Probability

Problem set: 2
1. Consider a fair coin, let x be the number of heads in 50 tosses. Then the average number of
heads hxi and the variance hx2 ic are given by
(a) hxi = 50, hx2 ic = 12.5.
(b) hxi = 25, hx2 ic = 12.5. X
(c) hxi = 50, hx2 ic = 20.
(d) hxi = 40, hx2 ic = 20.
2. If x is a Gaussian random variable with probability distribution function (PDF) given by
1 2
p(x) = √ e−x /2 , then the PDF of y = ax + b, is given by
2π
1 2
(a) √ e−y /2 .
2π
1 2
(b) √ e−(y−b) /2 .
2πa
1 2 2
(c) √ e−(y−b) /(2a ) . X
2πa 2
1 2 2 2
(d) √ e−(y −b )/(2a ) .
2πa2

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3. If a random variable x ∈ [−∞, ∞] is distributed with the characteristic function p̃(k) = he−ikx i
then the distribution of y = ax + b has the characteristic function
(a) e−ibk p̃(ak). X
(b) e−ibk p̃(k/a).
(c) e−ibk p̃(ak)/a.
(d) ae−ibk p̃(k).

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4. For a radioactive sample, 10 decays are counted on average in 100 seconds. Using the Poisson
distribution, the probability of counting 3 decays in 10 seconds is
(a) 6e.
(b) 1/e.
(c) 1/6.
(d) 1/(6e). X

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5. A book of 600 pages contains 600 typographical errors appearing at random. The probability
that a page contains at least three errors is
(a) 1 − (5/2e).X
(b) 1 − (3/2e).
(c) 1 − (1/e).
(d) (1/e).

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