M6 2020 Discrete Random Variable Notes For SLS

CJC MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT
2020 JC2 H2 MATHEMATICS (9758)

TOPIC: DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE
H2 MATHEMATICS
TOPIC DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE 2020/JC2
Mastery Learning Objectives: At the end of the chapter, students are able to
 understand the idea of random variables;
 distinguish between a discrete random variable and continuous random variable;
 solve problems using the concept of discrete random variables,
 find probability distributions of discrete random variables,
 recall the definition and properties of expectations and variance;
 find expectations and variances of discrete random variables.
Pre-requisites:
 Probability
1 Concept of a Random Variable
In statistics, many problems are concerned with a numerical value associated with the outcome of an
experiment. For example, a fair coin is thrown three times, the sample space, S, is given by
S   HHH , HHT , HTH , THH , HTT , THT , TTH , TTT 
where H represents a head being observed, and T represents a tail being observed.
We can assign each outcome in the sample space with a value of 0, 1, 2 or 3, indicating the number of
heads that were observed. These values are random quantities determined by the outcome of the
experiment. They may be viewed as the values assumed by a random variable, X, the number of heads
observed when a fair coin is thrown three times.
A random variable is a function that associates a real number with each element in the sample
space.
 Remarks:
 Capital letters are used to denote random variables, e.g. X.
 Subscripts are used to denote independent experiments/observations. For example, if X is the
random variable denoting number of heads observed when a fair coin is thrown 3 times, then
X 1 and X 2 are used to represent two such independent experiments.
 Small letters are used to denote observed values, e.g. x.
Page | 77
1.1 Discrete Random Variable
A discrete random variable is a random variable that can take on only a finite or at most a
countably infinite number of values.
For example, two balls are drawn in succession without replacement from a container containing 4 red
balls and 3 black balls. Let X be the random variable denoting the number of red balls drawn. The
possible outcomes and the values, x, of the random variable X are
Possible outcomes RR RB BR BB
x 2 1 1 0
where R denotes the event that a red ball was drawn and B denotes the event that a black ball was drawn.
In another example, a fair die is thrown until the occurrence of a ‘6’. Let Y be the random variable
denoting the number of throws until a ‘6’ is observed. The possible outcomes and the values, y, of the
random variable Y are
Possible outcomes T FT FFT FFFT …

y 1 2 3 4 …
where T denotes the event that a ‘6’ was observed and F denotes the event that a ‘6’ was not observed.
 Remark:
A discrete random variable does not necessarily take only whole numbers as its values. One such
1
example is the size of shoes. It can take values like 8 .
2
Page | 78
2 Discrete Probability Distributions
A discrete random variable assumes each of its values with a certain probability.
For example, a fair coin was thrown three times. Let X be the random variable denoting the number of
heads observed. The probability associated with each of its values is
x 0 1 2 3
1 3 3 1
P  X  x
8 8 8 8
The table above shows the probability distribution of X.
It is convenient to represent all the probabilities of a random variable X by a formula. We call such a
formula a probability function, probability mass function or probability distribution.
The probability function, probability mass function or probability distribution function of a

discrete random variable X is given by
P  X  x  f  x ,
with the following properties
 0  f  x  1,
  f  x  1.
all x
3
1
In the above example, a possible probability distribution function is f  x   3 C x   .
2
Worked Example 1:
Two fair tetrahedral dice, each with faces 1, 2, 3 and 4 are thrown and the score is the sum of the two
numbers of which the dice lands. If X is the random variable denoting the score when two tetrahedral
dice are thrown, find the probability distribution of X.
Solution:
Let S be the random variable denoting the score of a die.
S2
Sum
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 5
2 3 4 5 6
S1
3 4 5 6 7
4 5 6 7 8
x 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 3 2 1
P  X  x
16 16 16 16 16 16 16
Page | 79
Worked Example 2:
The discrete random variable Y has probability distribution
y 3 2 1 0 1
P Y  y  0.1 0.3 d 0.25 0.01
Find
(i) the value of d,
(ii) P  3  Y  0  ,
(iii) P Y  1 .
Solution:
(i) Since  P Y  y   1 ,
all y
0.1  0.3  d  0.25  0.01  1

d  0.34
(ii) P  3  Y  0   P  Y  3  P  Y  2   P  Y  1

 0.1  0.3  0.34
 0.74
(iii) P Y  1  P Y  0   P Y  1
 0.25  0.01
 0.26
Page | 80
Worked Example 3:
x
4
The discrete random variable X has probability distribution function P  X  x   c   for x  ,
5
x  0 . Find
(i) the value of c,
(ii) the value of P  X  3  .
Solution:
(i) Since  P  X  x  1 ,
all x
  4 x 
 c     1
  5  
all x 
 4  x 
c      1
 5  
all x 
 
