STA1503/101/3/2013

Tutorial Letter 101/3/2013

Distribution Theory I
STA1503

Semesters 1 & 2

Department of Statistics

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This tutorial letter contains important
information about your module and
includes the assignment questions
for both semesters.

BAR CODE

university
Learn without limits. of south africa
 CONTENTS

Page

1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................4
1.1 Tutorial matter.......................................................................................................................4
2 PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE ..........................................................5
2.1 Purpose ...............................................................................................................................5
2.2 Outcomes.............................................................................................................................5
3 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .............................................................................6
3.1 Lecturer(s)............................................................................................................................6
3.2 Department ..........................................................................................................................6
3.3 University .............................................................................................................................7
4 MODULE RELATED RESOURCES .......................................................................................7
4.1 Prescribed books ..................................................................................................................7
4.2 Recommended books ...........................................................................................................7
4.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves) ..........................................................................................7
5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE ..........................................................7
5.1 Contact with Fellow Students .................................................................................................7
5.1.1 Study Groups .......................................................................................................................7
5.1.2 myUnisa ...............................................................................................................................8
5.1.3 Discussion classes ...............................................................................................................8
6 MODULE-SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN .......................................................................................8
7 MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING .................................8
8 ASSESSMENT .....................................................................................................................9
8.1 Assessment plan ..................................................................................................................9
8.2 General assignment numbers ................................................................................................9
8.2.1 Unique assignment numbers .................................................................................................9
8.2.2 Due dates for assignments ..................................................................................................10
8.3 Submission of assignments .................................................................................................10
8.4 Assignments.......................................................................................................................10
9 OTHER ASSESSMENT METHODS.....................................................................................11
10 EXAMINATION ...................................................................................................................11

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10.1 Examination Admission .......................................................................................................11

10.2 Examination Period .............................................................................................................11
10.3 Examination Paper ..............................................................................................................11
10.4 Previous Examination Papers ..............................................................................................12
10.5 Tutorial Letter with Information on the Examination ...............................................................12
11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ..................................................................................12
12 SOURCES CONSULTED ....................................................................................................12
13 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................12
ADDENDUM A: FIRST SEMESTER ASSIGNMENTS ......................................................................13
A.1 Assignment 01 ....................................................................................................................13
A.2 Assignment 02 ....................................................................................................................15
ADDENDUM B: SECOND SEMESTER ASSIGNMENTS ..................................................................17
B.1 Assignment 01 ....................................................................................................................17
B.2 Assignment 02 ....................................................................................................................19

3
1 INTRODUCTION
Dear Student

Welcome to this module. We trust your studies will be rewarding and successful!

The focus in this module is on the theory behind statistical inference, namely probability theory
and distribution theory. You will learn to characterize different distributions and their unknown
parameters using the correct and relevant estimates. This is the start of a process to provide
every statistician with a solid undergraduate foundation in statistical theory underlying problems
encountered in the work situation. The module is titled Distribution theory I, indicating that the
emphasis will be on theoretical mathematical statistics. Without distribution theory there will be
no legal basis for our statistical inference. The one in the name indicates a vertical level jump
starting at first level with STA1503, followed by STA2603 (Distribution theory II) at second level and
finally to STA3703 (Distribution theory III) at third level.

The prerequisites for STA1503 are such that at the stage of enrolment you should have completed
the modules STA1501 and STA1502 and also have a thorough knowledge of first-level calculus.
There is therefore an assumption of pre-knowledge of basic statistics and a solid grasp of important
mathematical techniques. STA1503 is the third of the three compulsory first-level modules that form
the basis for a degree with a major in Statistics. All three these first-level modules are presented in
the semester system from 2010 onwards.

Take note that every tutorial letter you will be receiving is important and you have to read them
all immediately and carefully. Some information contained in these tutorial letters may be urgent,
while others may, for example, contain examination information. So, it is wise to keep them all in a
file!

We trust that you will enjoy this module and work seriously and continuously. We hope that you will
enjoy this module and wish you all the best!

