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Estimation and Inference in Boundary Discontinuity Designs: Distance-Based Methods

Matias D. Cattaneo, Rocio Titiunik, Ruiqi Rae Yu

arXiv 30 Oct 2025 · Econometrics · publishedJournal of Econometrics (2026)

arXiv:2510.26051 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

We study the statistical properties of nonparametric distance-based (isotropic) local polynomial regression estimators of the boundary average treatment effect curve, a key causal functional parameter capturing heterogeneous treatment effects in boundary discontinuity designs. We present necessary and/or sufficient conditions for identification, estimation, and inference in large samples, both pointwise and uniformly along the boundary. Our theoretical results highlight the crucial role played by the “regularity” of the boundary (a one-dimensional manifold) over which identification, estimation, and inference are conducted. Our methods are illustrated with simulated data. Companion general-purpose software is provided.

Citation extraction

13
references
38
in-text mentions
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distinct cited
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24,511
main-text words

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Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Cattaneo, Matias D. and Yu, Ruiqi (Rae) (2025) Strong Approximations for Empirical Processes Indexed by Lipschitz Functions self1.000184100%
2Dudley, Richard M (2014) Uniform central limit theorems0.73732100%
3van der Vaart, Aad W. and Wellner, Jon A (1996) Weak Convergence and Empirical Processes0.73732100%
4Chernozhukov, Victor and Chetverikov, Denis and Kato, Kengo (2014) Gaussian Approximation of Suprema of Empirical Processes0.64441100%
5Cattaneo, Matias D. and Chandak, Rajita and Jansson, Michael and Ma,… (2024) Boundary Adaptive Local Polynomial Conditional Density Estimators self0.51121100%
6Cattaneo, Matias D. and Titiunik, Rocio and Yu, Ruiqi (Rae) (2026) Estimation and Inference in Boundary Discontinuity Designs: Location-Based Methods self0.40511100%
7Chernozhukov, Victor and Chetverikov, Denis and Kato, Kengo (2014) Anti-Concentration and Honest, Adaptive Confidence Bands0.40511100%
8Giné, Evarist and Nickl, Richard (2016) Mathematical Foundations of Infinite-dimensional Statistical Models0.40511100%
9Chernozhuokov, Victor and Chetverikov, Denis and Kato, Kengo and Koi… (2022) Improved central limit theorem and bootstrap approximations in high dimensions0.40511100%
10Federer, Herbert (2014) Geometric measure theory0.40511100%

Showing the top 10 of 13 scored citations.

Cited by, within the corpus

arXiv econ.EM papers that cite this one, ranked by how heavily they lean on it.

Citing paperIntensityMentionsSections
1Boundary Discontinuity Designs: Theory and Practice1.000104
2Global Testing in Multivariate Regression Discontinuity Designs0.40511