Abstract: | This paper deals with large sample estimation of the location parameter (α1 and the scale parameter α2 in the gamma distribution with known shape parameter. Best linear unbiased estimates based on k sample quantiles are used. For a given k, the optimum spacings of the sample quantiles can be replaced by simpler “nearly optimum” spacings at virtually no loss of asymptotic efficiency. The theory behind the nearly optimum spacings is briefly reviewed. The major part of the paper concerns estimation of α2 when α2 is known. Nearly optimum spacings together with the coefficients to be used in computing the estimates are presented in a number of tables for k = 1(1) 10, and various values of the shape parameter. The paper also contains brief discussions of estimation of α1, when α2 is known, and simultaneous estimation of α1 and α2. |