1.1 Tutorial matter

Take note that every tutorial letter you will be receiving is important and you have to read them
all immediately and carefully. Some information contained in these tutorial letters may be urgent,
while others may, for example, contain examination information. So, it is wise to keep them all in a
file!

Some of this tutorial matter may not be available when you register. Tutorial matter that
is not available when you register will be posted to you as soon as possible, but is also
available on myUnisa.

At the time of registration, you will receive an inventory letter that will tell you what you have re-
ceived in your study package and also show items that are still outstanding. Also see the brochure
entitled my Studies @ Unisa.

Check the study material that you have received against the inventory letter. You should have
received all the items listed in the inventory, unless there is a statement like out of stock or not

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available. If any item is missing, follow the instructions on the back of the inventory letter without
delay.

Shortly after registration The Department of Despatch should supply you with the following tutorial
matter for this module:

Tutorial letter 101. Read it and save it as it contain important information as well as your
assignments for the semester.

A study guide written by a lecturer to guide you through the relevant sections in the pre-
scribed book. Use it together with the textbook as the guide indicates the relevant prescribed
sections, explaining difficult concepts in more detail, giving additional examples and exer-
cises, etc.

Other tutorial letters to further assist you with your studies, will be dispatched to you through-
out the year.

If you have access to the Internet, you can view the study guide and tutorial letters for the modules
for which you are registered on the Universitys online campus, myUnisa, at http://my.unisa.ac.za

There are two types of tutorial letters:

The 100-series (e.g. Tutorial letter 101, 102, 103, etc.) containing general information, as-
signment questions, information about your lecturer or the examination, a trial paper, etc.

The 200-series (e.g. Tutorial letter 201, 202, 203, etc.) containing the solutions to the assign-
ments and the trial paper.

2 PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE

2.1 Purpose
Qualifying Students will have a solid fundamental introductory knowledge of skills in statistical the-
ory and have a clear understanding of the nature of mathematical statistics in terms of its objective,
namely statistical inference. These competencies include knowledge of statistical inference in an
accurate mathematical manner. In this process, distribution theory models will be applied in specific
discrete and continuous random variables. This module will support further studies and application
in the sector of statistics theory in the field of statistics, as part of the Bachelor of Science and
Bachelor of commerce qualifications. This module will be an illustration of Mathematical Statis-
tics as a theory of information to contribute to the development of communities and of research in
Southern Africa, Africa or globally utilizing mathematics extensively, but only as a tool.

2.2 Outcomes
Qualifying students will be able to:

Apply basic mathematical methods and rules of probability using set theory.

5
 Present the probability distribution for a discrete random variable.

Utilize probability models for continuous random variable.

Characteristics of the random variable as in the binomial, geometric, negative binomial,

hyper-geometric and Poisson distribution are recognized.

Theory underpinning the expected values, standard deviation, and variance of the continuous
distributions are explained.

Understand the role of probability in decision making and the application in basic statistical
inference.

Describe random variables and the probabilities associated with them in the form of a table,
formula or graph and also in terms of its parameters, usually the expected value and the
variance.

Apply the correct principles to determine the lower bound for the probability of a random
variable falling in a specific interval (theorem of tchebysheff)

3 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS

3.1 Lecturer(s)
The lecturer responsible for this module is as follows:

Ms.M.A Managa
Theo van Wijk Building (Pretoria), Office 7-126
E-mail address: managma@unisa.ac.za
Telephone number: (012) 429 4877

You might also want to write to us. Letters should be sent to:

Ms.M.A Managa
Department of Statistics
PO Box 392
UNISA
0003

All queries that are not of a purely administrative nature but are about the content of this module
should be directed to me. Please have your study material with you when you contact me. E-mail
and telephone numbers are included above.

PLEASE NOTE: Letters to lecturers may not be enclosed with or inserted into assignments.

3.2 Department
The departmental secretary can be contacted at (012) 429 6464 for other queries. The fax number
of the department is (012) 429 6298.

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3.3 University
If you need to contact the University about matters not related to the content of this module, please
consult the publication My Studies @ Unisa that you received with your study material. This
brochure contains information on how to contact the University (e.g. to whom you can write for
different queries, important telephone and fax numbers, addresses and details of the times certain
facilities are open).
Always have your student number at hand when you contact the University.