 4 0  4 1  4  2 
c          ...  1

5     5  
5 
 G.P.: a 1, r  54 
 1 
c 4 
1
1 5 
1
c
5
(ii) Method 1:
3 4 5
1 4 1 4 1 4
P  X  3           ...
5  5  5 5
  5 5  
 54 
3
G.P.: a  15 ; r  45
 54 
3
1
 5
1  54
64

125
Method 2:
P  X  3  1  P  X  2 
 1  4  0 1  4 1 1  4 2 
1          
 5  5  5  5  5  5  
64

125
Page | 81
Worked Example 4:
Find the constant c such that
 2 1
cx , for x  1 and  ,
2

x , for x  0,
P  X  x  
cx 3
, for x  and 1,
 4
0 , otherwise.

is a probability distribution.
 1 1
Find P  X    .
 2 4
Solution:
Since  P X  x 1 ,
all x
 1  3
P  X  1  P  X     P  X  0   P  X    P  X  1  1
 2  4
2
 1 3
c  1  c     0  c    c 1  1
2
 2 4
1 3
c  c  c  c 1
4 4
1
c
3
Method 1: Method 2:
 1 1  1 1  1 1
P X    P X    1 P X   
 2 4  2 4   2 4
 1 1  1 1  1 1 1
 P X      P X    1 P   X   
 2 4   2 4  4 2 4
 1  3 1 3
 P X    P X   1 P  X  
 4  4 4 4
 1  3
 P  X  1  P  X     P  X  0   P  X  1 1 P X  
 2  4
1 1 1 
2
1 1 3 
  1      0  1
2
1  
3 3 2  3 3 4 
3 3
 
4 4
Page | 82
Worked Example 5:
The discrete random variable Y has probability distribution
y 3 2 1 0 1
P Y  y  0.1 0.3 0.34 0.25 0.01
If V  Y 2 , find the probability distribution of V.
Solution:
y 3 2 1 0 1
P Y  y  0.1 0.3 0.34 0.25 0.01
v 9 4 1 0 1
Therefore
v 0 1 4 9
P V  v  0.25 0.01  0.34  0.35 0.3 0.1
3 Descriptive Statistics
In secondary school, we have learnt that mean, median and mode are measures of central tendency for
a set of data. In addition, we have also learnt that standard deviation is used to measure the spread for a
set of data. The square of the standard deviation, known as variance, is a measure of variability. All
these are part of descriptive statistics which gives us a brief summary of any given set of data.
3.1 Mode and Median
The mode is the value that appears most often in a given set of data.
The median is the ‘middle’ value in this set of data sorted in the ascending/descending order.
If there is an even number of items, then the median is the average of the ‘middle’ values.
For example,
Data Mode Median

1,3,3,6,7,8,9 3 6
45
1, 2,3,4,5,6,6,9 6  4.5
2
1,1,1,3, 4,6,8,8,8 1 and 8 4
Page | 83
If X is a discrete random variable, then

 the mode is the value of x such that P  X  x  is the largest,
m1  m2
 the median, m, is m  such that P  X  m1   0.5 and P  X  m2   0.5 .
2
Note that in some cases m  m1  m2 .
Worked Example 6:
The discrete random variable X has probability distribution
x 0 1 2 3 4
P  X  x 0.10 0.45 0.10 0.3 0.05
Find the mode and median of X.
Solution:
The mode is 1 since P  X  1 is the largest.
Since P  X  1  0.1  0.45  0.55   0.5  and P  X  1  0.45  0.1  0.3  0.05  0.9   0.5  , the
median is 1.
Page | 84
3.2 Mean
Given a set of data,  x1 , x2 , x3 , , xn  , the mean, x , of this set of data can be calculated by
x1  x2  x3    xn
x .
n
We can also calculate the mean of a given random variable, X.
For example, in an experiment, a fair coin is thrown. A score of ‘0’ is assigned when a head is
obtained and a score of ‘1’ is assigned when a tail is obtained. Let X be the random variable
denoting the score of a throw of the fair coin.
The probability distribution of X is
x 0 1
1 1
P  X  x
2 2
The experiment was conducted n times and the average was calculated. The diagram below
shows the value of the averages for different values of n for a particular run of experiments.
Average
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
It can be seen from the above diagram that the average values seem to tend to a particular value
as n increases. This particular value is known as the mean/expected value of the random variable,
X.
The mean of a random variable is also known as the expectation or expected value of a random
variable. It is the long-run average value of repetitions of the experiment.
Let X be a discrete random variable with probability distribution, f  x  .

