An approximate zero bias transformation for random sums: Applications to sampling with outliers, auto insurance, and generative AI

Abstract

We develop $L^1$ bounds for the difference between a test function of a random sum and a standard normal random variable, where the summands are assumed to be independent but not necessarily identically distributed. The bounds are obtained through a new version of the approximate zero bias transformation specifically developed for random sums. Although the identical distribution assumption is relaxed, the bounds are of order $1/\sqrt{n}$, matching the order of existing bounds in the literature under the same distributional assumption on the number of summands. The main results are then applied to three real-world settings: random sums obtained from simple random sampling with outliers, total insurance claims, and generative AI response times.