4 MODULE RELATED RESOURCES

4.1 Prescribed books
The prescribed book for this module is

Wackerly, Dennis D; Mendenhall, William III and Scheaffer, Richard L;

Mathematical statistics with applications (2008), 7th ed

You have to buy this book. Please consult the list of official booksellers and their addresses listed in
my Studies @ Unisa. Prescribed books can be obtained from the Universitys official booksellers. If
you have difficulty locating your book(s) at these booksellers, please contact the Prescribed Books
Section at 012 429 4152 or e-mail vospresc@unisa.ac.za.
For shorter reference, we use WMS when we need to draw your attention to the prescribed book.

4.2 Recommended books

There are no recommended books for this module.

4.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)

There are no e-Reserves for this module.

5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE

For information on the various student support systems and services available at Unisa (e.g. stu-
dent counseling, tutorial classes, language support), please consult the publication my Studies @
Unisa that you received with your study material.

5.1 Contact with Fellow Students

5.1.1 Study Groups
It is advisable to have contact with fellow students. One way to do this is to form study groups.
Please consult the publication my Studies@Unisa to find out how to obtain the addresses
of students in your region.

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5.1.2 myUnisa
If you have access to a computer that is linked to the internet, you can quickly access resources
and information at the University. The myUnisa learning management system is Unisas online
campus that will help you to communicate with your lecturers, with other students and with the
administrative departments of Unisa - all through the computer and the internet.

To go to the myUnisa website, start at the main Unisa website, http://www.unisa.ac.za, and then
click on the Login to myUnisa link on the right-hand side of the screen. This should take you to
the myUnisa website. You can also go there directly by typing in http://my.unisa.ac.za.

Please consult the publication my Studies @ Unisa which you received with your study material for
more information on myUnisa.

5.1.3 Discussion classes

There are no discussion classes offered in this module. Should the need for discussion classes
arise in future, students will be informed well in advance about actual dates and venues

6 MODULE-SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN

SEMESTER 1 Study units for preparing your assignments From To

WMS and Study Guide:
Assignment 1 WMS:From Chapters 2.3 to 4 and Registration 1 March
Guide: Study units 2.3 to 4
Start writing your assignment 2 March 11 March
Assignment 2 WMS: From Chapters 5 to 6 and 12 March 31 March
Guide: Study units 5 to 6
Start writing your assignment 1 April 8 April

SEMESTER 2 Study units for preparing your assignments From To

WMS and Study Guide:
Assignment 1 WMS:From Chapters 2.3 to 4 and Registration 18 August
Guide: Study units 2.3 to 4
Start writing your assignment 19 August 26 August
Assignment 2 WMS: From Chapters 5 to 6 and 27 August 14 September
Guide: Study units 5 to 6
Start writing your assignment 15 September 23 September

7 MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING

There are no practicals for this module.

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8 ASSESSMENT
8.1 Assessment plan
The assessment in this module consists of two assignments and an examination.

Your final mark for the module is determined from your year mark and your examination mark.
The year mark forms 10% and the examination mark 90% of the final mark. The year mark is the
average of the marks you receive for assignments 1 and 2. An assignment submitted late or not at
all will give you 0%. If you do well in your assignments you have a good year mark and that can
make all the difference between a pass or fail or between a distinction or simply a pass!

The two assignments prescribed for this module must be seen as part of the learning process.
The typical assignment question is a reflection of a typical examination question. There are fixed
submission dates for the assignments and each assignment is based on specific chapters in the
prescribed book. You have to adhere to these dates as assignments are only marked if they are
received on or before the due dates.

You will only get examination admission if you submit the first assignment by its due date. You
should complete both assignments as well as you can, since

they are the sole contributors towards your year mark,

they form an integral part of the learning process and indicate the form and nature of the
questions you can expect in the examination.

Assignments and Learning

Assignments are seen as part of the learning material for this module. As you do the assignment,
study the reading texts, consult other resources, discuss the work with fellow students or tutors
or do research, you are actively engaged in learning. Looking at the assessment criteria given
for each assignment, and the feedback you receive in your marked assignment, will help you to
understand what is required of you more clearly.

