Categorical independence tests for large sparse r-way contingency tables

A nonasymptotic chi-squared technique is shown to have very useful properties for the analysis of large sparse r-way contingency tables. Examples of analyses of 4 x 5, 5 x 6, 6 x 7, and two 2 x 2 x 2 sparse contingency tables provide comparisons of the nonasymptotic chi-squared technique with asymptotic chi-squared and exact chi-squared techniques. The asymptotic chi-squared analyses yield inflated probability values for the five tables. The nonasymptotic chi-squared technique yields probability values much closer to the exact probability values than the asymptotic chi-squared technique for the five tables.