Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
Alternative definitions of the concentration ellipsoidof a random vector are surveyed, and an extension ofthe concentration ellipsoid of Darmois is suggestedas being the most convenient and natural definition.The advantage of the proposed definition inproviding substantially simplified proofs of resultsin (linear) estimation theory is discussed, and isillustrated by new and short proofs of two keyresults. A not-so-well-known, but elementary,extremal representation of a nonnegative definitequadratic form, together with the correspondingCauchy-Schwarẓ-type inequality, is seen to play acrucial role in these proofs.