Then, the mean, or expected value, of X is
  E  X     xf  x   .
all x
Page | 85
 Remarks:
 If a is a constant, then E  a   a .
Proof for understanding:
If X is a discrete random variable with probability distribution
x a
P X  x 1
E  a   a 1  a .
 If the probability distribution, f  x  , is symmetrical about the line, x  a , then a is the mean.
Let X be a discrete random variable and assume that there are 2n  1 possible values of x.
If Y  X  a , then Y is symmetrical about y  0 , i.e. P Y  y   P Y   y  .
Let the possible values of y be   yn ,  yn 1 ,  ,  y1 , 0, y1 , , yn 1 , yn  .
E Y 
   y P Y  y  
all y
  yn P Y   yn    
 yn 1 P  Y   yn 1      
 y1 P Y   y1     0  P  Y  0  
  y1 P Y  y1       yn 1 P  Y  yn 1     yn P  Y  yn  
  yn P Y  yn    
 yn 1 P  Y  yn 1       y1 P  Y  y1     0  P Y  0  
  y1 P Y  y1       yn 1 P Y  yn 1     yn P Y  yn  
0
Since X  Y  a , i.e. to obtain the values of x, we will simply add a:
E X   0  a  a
If there are 2n possible values of x, we will include an extra value, x  a , with P  X  a   0

such that the mean will still remain as a.
Page | 86
Worked Example 7:
The discrete random variable X has probability distribution
x 2 1 0 1 2
P X  x 0.3 0.1 0.20 0.1 0.3
Find the mean of X.
Solution:
Method 1:
Since the probability distribution, f  x  , is symmetrical about x  0 , the mean is 0.
Method 2:
x 2 1 0 1 2
P X  x 0.3 0.1 0.20 0.1 0.3
x P X  x 0.6 0.1 0 0.1 0.6
E  X   0.6   0.1  0  0.1  0.6

0
Worked Example 8: (Application)

A salesperson for a medical device company has two appointments on a given day. At the first
appointment, he believes that he has a 70% chance to make the deal, from which he can earn $1000
commission if successful. On the other hand, he thinks he only has a 40% chance to make the deal at
the second appointment, from which, if successful, he can make $1500. What is his expected
commission based on his own probability belief? Assume that the appointment results are independent
of each other.
Solution:
Let X be the random variable denoting the commission earned by the salesperson.
x 0 1000 1500 2500
P X  x  0.3 0.6   0.18  0.7 1  0.4   0.42 1  0.7  0.4   0.12  0.7  0.4   0.28
x P X  x 0 420 180 700
E  X   0  420  180  700  1300
Hence, his expected commission is $1300.
Page | 87
Let X be a discrete random variable with probability distribution, f  x  .

Then, the mean, or expected value, of the random variable, Y  g  X  , is
E Y   E g  X      g  x  f  x   .
all x
Let X be a discrete random variable and assume that there are n possible discrete values of X.
Let Y  g  X  .
x x1 x2 x3  xn
P  X  x p1 p2 p3  pn
y  g  x y1 y2 y3  yn
i.e. P  Y  yi   P  X  xi   f  xi 
Then
n
E  Y     yi P Y  yi 
i 1
n
   g  xi  P  X  xi  
i 1
n
   g  xi  f  xi  
i 1
   g  x  f  x  
all x
Page | 88
Worked Example 9:
Suppose that the number of cars X that pass through a car wash between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm on any
sunny Friday has the following probability distribution:
x 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 1 1 1 1 1
P X  x
12 12 4 4 6 6
Let Y  2 X  1 represent the amount of money, in dollars, paid to the attendant by the manager. Find
the attendant’s expected earnings for this particular time period.
Solution:
Method 1: Using E  Y   E  g  X      g  x  f  x   formula

all x
E Y 
 E  2 X  1
9
   2 x  1 P  X  x  
x4
1 1 1 1 1 1

  2  4   1     2  5   1     2  6   1     2  7   1     2 8   1     2  9   1  
 12   12   4 4 6 6
38

3
Method 2: Using Probability Distribution Table
x 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 1 1 1 1 1
P X  x
12 12 4 4 6 6
y 7 9 11 13 15 17
1 1 1 1 1 1
P Y  y 
12 12 4 4 6 6
7 9 11 13 15 17
y P Y  y 
12 12 4 4 6 6
7 9 11 13 15 17 38
E Y        
12 12 4 4 6 6 3
Page | 89
3.3 Variance
The mean, or expected value, of a random variable X is important in statistics because it describes
where the probability distribution is centred. However, using only the mean does not give enough
description of the shape of the distribution.
Source: https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~joseff/rstudy/week3.html
The diagrams above show four probability distributions that have the same mean, 0, but differ
considerably in variability, or the dispersion of their observations about the mean.
One way to measure the variability of a random variable X is E  X     where  is the

