz distribution if its probability density function (pdf) is of the form x x f(x) e exp (e 1) , 0 x , , 0 α α β - - ≤∞αβ> α (1.1) and the cumulative distribution function (cdf) is of the form x F(x) exp (e 1) α β = - - α (1.2) where F(x) 1 F(x) = - The Gompertz distribution in (1.1) was introduced by Benjamin Gompertz (1825). This distribution is applicable as a model for surviving distributions which has an increasing hazard rate for the life of the creatures and systems. Prentice and Elshaarawi (1973) have used this model in their studies, Elandt-Johnson and Johnson (1980) have shown that this distribution is widely used in actuarial works. Garg et al. (1970) studied the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters of the Gompertz distribution. Let X 1 , X 2 ,… be a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables with cdf F(x) and pdf f (x). Let Y n = max (min) {X 1 , X 2 ,…, X n }, n = 1,2,…. We say X j is an upper (lower) record value of this sequence if Y j >(<)Y j -1 , j 2. By definition, X 1 is an upper as well as a lower record value. The indices at which the upper record values occur are given by record times {U (n) , n 1}, when U (n) = min {j|j>U (n-1) , X j >U (n-1) }, n 2 with U (1) = 1 (Ahsanullah, 1995). Chandler (1952) formulated the theory of record values arising from a sequence of independently identically distributed continuous random variables and has now spread in various directions. Interested readers may refer to the works Glick (1978), Nevzorov (1987), Resnick (1987), Arnold and Balakrishnan (1989) and Arnold et al. (1992, 1998). In this paper, we established some recurrence relations satisfied by the single and product moments of upper record values from the Gompertz distribution in (1.1). A characterization of this distribution has also been obtained on using the conditional expectation of record values. Similar results for modified Weibull distribution have been derived by Sultan (2007). We shall denote (r) r n U(n) E(X ), r,n 1,2, , μ = = L (r,s) r s m,n U(m) U(n) E(X X ),1 m n 1andr,s 1,2, , μ = - = L (r,0) r (r) m,n U(m) m E(X ) ,1 m n 1andr 1,2, , μ = - = K (0,s) s (s) m,n U(n) n E(X ) ,1 m n 1ands 1,2, μ = - = L RELATIONS FOR SINGLE MOMENTS First of all, we may note that for the Gompertz distribution in (1.1)