Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The Parameter Goodness-of-fit (PG) test [hep-ph/0304176] offers a simple test statistic to study the compatibility of different data sets within a given theoretical model. In its original formulation it assumes that the data sets are statistically independent. We propose an extension of the PG test for the situation when some parameters of the model are constrained by an auxiliary data set called prior here. As the prior is imposed for all data sets, they are no longer statistically independent. We show that under the Gaussian approximation, the prior-constrained PG test statistic follows a generalised $χ^2$ distribution, which can be used to obtain $p$-values in a straight-forward way. In the approximation of a strong prior constraint, the test converges towards the standard PG test for the unconstrained model parameters.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223247815