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OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
Definition:
A random variable is a variable whose value is
determined by the outcome of a random
experiment
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Supposed one family is randomly selected from the
population. The process of random selection is called
random or chance experiment.
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4.2 Discrete Random Variable
Definition:
A random variable that assumes countable values
is called discrete random variable.
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The probability distribution can be presented in
the form of a mathematical formula, a table or a
graph.
Example 1
Consider the table below. Let X be the number of vehicles
owned by a randomly selected family. Write the probability
distribution of X and graph for the data.
Solution:
X 0 1 2 3 4
P(x) 0.015 0.235 0.425 0.245 0.080
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P(x)
0.45
0.40
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
X
0 1 2 3 4
Example 2
During the summer months, a rental agency keeps track of
the number of chain saws it rents each day during a period
of 90 days and X denotes the number of saws rented per
day. Construct a probability distribution and graph for the
data.
X Number of days
0 45
1 30
2 15
Total 90
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Solution:
45
When P( X 0) 0.5 ,
90
30
P( X 1) 0.33
90
15
P( X 2) 0.17
90
X 0 1 2
P(x) 0.5 0.33 0.17
P(x)
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
X
X
0 1 2
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Example 3
One small farm has 10 cows where 6 of them are male and
the rest are female. A veterinary in country XY wants to
study on the foot and mouth disease that attacks the cows.
Therefore, she randomly selects without replacement two
cows as a sample from the farm. Based on the study,
construct a probability distribution which X is the random
sample representing the number of male cows that being
selected as a sample (Use tree diagram to illustrate the
above event).
Joint Probability
5/9 M P(MM)=1/3
6/10 M
4/9 F P(MF)=4/15
6/9 M P(FM)=4/15
4/10 F
3/9 F P(FF)=2/15
X 0 1 2
P(x) 2/15 8/15 1/3
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i) The probability assigned to each value of a random
variable x must be between 0 and 1.
P(x) = 1
Example 4
Find the probability that the number of car sales per day is,
a) none
P( X 0) 0.10
b) exactly 1
P( X 1) 0.25
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c) 1 to 3
P(1 X 3)
P( X 1) P( X 2) P( X 3)
0.25 0.30 0.35
0.90
d) more than 1
P ( X 1)
P ( X 2)
P ( X 2) P ( X 3)
0.30 0.35
0.65
e) at most 2
P( X 2)
P( X 0) P( X 1) P( X 2)
0.10 0.25 0.30
0.65
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4.3.1 Mean of a Discrete Random Variables
Definition:
The mean of a discrete random variable X is the value
that is expected to occur repetition, on average, if an
experiment is repeated a large number of times. It is
denoted by and calculated as:
X .P( x)
X .P( x)
Definition:
The standard deviation of a discrete random variable X
measures the spread of its probability distribution and
is calculated as:
x 2
P (x ) 2
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A higher value for the standard deviation of a discrete
random variable indicates that X can assume value over
a large range about the mean.
Example 5
X P(x)
0 0.1
1 0.25
2 0.3
3 0.35
Total 1.00
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Solution:
E( X )
X .P( x)
(0 0.1) (1 0.25) (2 0.3) (3 0.35)
0 0.25 0.6 1.05
1.9
2
2
X 2 .P( x) 2
(0 0.1) (1 0.25) (4 0.30 ) (9 0.35) 1.9 2
(0 0.25 1.2 3.15) 3.61
0.99
so, 0.99 0.995
Example 6
X 0 1 2
P(x) 0.5 0.33 0.17
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Solution:
Mean
E( X )
X .P( x)
(0 0.5) (1 0.33) (2 0.17)
0 0.33 0.34
0.67
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Standard Deviation
2
X 2 .P ( x ) 2
(0 0.5) (1 0.33) (4 0.17 ) 0.67 2
(0 0.33 0.68) 0.4489
0.5611
so, 0.5611 0.7491
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4.4 Cumulative Distribution Function
Definition:
and
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Example 7
X 0 1 2 3
P( X x) 1 3 1 1
30 10 2 6
Construct the cumulative distribution of X.
Solution:
X 0 1 2 3
P(x) 1 3 1 1
30 10 2 6
F(x) 1 10 25 1
30 30 30
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Example 8
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21 , for 0 x 1
3 , for 1 x 2
21
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, for 2 x 3
F ( x) 21
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, for 3 x 4
21
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21 , for 4 x 5
1 , for x 5
X 0 1 2 3 4 5
P(x) 1 2 3 4 5 6
21 21 21 21 21 21
F(x) 1 3 6 10 15 1
21 21 21 21 21
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b) Construct the graph of the:
i. probability distribution of X
P(x)
16/21
14/21
12/21
10/21
8/21
6/21
4/21
2/21
X
0 1 2 3 4 5
F(x)
6/21
5/21
4/21
3/21
2/21
1/21
X
0 1 2 3 4 5
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Example 9 (Overall Example)
X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
P(x) 0.04 0.08 0.14 0.16 0.26 0.20 0.06 0.06
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b) Then, draw a bar chart for the probability distribution.
P(x)
0.28
0.24
0.20
0.16
0.12
0.08
0.04
X
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
E( X )
X .P( x)
(0 0.04) (1 0.08) (2 0.14) (3 0.16)
(4 0.26) (5 0.20) (6 0.06) (7 0.06)
0 0.08 0.28 0.48 1.04 1.00 0.36 0.42
3.66
4
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d) Find the probability that at most three room
bookings were cancelled.
P( X 3)
P( X 0) P( X 1) P( X 2) P( X 3)
0.04 0.08 0.14 0.16
0.42
X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
P(x) 0.04 0.08 0.14 0.16 0.26 0.20 0.06 0.06
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X .P(x) 0 0.08 0.56 1.44 4.16 5 2.16 2.94
2
X 2 .P( x) 2
(0 0.08 0.56 1.44 4.16 5 2.16 2.94) 3.66 2
16.34 13.3956
2.9444
so, 2.9444 1.716
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4.3 Continuous Random Variable
Definition:
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EXERCISES
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i. exactly 3.
ii. more than 2.
iii. at most 2.
iv. 1 to 3.
v. at least 4.
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4. The following table gives the probability distribution
of the number of camcorders sold on a given day at an
electronic store.
Camcorder 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
sold
Probability 0.05 0.12 0.19 0.30 0.18 0.10 0.06
a) mean.
b) standard deviation.
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7. An urn holds 5 whites and 3 black marbles. If two
marbles are drawn randomly without replacement and
X denoted the number of white marbles,
Number of 0 1 2 3 4 5
accidents (X)
P(x) 0.10 0.20 9a 3a a a
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9. The manager of large computer network has
developed the following probability distribution of the
number of interruptions per day:
Interruptions(X) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
P(x) 0.32 0.35 0.18 0.08 0.04 0.02 0.01
Returns (RM), X
Stock A Stock B P(x)
-100 50 0.1
0 150 0.3
80 -20 0.3
150 -100 a
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a) Find the value of a.
b) Compute,
i. expected return for Stock A and Stock B.
ii. standard deviation for both stocks.
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SOLUTION
Q11.
a) Continuous e) Continuous
b) Discrete f) Continuous
c) Continuous g) Continuous
d) Discrete
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