2
 
mean of the random variable X, i.e. the average of the squared distance between x and  .
Let X be a discrete random variable with probability distribution f  x  and mean  .
Then, the variance of X is

 2  Var  X   E  X        x    f  x  .
2 2
  all x
 
The positive square root of the variance,  , is called the standard deviation of X.
Variance of X can also calculated using

 2  Var  X   E  X 2    E  X 
2
Page | 90
Let X be a discrete random variable with mean  .
 2    x    f  x  
2
all x
 
   x 2  2  x   2  f  x  
all x
   x 2 f  x      2  x f  x       2 f  x  
all x all x all x
   x f  x    2    x f  x     2  f  x 
2

all x
  
all x
 
all x

 
E X2  1
 E  X 2   2 2   2
 E X 2   2
 E  X 2    E  X 
2
 Remark:
 If a is a constant, then Var  a   0 .

If X is a discrete random variable with probability distribution
x a
P X  x 1
E  a   a 1  a,
Var  a    a  a  1  0.
2
Page | 91
Worked Example 10:

Let the random variable X denote the number of defective parts for a machine when 3 parts are sampled
from a production line and tested. The table below shows the probability distribution of X.
x 0 1 2 3
P X  x 0.51 0.38 0.10 0.01
Find the mean and variance of X.
Solution:
To find the mean of X:

x 0 1 2 3
P X  x 0.51 0.38 0.10 0.01
x P  X  x 0 0.38 0.20 0.03
E  X   0  0.38  0.2  0.03  0.61
To find the variance of X:
Method 1: Use  2  Var  X   E  X        x    f  x   formula

2 2
  all x  
x 0 1 2 3
P X  x 0.51 0.38 0.10 0.01
x    0  0.61 1  0.61  2  0.61  3  0.61

2 2 2 2 2
 0.3721  0.1521  1.9321  5.7121
Var  X   0.51 0.3721  0.38  0.1521  0.11.9321  0.01 5.7121

 0.4979
 
Method 2: Use  2  Var  X   E X 2   E  X   formula
2
x 0 1 2 3
P X  x 0.51 0.38 0.10 0.01
x 2
0 1 4 9
x2 P  X  x  0 0.38 0.40 0.09
E  X 2   0  0.38  0.40  0.09  0.87
Var  X   E  X 2    E  X  
2
 0.87  0.612
 0.4979
Page | 92
Method 3: Using Graphing Calculator (G.C.)
The G.C. can be used to calculate the mean and variance for discrete random variables.
Press Screen Display Remarks

1. Press STAT and select Allows us to key in the
1:Edit. probability distribution into
the calculator.
2. Key in the x values in L1

and the corresponding
probabilities in L2.
3. Press STAT, select CALC Select the 1-Var Stats option

followed by 1:1-Var Stats. from the “CALC” tab.
4. At the List option, key in

L1.
At the FreqList option, key
in L2.
L1 can be obtained by
pressing 2ND followed by 1
and L2 can be obtained by
pressing 2ND followed by
2.
Page | 93
5. Highlight Calculate and You may scroll down to

press ENTER. view more statistics.
x is mean.
 x is the standard deviation.
6. To avoid typo error, we can

call out the values for x and
x .
Press VARS and select 5:
Statistics
7. Select the value required. The G.C. is unable to give

For mean, press 2: x . us the variance directly. To
For standard deviation, press obtain the variance, we need
4:  x . to square the standard
deviation. Hence, we make
use of the stored value of the
To get variance, square  x :
standard deviation to find
 x2 . the variance.
Page | 94
Worked Example 11: [2006/IJC/II/23]

The discrete random variable X has probability function
k  2  x  , for x  0,1, 2,

P  X  x    k  x  2  , for x  3, 4,
0 , otherwise.

where k is a positive constant.
1
(i) Show that k  and state the value of E  X  .
6
(ii) Find E  X  2  .
(iii) Find Var  X  .
Solution:
(i) x 0 1 2 3 4
P  X  x 2k k 0 k 2k
2k  k  k  2 k  1
1
k  shown 
6
By symmetry, E  X   2 .
(ii) x 0 1 2 3 4
2 1 1 2
P  X  x 0
6 6 6 6
2 1 1 2
X  2 P  X  x 02   1 2   2  2 0 3 2   42  
6 6 6 6
2 1 1 2 5

