An approximation to maximum likelihood estimates in reduced models

An approximation to the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters in a model can be obtained from the corresponding estimates and information matrices in an extended model, i.e. a model with additional parameters. The approximation is close provided that the data are consistent with the first model. Applications are described to log linear models for discrete data, to models for multivariate normal distributions with special covariance matrices and to mixed discrete-continuous models.