8.2 General assignment numbers

The two assignments are numbered 01 and 02 for each semester.

8.2.1 Unique assignment numbers

Please note that each assignment has its unique six-digit assignment number which has to be
written on the cover of your assignment upon submission. The unique numbers are given later on
in this tutorial letter; you will find them in the heading of each set of assignment questions.

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8.2.2 Due dates for assignments
The closing dates for the submission of the assignments are:

SEMESTER 1 Study units for preparing your assignments Due Date

WMS and Study Guide:
Assignment 1 WMS:From Chapters 2.3 to 4 and 11 March 2013
Guide: Study units 2.3 to 4
Assignment 2 WMS: From Chapters 5 to 6 and 8 April 2013
Guide: Study units 5 to 6

SEMESTER 2 Study units for preparing your assignments Due Date

WMS and Study Guide:
Assignment 1 WMS:From Chapters 2.3 to 4 and 26 August 2013
Guide: Study units 2.3 to 4
Assignment 2 WMS: From Chapters 5 to 6 and 23 September 2013
Guide: Study units 5 to 6

8.3 Submission of assignments

For detailed information on assignments, please refer to the my Studies @ Unisa brochure, which
you received with your study package.
To submit an assignment via myUnisa:

Go to myUnisa.

Log in with your student number and password.

Select the module.

Click on assignments in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.

Click on the assignment number you wish to submit.

Follow the instructions.

For general information and requirements as far as assignments are concerned, see the brochure
my Studies @ Unisa which you received with your study material.

8.4 Assignments
This tutorial letter 101 contains the assignments for both semesters, so select the semester you are
enrolled for and do the set of assignments for that semester only. The assignments for Semester
1 are in Appendix A, pages 1316. The assignments for Semester 2 are in Appendix B, pages
1721. Solutions to the assignments will be posted to ALL students registered for this module a
while after the closing date of the relevant assignment. Solutions will also be available on myUnisa.

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9 OTHER ASSESSMENT METHODS

There are no other assessment methods for this module.

10 EXAMINATION
10.1 Examination Admission
You need to have a final mark of 50% to pass this module and 75% to obtain a distinction.

In this module a maximum of 10 marks is added to your examination mark (out of 90) to form your
final mark. This 10% contribution comes from the marks you obtained for the two assignments and
is called your year mark. If you do well in your assignments you have a good year mark and that
can make all the difference between a pass or fail or between a distinction or simply a pass!
Currently admission to the examination is only based on the proof that you are actively involved
in your studies. This proof is based on the submission of your first assignment before a fixed
given date. Admission therefore does not rest with the department and if you do not submit that
particular assignment in time, we can do nothing to give you admission. Although you are most
probably a part time student with many other responsibilities, work circumstances will not be taken
into consideration for exemption from assignments or the eventual admission to the examination.
No concession will be made to students who do not qualify for the examination.

10.2 Examination Period

This module is offered in a semester period of fifteen weeks. This means that
if you are registered for the first semester, you will write the examination in May/June 2013
and should you fail and qualify for a supplementary examination, that supplementary exami-
nation will be written in October/November 2013.
if you are registered for the second semester, you will write the examination in October/November
2013 and should you fail and qualify for a supplementary examination, that supplementary
examination will be written in May/June 2014.
The examination section will provide you with information regarding the examination in general,
examination venues, examination dates and examination times. Eventually, your results will also
be processed by them and sent to you.

10.3 Examination Paper

Your examination will be a 2 hour examination. The questions will be similar to the assignment
questions, but there will also be questions on theory. Should you have a final mark of less than
50%, it implies that you failed the module STA1503. However, should your results be within a
specified percentage (usually from 40% to 49%), you will be given a second chance in the form of
a supplementary examination on the dates as specified in 10.2. Please note that the year mark
does not apply in the case of a supplementary examination. The final mark after a supplementary
examination is simply the mark you achieved in that examination, expressed as a percentage

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10.4 Previous Examination Papers
Previous examination papers are not available to students.However, you will receive a trial
paper towards the end of the semester that you can use as an indication of typical examination
questions. Solutions to this trial paper is also sent out in a follow-up tutorial letter. Remember
that the examples, exercises, activities in the guide as well as your assignment questions are also
indicators of typical examination questions.

