Distribution of a Sum of Weighted Noncentral Chi-Square Variables

In statistical computing, it is often for researchers to need the distribution of a weighted sum of noncentral chi-square variables. In this case, it is very limited to know its exact distribution. There are many works to contribute to this topic, e.g. Imhof (1961) and Solomon-Stephens (1977). Imhof's method gives good approximation to the true distribution, but it is not easy to apply even though we consider the development of computer technology Solomon-Stephens's three moment chi-square approximation is relatively easy and accurate to apply. However, they skipped many details, and their simulation is limited to a weighed sum of central chi-square random variables. This paper gives details on Solomon-Stephens's method. We also extend their simulation to the weighted sum of non-central chi-square distribution. We evaluated approximated powers for homogeneous test and compared them with the true powers. Solomon-Stephens's method shows very good approximation for the case.