E  X  2   2    1   0  1   2   
6
    6 6
  6 3
(iii) x 0 1 2 3 4
2 1 1 2
P  X  x 0
6 6 6 6
1 3 8
x P X  x 0 0
6 6 6
1 9 32
x2 P  X  x  0 0
6 6 6
1 9 32
E X 2   0  0  7
6 6 6
Var  X   E  X 2    E  X    7  22  3
2
Page | 95
3.4 Mean and Variance of Linear Combinations of Random Variables
If a random variable X undergoes a linear transformation, aX  b , where a and b are constants,

then
E  aX  b   a E  X   b
Var  aX  b   a 2 Var  X 
Let E  X    and Var  X    2 .
If X is discrete with probability distribution f  x  , then
E  aX  b     ax  b  f  x  
all x
   ax f  x   b f  x  
all x
   ax f  x     b f  x  
all x all x
 a   x f  x    b   f  x  

all x
  
all x

E X  1
 aE  X   b
 a  b
Var  aX  b   E   aX  b    a   b   
2
 

 E  aX  a  
2

   ax  a   f  x 
2
all x
 
  a2  x    f  x 
2
all x
 
 a 2   x    f  x  
2
 

all x
 
Var  X 
 a Var  X 
2
 a 2 2
Page | 96
Worked Example 12:

Calculate the mean and variance of Y  2 X  3 , where X is a discrete random variable with probability
distribution
x 0 1 2 3
1 1 1 1
P  X  x
4 8 2 8
Solution:
Using G.C.,
E  X   1.5 and Var  X   1 .
E  Y   E  2 X  3
 2E X   3
 2 1.5   3
6
Var  Y   Var  2 X  3
 22 Var  X 
 4 1
4
Page | 97
If two random variables X and Y are independent of each other, then
E  X  Y   E  X   E Y 
but
Var  X  Y   Var  X   Var Y 
In general, if X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , , X n are n independent observations of X, then
E  X1  X 2  X 3    X n   E  X1   E  X 2   E  X 3     E  X n 
 nE X 
Var  X 1  X 2  X 3    X n   Var  X 1   Var  X 2   Var  X 3     Var  X n 
 n Var  X 
 Remarks:
 The proofs are not given here since they require the understanding of joint distributions and
covariance of two random variables which are not in the syllabus.
 If X and Y are not independent, then
E  X  Y   E  X   E Y 
but
Var  X  Y   Var  X   Var  Y  .
 It is important to note that 2X  X 1  X 2 . The random variable 2X means twice the random
variable X, while X 1  X 2 is the sum of two independent observations of X.
 E  2 X   2 E  X  and
Var  2 X   2 2 Var  X 
 E  X 1  X 2   E  X 1   E  X 2   2 E  X  and
Var  X 1  X 2   Var  X 1   Var  X 2   2 Var  X 
Page | 98
Worked Example 13: [J1980/I/11(modified)]

A discrete random variable X takes values 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 with probabilities as shown in the table.
x 0 1 2 4 8
1 1 1 1
P  X  x p
2 4 8 16
(i) Evaluate p.
(ii) Find E  X  and Var  X  .
(iii) Write down the values of E  2 X  3  and Var  2 X  3 .
(iv) X 1 and X 2 are two independent observations of X. Find E  X 1  X 2  and, using the value of p
found in part (i) above, find P  X 1  X 2  2  .
Solution:
1 1 1 1
(i) p    1
2 4 8 16
1
p
16
(ii) x 0 1 2 4 8
1 1 1 1 1
P X  x
16 2 4 8 16
1 2 4 8
x P X  x 0
2 4 8 16
1 4 16 64
x2 P  X  x  0
2 4 8 16
1 2 4 8
E X   0     2
2 4 8 16
1 4 16 64 15
E X 2   0     
2 4 8 16 2
Var  X   E  X 2    E  X  
2
15
  22
2
7

2
Page | 99
(iii) E  2X  3  2E  X   3
 2  2  3
1
Var  2 X  3  2 2 Var  X   Var  3

7
 4   0
2
 14
(iv) E  X1  X 2   E  X1   E  X 2 
 22
4
P  X 1  X 2  2   P  X 1  0   P  X 2  2   P  X 1  1  P  X 2  1  P  X 1  2   P  X 2  0 
 1  1   1  1   1  1 
           
 16  4   2  2   4  16 
9

32
4 Miscellaneous Examples
Worked Example 14 [J1978/II/12]

35
A die is thrown once and X denotes the score obtained. Calculate E  X  and show that Var  X   .
12
The die is thrown twice, and X 1 and X 2 denote the scores obtained. Tabulate the probability
distribution of Y  X 1  X 2 , and find E Y  .
The random variable Z is defined by Z  X 1  X 2 . State with reasons (but without necessarily
evaluating the quantities concerned) whether or not
(a) E  Z 2   E Y 2  , (b) Var  Z   Var Y  .
Solution:
x 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1
P X  x
6 6 6 6 6 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
xP  X  x 
6 6 6 6 6 6
1 4 9 16 25 36
x2 P  X  x 
6 6 6 6 6 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
E X        
6 6 6 6 6 6 2
Page | 100
1 4 9 16 25 36 91
E X 2        
6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Var  X   E  X 2    E  X  
2
2
91  7 
  
