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Department of Mathematics
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, Rajasthan 333 031
Email: chandrashekhar@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in
Mobile: 9414492349
Chandra Shekhar MATH F113 (Probability and Statistics
What have you covered?
In Lecture 11
Application of Discrete Distribution
Binomial Approximation
Poisson Approximation
Continuous Densities
Consider the random variable T ,
the time of the peak demand for
electricity at a particular power
plant.
Here, we cannot limit the set of
possible values for T to some
finite or countable infinite
collection of times.
Chandra Shekhar MATH F113 (Probability and Statistics
Continuous Distribution (Cont...)
Continuous Densities
Time T can conceivably assume
any value in the time interval
[0, 24), where 0 denotes mid night
of one day and 24 denotes 12 mid
night of next day.
Continuous Densities
Further, we could pose the
question, what is the probability
that the peak demand will occur
exactly 12.013278. . . ?
It is virtually impossible for the
peak load to occur at this split.
Hence the answer is zero.
Continuous Densities
Suppose the range of X is made
up of large finite number of
values say, X in 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 of the
form 0, 0.01, 0.02,. . . ,0.99, 1.0.
Each of the values is associated
with a non-negative number
whose sum is 1.
X can assume all possible values
0 ≤ x ≤ 1.
Chandra Shekhar MATH F113 (Probability and Statistics
Continuous Distribution (Cont...)
Continuous Densities
Since possible values of X are
non countable in 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, then
what happens to point
probabilities? We can’t really
speak of ith value of X for all X,
P [X = xi] becomes meaningless
Definition
Continuous Random Variable
A random variable is continuous if
it can assume any value in some
interval (or intervals) of real
numbers and the probability that it
assume any specific value is 0
(zero).
Definition
Continuous Density
Let X be a continuous random variable. A
function f (x) is called continuous density
(probability density function i.e pdf ) if
(i) fR(x) ≥ 0
+∞
(ii) −∞ f (x)dx = 1
(iii) For any a, b (real) with −∞ < x < +∞
we have
Z b
P [a ≤ x ≤ b] = f (x)dx
a
Chandra Shekhar MATH F113 (Probability and Statistics
Continuous Distribution (Cont...)
To compute
Z1/2
1
P [X ≤ 1/2] = 2xdx =
4
0
Definition
Let X be the continuous r.v. with density
f (x). The cumulative distribution
function (cdf ) for X, denoted by
F (X), is defined by
F (X) = P (X ≤ x) ∀ x
Zx
= f (s)ds
−∞
Chandra Shekhar MATH F113 (Probability and Statistics
Continuous Distribution (Cont...)
Theorem
Let F be the continuous cdf of a
continuous r.v with pdf f , then
d
f (x) = F (X)
dx
for all x at which F is differential
Z4
1
kxdx = 1 =⇒ k =
6
2
Chandra Shekhar MATH F113 (Probability and Statistics
Continuous Distribution (Cont...)
Z7
1 −x
=0+ e 10 dx = 0.5034
10
0
Hence
(
0 x<0
F (x) = x
1 − e− 10 x≥0