10.5 Tutorial Letter with Information on the Examination

As mentioned before, you will receive a tutorial letter containing a trial paper. Should the lecturer
want to discuss any matter about the examination, it will be included in this tutorial letter. In the
study guide you are given clear indications of the sections in the textbook that you have to know
and can be tested on in the examination. Remember that you have to work continuously and do
not treat statistics as any other subject, where it may be possible to study only selected sections of
the work. All the topics are interlinked and you will definitely run into trouble if you skip sections!

You are automatically admitted to the exam on the submission of Assignment 01 by a specific date
see Section 8.1. Please note that lecturers are not responsible for exam admission, and ALL
enquiries about exam admission should be directed by e-mail to exams@unisa.ac.za.

11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The my Studies @ Unisa brochure contains an A-Z guide of the most relevant study information.
Please refer to this brochure for any other questions.

12 SOURCES CONSULTED
No books other than the prescribed book was consulted in preparing this tutorial letter.

13 CONCLUSION
Remember that there are no "short cuts" to studying and understanding statistics. You need to be
dedicated, work consistently and practise, practise and practise some more! We trust that you will
find a depth of knowledge in STA1503 that you can apply in many aspects of your life.
Be positive, determined and eager to learn and you will be successful!

Ms M.A Managa

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ADDENDUM A: FIRST SEMESTER ASSIGNMENTS

A.1 Assignment 01

ONLY FOR SEMESTER 1 STUDENTS

ASSIGNMENT 01
Unique Nr.: 678328
Fixed closing date: 11 MARCH 2013

QUESTION 1

If A and B are events with P.A/ D 0:7, P.B/ D 0:2, and P.A \ B/ D 0:1, find:

(a) P.A [ B/

(b) P.A/

(c) P.A j B/

(d) Are A and B independent? Give an explanation for your answer.

QUESTION 2

A study of the posttreatment behaviour of a large number of drug abusers suggests that the like-
lihood of conviction within a two - year period after treatment may depend upon the offenders
education. The proportions of the total number of cases falling in four education - conviction cate-
gories are shown in the following table:

Status within 2 years after Treatment

Education Convicted Not convicted Total
10 years or more :10 :30 :40
9 years or less :27 :33 :60
Total :37 :63 1:00
Suppose that a single offender is selected from the treatment program. Define the events:

A: The offender has 10 or more years of education.

B: The offender is convicted within two years after completion of treatment.

Find the following:

(a) P.A/

(b) P.B/

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 (c) P.A \ B/

(d) P.A [ B/

(e) P.A/

(f) P.A [ B/

(g) P.A \ B/

(h) P.A=B/

(i) P.B=A/:

QUESTION 3

A multiple-choice examination has 15 questions, each with five possible answers, only one of which
is correct. Suppose that one of the enrolled students who takes the examination answers each of
the questions with an independent random guess. What is the probability that he answers at least
ten question correctly?

QUESTION 4

Suppose that the probability that a patient recovers from a heart disease is 0:4: If 15 people are
known to have the disease, what is the probability that

(a) exactly 5 recover

(b) at least 10 recover

QUESTION 5

Suppose that a coin is tossed until 3 heads appear.

(a) Find the probability that exactly 5 tosses are required

(b) Show that if r D 1, the negative binomial reduces to the geometric distribution.

QUESTION 6

Suppose that a committee of 4 people is to be selected at random from a group of 6 women and 2
men. Let X represent the number of women on the committee.

(a) Find the distribution of X .Tabulate P.X D x/

(b) Hence calculate P.1 X 3/

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A.2 Assignment 02

ONLY FOR SEMESTER 1 STUDENTS

ASSIGNMENT 02
Unique Nr.: 772864
Fixed closing date: 8 APRIL 2013

QUESTION 1

The random variable Y has a normal distribution with mean 3 and variance 4. In each part, show
your work or explain how you get your answer. Use the normal tables, not a calculator.

