A new approach for approximating the p-value of a class of bivariate sign tests

Bivariate data are frequently encountered in many applied fields, including econometrics, engineering, physiology, biology, and medicine. For bivariate analysis, a wide range of non-parametric and parametric techniques can be applied. There are fewer requirements needed for non-parametric procedures than for parametric ones. In this paper, the saddlepoint approximation method is used to approximate the exact p-values of some non-parametric bivariate tests. The saddlepoint approximation is an approximation method used to approximate the mass or density function and the cumulative distribution function of a random variable based on its moment generating function. The saddlepoint approximation method is proposed in this article as an alternative to the asymptotic normal approximation. A comparison between the proposed method and the normal asymptotic approximation method is performed by conducting Monte Carlo simulation study and analyzing three numerical examples representing bivariate real data sets. In general, the results of the simulation study show the superiority of the proposed method over the asymptotic normal approximation method.