6 2
35
  shown 
12
X2
Y  X1  X 2
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 0 1 2 3 4 5
2 1 0 1 2 3 4
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
X1
4 3 2 1 0 1 2
5 4 3 2 1 0 1
6 5 4 3 2 1 0
y 0 1 2 3 4 5
6 1 10 5 8 2 6 1 4 1 2 1
P Y  y       
36 6 36 18 36 9 36 6 36 9 36 18
5 4 3 4 5
yP  Y  y  0
18 9 6 9 18
5 4 3 4 5 35
E Y   0      
18 9 6 9 18 18
Since Z 2   X 1  X 2  and Y 2   X 1  X 2  ,
2 2
(a)
 
 Z 2  Y 2 , thus E Z 2  E Y 2 .  
(b) E  Z   E  X1  X 2 
 E  X1   E  X 2 
0
E Y   E  X1  X 2   0
 E  Z   E Y 
Var  Z   E  Z 2    E  Z   while Var  Y   E Y 2    E Y  

2 2
   
Since E Z 2  E Y 2 from part (a), and E  Z   E  Y  ,
 Var  Z   Var Y 
Page | 101
Worked Example 15: [2006/CJC/II/23]

John is given 4 keys of which only one can unlock the door. He tries the keys randomly (without
replacement) to unlock the door. The random variable X denotes the number of tries John takes to unlock
the door.
1
(i) Show that P  X  3  .
4
(ii) Tabulate the probability distribution of X.
(iii) Write down E  X  and Var  X  .
(iv) 
Find P X 2  8 . 
Solution:
 3  2  1  1
(i) P  X  3        shown 
 4  3  2  4
(ii) x 1 2 3 4
1  3  1  1 1  3  2  1  1
P  X  x         
4  4  3  4 4  4  3  2  4
23 5
(iii) By symmetry, E  X   
2 2
x 1 2 3 4
1 1 1 1
P  X  x
4 4 4 4
1 4 9 16
x2 P  X  x 
4 4 4 4
1 4 9 16 15
E X 2      
4 4 4 4 2
Var  X   E  X 2    E  X  
2
15
  2.5 
2

2
5

4
(iv) 
P  X 2  8  P  8  X  8 
 P  X  1  P  X  2 
1 1
 
4 4
1

2
Page | 102
Worked Example 16 [J1993/II/7(modified)]

Alfred and Bertie play a game, each starting with cash amounting to £100. Two fair dice are thrown. If
the total score is 5 or more then Alfred pays £x, where 0  x  8 , to Bertie. If the total score is 4 or less
then Bertie pays £  x  8  to Alfred. Show that the expectation of Alfred’s cash after the first game is
1
 304  2 x  .
£
3
Find the expectation of Alfred’s cash after six games.
Find the value of x for the game to be fair, i.e. for the expectation of Alfred’s winnings to equal the
expectation of Bertie’s winnings.
Given that x  3 , find the variance of Alfred’s cash after the first game.
Solution:
Dice 2
Sum
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Dice 1
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Let A be the random variable denoting Alfred’s profit after a game.
a x x 8
30 5 6 1
P A  a  
36 6 36 6
5 1
aP  A  a   x  x  8
6 6
Expectation of Alfred’s cash after the first game  100  E  A 

 5 1
 100     x   x  8 
 6  6
304 2
  x
3 3
1
  304  2 x   shown 
3
Page | 103
Expectation of Alfred’s cash after the 6 games

 100  E  A1   E  A2   E  A3   E  A4   E  A5   E  A6 
 100  6E  A 
 5 1 
 100  6   x   x  8 
 6 6 
 100  5 x  x  8
 108  4 x
Let B be the random variable denoting Bertie’s profit after a game.
b x   x  8
5 1
P  B  b
6 6
5 1
bP  B  b  x   x  8
6 6
Expectation of Bertie’s cash after the first game  100  E  B 

5 1
 100  x   x  8
6 6
296 2
  x
3 3
Expectation of Alfred’s winnings  Expectation of Bertie’s winnings

1 296 2
 304  2 x    x
3 3 3
304  2 x  296  2 x
4x  8
x2
Page | 104
Given that x  3 ,
a 3 11
5 1
P  A  a
6 6
15 11
aP  A  a  
6 6
45 121
a2 P  A  a 
6 6
15 11 2
E  A    
6 6 3
45 121 83
E  A2    
6 6 3
Var  A   E  A2    E  A 
2
2
83  2 
  
