A Test Statistic for Weighted Runs

Abstract: A new test statistic based on success runs of weighted deviations is introduced. Its use for observations sampled from independent normal distributions is worked out in detail. It supplements the classic $\chi^{2}$ test which ignores the ordering of observations and provides additional sensitivity to local deviations from expectations. The exact distribution of the statistic in the non-parametric case is derived and an algorithm to compute $p$-values is presented. The computational complexity of the algorithm is derived employing a novel identity for integer partitions.