(a) Find P.2 < Y < 5/.

(b) Find the value c such that P .Y c/ D 0:9960.

QUESTION 2

Errors in measuring the time of arrival of a wave front from an acoustic source sometimes have
approximately a beta distribution. Suppose that these errors, measured in microseconds, have
approximately a beta distribution with D 1 and D 2

(a) What is the probability that the measurement error in a randomly selected instance is less
than 0:5?

(b) Give the mean and standard deviation of the measurement error.

QUESTION 3

x
(a) Let X have a Poisson distribution p.x/ D e ; x D 0; 1; ::: Find the mean.
x!
(b) Let X have a Exponential distribution with density f .x/ D e x; x > 0: Find V ar .X / :

(c) Let X have the probability distribution displayed in the following table
X 0 1 2
1 1 1
P.X D x/
4 2 4

Find the mean and variance of X:

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QUESTION 4

Let X and Y have the joint probability density function

f X;Y .x; y/ D cx y; 0 < x < 4; 1 < x < 5
(a) Find the value of the constant c
(b) Find P.1 < x < 2; 2 < y < 3/
(c) Find the marginal distributions of X and Y:

QUESTION 5

Let Y1 and Y2 be continuous random variables with the joint density function
( 2y y C y
1 2 2
0 < y1 < 1; 0 < y2 < 2
f .y1; y2 / D 4
0 elsewhere

(a) Find P.Y1 C Y2 1/. [Draw the picture!]

(b) Find the marginal probability density function, f 1 .y1 /; of Y1
1 1
(c) Find the conditional probability density function, f 2 .y2 j /; of Y2 given Y1 D :
4 4

QUESTION 6

(a) If Y is a continuous random variable with momentgenerating function m.t/ and U is given by
U D aY C b, prove that the momentgenerating function of U is given by ebt m.at/:
(b) If Y has mean and variance 2, and Y is normally distributed, use its momentgenerating
function
t2 2
t C
m.t/ D e 2

to derive the momentgenerating function of U D 2Y C 3

(c) Identify the distribution of U .

QUESTION 7

Use the method of distribution functions for this question.

Suppose that Z has a standard normal distribution.

(a) Find the density function of U D Z 2

(b) Does U have a gamma distribution? If so, specify the values of and :

(c) Give another name for the distribution of U:

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ADDENDUM B: SECOND SEMESTER ASSIGNMENTS

B.1 Assignment 01

ONLY FOR SEMESTER 2 STUDENTS

ASSIGNMENT 01
Unique Nr.: 840050
Fixed closing date: 26 AUGUST 2013

QUESTION 1

Let A and B be events in a sample space, S, with P.A/ D 0:40; P.B/ D 0:25 and P.A \ B/ D 0:10.
Find each of the following, showing how you get your answer (method or formula).

QUESTION 2

The two events A and B are such that P.A/ D 0:6; P.B/ D 0:2 and P.A=B/ D 0:1: Calculate the
probability that:

(a) both events occur

(b) at least one of the events occurs

(c) exactly one of the events occurs.

(d) B occurs, given that A has occurred.

QUESTION 3

Suppose that 50% of a product on the market is produced by company A; 30% of the product is
produced by company B and 20% is produced by company C. The quality of a product is defined
as the proportion of defective items of the product. The quality of products produced by company
A is 5% . The quality of products produced by company B is 10% and of products from company C
is 15%. Suppose that a product is randomly selected from the market.

(a) What is the probability that the product is defective?

(b) If the product is defective, what is the probability that it is of quality 10% i.e. produced by
company B?

QUESTION 4

A certain test for HIV infection has a probability of 0:95 of testing positive when a patient is infected
and a probability 0:1 of testing positive when a patient is not effected. Given an area with 40% HIV
infection, find the probability that a patient is infected if he / she has tested positive.

17
QUESTION 5

Let X be a random variable with p.x/ given in the accompanying table. Find the mean, variance
and standard deviation of X
x p.x/
1
0
4
1
1
2
1
2
4
QUESTION 6

In each part, find P.Y D 3/.