3  3
245

9
Variance of Alfred’s cash after the first game  Var 100  A

 Var 100   Var  A
245
0
9
245

9
Page | 105
SUMMARY DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE
A random variable is a function that associates a real number with each element in the sample space.
A discrete random variable is a random variable that can take on only a finite
Definition
or at most a countably infinite number of values.
 P X  x  f  x ,
Probability
Distribution  0  f  x  1,
Function   f  x  1.
all x
Function of
Random
Variable, Tabulate probability distribution table for each possible value.
Y  g X 
Mode Value of x such that P  X  x  is the largest.
m1  m2
Median, m m such that P  X  m1   0.5 and P  X  m2   0.5 .
2
Expectation/
Mean,   E  X     xf  x  
  E X 
all x
E  g  x   If Y  g  X  , then E Y   E  g  X     g  x  f  x  
all x
 2  Var  X   E  X        x    f  x  OR
2 2
  all x
 
Variance,  2  Var  X   E  X 2   E  X  
2
 2  Var  X 
  Var  X  is called the standard deviation of X.

E  aX  b   a E  X   b
aX  b
Var  aX  b   a 2 Var  X 
Two
independent E  X  Y   E  X   E Y 
random
Var  X  Y   Var  X   Var Y 
variables, X and
Y
n independent E  X1  X 2  X 3    X n   E  X1   E  X 2   E  X 3     E  X n   n E  X 
observations of
Var  X 1  X 2    X n   Var  X 1   Var  X 2     Var  X n   n Var  X 
X
Page | 106
H2 MATHEMATICS TUTORIAL
TOPIC DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE 2020/JC2
DISCUSSION
BASIC LEVEL
1. [1982/II/11]
An unbiased die is in the form of a regular tetrahedron and has its faces numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4.
When the die is thrown on to a horizontal table, the number on the face in contact with the table
is noted. Two such dice are thrown and the score X is found by multiplying these numbers
together. Obtain the probability distribution of X. Derive the values of
(i) P  X  8 ,
(ii) E X  ,
(iii) Var  X  .
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
2. [2017/PJC/II/6]
An unbiased disc has a single dot marked on one side and two dots marked on the other side. A
tetrahedral die has faces marked with score of 1, 2, 3, and 4. The probability of getting a score of
1 1
1, 2, 3, and 4 is , p , and q respectively, where p, q [0, 1] .
5 5
A game is played by throwing the disc and the die together. The random variable S is the sum of
the score showing on the die and twice the number of dots showing on the disc.
(i) Find P  S  6  .
1
Given that P  S  4   ,
6
(ii) calculate the values of p and q,
(iii) and find the probability distribution of S.
3. [2017/YJC/II/7]
A game is played with a set of 4 cards, each distinctly numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. A player randomly
picks a pair of cards without replacement. If the sum of the cards’ numbers is an odd number, the
sum is the player’s score. If the sum of the two cards’ number is an even number, the player
randomly picks a third card from the remaining cards. The square of the third card’s number is
the player’s score.
(i) Find the probability that a player obtains a score of 4.
(ii) Find the probability distribution of a player’s score, S. Hence, find the expected score of a
player.
(iii) Find the probability that a player obtains a score lower than 5, given that he draws three
cards.
Page | 107
4. [2017/ACJC/II/6]
Alex and his friend stand randomly in a queue with 3 other people. The random variable X is the
number of people standing between Alex and his friend.
(i) Show that P  X  2   0.2 .
(ii) Tabulate the probability distribution of X.
Find E  X  and E  X  1 . Hence find Var  X  .
2
(iii)
5. [2017/MJC/II/6]
The probability function of X is given by
 2 x  1 , if x  1, 2,3

P  X  x   k , if x  4
0 , otherwise

1
where 0    .
9
(i) Show that k  1  9 . Find, in terms of  , the probability distribution of X.
(ii) Find E  X  in terms of  and hence show that Var  X   26  196 2 .
(iii) The random variable Y is related to X by the formula Y  a  bX , where a and b are non-
1
zero constants. Given that Var Y   b 2 , find the value of  .
3
ADVANCED LEVEL
6. [2006/SAJC/II/23]
A player tosses two coins in a game. The game ends if the exposed faces of the two coins are
different. Otherwise, the two coins and another coin are tossed and the game ends after the second
toss. Let X be the total number of heads exposed in a game.
1
(i) Show that P  X  2   .
8
(ii) Find the probability distribution of X.
(iii) If the player pays $k for each game and the amount of money he received in $ is equal to
the number of heads obtained. Find the value of k for the game to be fair.
Page | 108
7. [2017/HCI/II/6]
A biased tetrahedral (4-sided) die has its faces numbered ' 1' , '0' , ' 2 ' and '3' . It is thrown onto
a table and the random variable X denotes the number on the face in contact with the table. The
probability distribution of X is as shown.
x 1 0 2 3
P X  x 1 1 1 1
8 2 8 4
(i) The random variable Y is defined by X 1  X 2 , where X 1 and X 2 are 2 independent

