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Approximate bias of the estimated proportion in group testing

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Abstract

The maximum likelihood estimator for estimating proportions by group testing is biased. An expression for the approximate bias has been previously presented, which enables the creation of a less biased estimator by removing the term of \(O(n^{-1})\). However, in this previous work the term of \(O(n^{-2})\) was incorrectly derived. This note gives a correct derivation, and examines the relative contribution of the two terms.

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Correspondence to Graham Hepworth.

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Handling Editor: Pierre Dutilleul.

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Hepworth, G. Approximate bias of the estimated proportion in group testing. Environ Ecol Stat 24, 1–6 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10651-016-0358-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10651-016-0358-7

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