(a) A bowl contains 50 coins, ten Canadian dimes and 40 US dimes. A coin is selected at random,
the type of coin is noted, and then the coin is returned to the bowl. The experiment is repeated
5 times. Let Y denote the number of Canadian dimes selected.

(b) A bowl contains 50 coins, ten Canadian dimes and 40 US dimes. A coin is selected at random,
the type of coin is noted, and then the coin is set aside. The experiment is repeated 5 times.
Let Y denote the number of Canadian dimes selected.

(c) A bowl contains 50 coins, ten Canadian dimes and 40 US dimes. A coin is selected at random,
the type of coin is noted, and then the coin is returned to the bowl. The experiment is repeated
until a Canadian dime is selected. Let Y denote the number of times that the experiment is
performed.

(d) It is known that 1000 sq. yard bolts of a certain material have an average of 30 flaws per bolt.
A customer purchases eight square yards of the material. Let Y be the number of flaws in the
material which was purchased. Assume that Y follows a Poisson distribution.

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B.2 Assignment 02

ONLY FOR SEMESTER 2 STUDENTS

ASSIGNMENT 02
Unique Nr.: 772361
Fixed closing date: 23 SEPTEMBER 2013

QUESTION 1

Wires manufactured for use in a computer system are specified to have resistance between 0:12
and 0:14 ohms. The actual measured resistance of the wires produced by company A have a
normal probability distribution with mean 0:13 ohm and standard deviation 0:005 ohm.
(a) What is the probability that a randomly selected wire from company A0 s production will meet
the specifications?
(b) If four of these wires are used in each computer system and all are selected from company A,
what is the probability that all four in a randomly selected system will meet the specifications?

QUESTION 2

Let X be a random variable with probability density function (pdf)

ce 2x for x > 0
fXD
0 elsewhere
(a) Find the value of c that will make f X .x/ a legitimate pdf
(b) Find the cumulative distribution function F.x/ of X
(c) Calculate P.2 < X < 4/
1
(d) Calculate P. < X < 1/
2

QUESTION 3

The weekly amount of downtime Y ( in hours) for an industrial machine has approximately a gamma
distribution with D 3 and D 2:The loss L (in dollars) to the industrial operation as a result of
this downtime is given by L D 30Y C 2Y 2 : Find the expected value and variance of L :

QUESTION 4

Prove that the variance of a beta distributed random variable with parameters and is
2
D
. C /2 . C C 1/

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QUESTION 5

Suppose that the test score of a student is a random variable with mean 50 and variance 25. Give
a lower bound to the probability that a student score will be between 40 and 60:

QUESTION 6

Let Y1 and Y2 have joint density function

e .y1 Cy2 / ; y1 > 0; y2 > 0

f . y1; y2 / D
0 elsewhere

(a) What is P.Y1 < 1; Y2 > 5/?

(b) What is P.Y1 C Y2 < 3/?

QUESTION 7

The joint density function of Y1 and Y2 is given by

(
30y1 y22 y1 1 y2 1 y1 ; 0 < y1 < 1
f Y1 ;Y2 .y1 ; y2 / D
0 elsewhere

Hint: To find the limits of integration for the different questions, make a graph illustrating the follow-
ing (make sure about the shading!):

y2 1 y1
y2 y1 1
0 < y1 < 1
1 < y2 < 1
1 1 9
(a) Show that F 2; 2 D 16

1
(b) Find F 2; 1

(c) Find the marginal distribution for Y1 and recognize it as a beta density with D 2 and D4

(d) Find the marginal distribution for Y2

Hint: you have to integrate over y1 in two parts, namely for 1 y2 0 and 0 y2 1

(e) Find the conditional density of Y2 given Y1 D y1

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 STA1503/101

QUESTION 8

The proportion of defective articles in a production sample is a random variable Y with a density
function given by (
3 2
f Y .y/ D 2y C y y1 0; y2 0
0 elsewhere

Y
The rand value of such samples is U D 3 2: Find the probability density function for U , using the
transformation method.

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