The Gauss—Markov Theorem and Random Regressors

Abstract In the standard linear regression model with independent, homoscedastic errors, the Gauss—Markov theorem asserts that = (X'X)-1(X'y) is the best linear unbiased estimator of β and, furthermore, that is the best linear unbiased estimator of c'β for all p × 1 vectors c. In the corresponding random regressor model, X is a random sample of size n from a p-variate distribution. If attention is restricted to linear estimators of c'β that are conditionally unbiased, given X, the Gauss—Markov theorem applies. If, however, the estimator is required only to be unconditionally unbiased, the Gauss—Markov theorem may or may not hold, depending on what is known about the distribution of X. The results generalize to the case in which X is a random sample without replacement from a finite population.