Uniform asymptotics for the tail probability of weighted sums with heavy tails

Abstract: This paper studies the tail probability of weighted sums of the form $\sum_{i=1}^n c_i X_i$, where random variables $X_i$'s are either independent or pairwise quasi-asymptotical independent with heavy tails. Using $h$-insensitive function, the uniform asymptotic equivalence of the tail probabilities of $\sum_{i=1}^n c_iX_i$, $\max_{1\le k\le n}\sum_{i=1}^k c_iX_i$ and $\sum_{i=1}^n c_iX_i^+$ is established, where $X_i$'s are independent and follow the long-tailed distribution, and $c_i$'s take value in a broad interval. Some further uniform asymptotic results for the weighted sums of $X_i$'s with dominated varying tails are obtained. An application to the ruin probability in a discrete-time insurance risk model is presented.