3
observations of X. Show that P Y  2   .
16
(ii) In a game, a player pays $2 to throw two such biased tetrahedral dice simultaneously on a
table. For each die, the number on the face in contact with the table is the score of the die.
The player receives $16 if the maximum of the two scores is 1 , and receives $3 if the
sum of the two scores is prime. For all other cases, the player receives nothing. Find the
player’s expected gain in the game.
8. [J1983/I/11]
A cubical die has three faces marked with a ‘1’, two faces marked with a ‘2’ and one face marked
with a ‘3’. Calculate the expectation and variance of the score obtained when this die is thrown
once.
Deduce, or find otherwise, the expectation and variance of the score obtained in one throw of a
second cubical die, which has one face marked ‘1’, two faces marked ‘2’ and three faces marked
‘3’.
Two of the first type of die and one of the second type are thrown together, and X denotes the
total score obtained. Denoting the expectation and variance of X by  and  2 respectively, show
that
5
(i) 2  ,
3
1
(ii) P  X    2   .
18
Page | 109
Answers:
1. x 1 2 3 4 6 8 9 12 16
1 2 2 3 2 2 1 2 1
P X  x
16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16
1 25 275
(i) (ii) (iii)
4 4 16
3 1 4
2. (i) (ii) p  ; q 
10 3 15
(iii) s 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 1 1 3 1 2
PS  s
10 6 5 10 10 15
1
3. (i)
12
35
(ii) s 1 3 4 5 7 9 16 ;
6
1 1 1 4 1 1 1
PS  s
12 6 12 12 6 12 12
1
(iii)
2
4. (ii) x 0 1 2 3
P X  x 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1
(iii) E  X   1 ; E  X  1  1 ; Var  X   1
2
5. (i) x 1 2 3 4
P X  x  3 5 1  9
(ii) 4  14 (iii) 0.0144

6. (ii) x 0 1 2 3 4 5
1 19 1 1 3 1
P X  x
32 32 8 8 32 32
7
(iii)
4
7. (ii) $0.25
5 5 7 5
8. ; ; ;
3 9 3 9
Page | 110
REVIEW PROBLEMS
1. [2017/SRJC/II/5]
A random variable X has the probability distribution given in the following table.
x 2 3 4 5
P X  x 0.2 a b 0.45
11
Given that E  X  4   , find the values of a and b. [3]
10
Two independent observations of X are taken. Find the probability that one of them is 2 and the
other is at most 4. [2]
2. [2017/TPJC/II/6]
An unbiased six-sided die is rolled twice. The random variable X represents the higher of the two
values if they are different, and their common value if they are the same. The probability
distribution of X is given by the formula
P  X  r   k  2r  1 for r  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
(i) Find the exact value of k, giving your answer as a fraction in its simplest form. [2]
(ii) Find the expectation of X. [2]
A round of the game consists of rolling the unbiased six-sided die twice, and X is taken as the
score for the round. A player plays three rounds of the game.
(iii) Find the probability that the total score for the three rounds is 16. [2]
3. [J1989/II/7]
1 1 1
The random variable X takes values 2 , 0, 2 with probabilities , , respectively. Find
4 2 4
Var  X  and E  X  . The random variable Y is defined by Y  X 1  X 2 , where X 1 and X 2 are
two independent observations of X. Find the probability distribution of Y. Find Var Y  and
E Y  3  .
4. [J1995/II/6]
An unbiased disc has a single dot marked on one side and two dots marked on the other side. The
disc and an unbiased die are thrown and the random variable X is the sum of the numbers of dots
showing on the disc and on the top of the die. Tabulate the probability distribution of X. Show
8 19
that P  X  4 X  7   . Write down E  X  and show that Var  X   . Two independent
11 6
observations X 1 and X 2 are taken of X.
(i) Find Var  X 1  X 2  .
(ii) Find P  X 1  X 2  5  .
Page | 111
5. [2006/MJC/II/26]
The discrete random variable S has the following probability distribution
s 1 5 10 20
PS  s 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.1
A circle has radius R  2S .
(i) Find P  S 11  S   10  . [3]
(ii) Find E  S  and Var  S  . [3]
(iii) Hence find the mean and variance of the area, A, of the circle. [5]
6. [2006/PJC/II/29(OR)]
An unbiased ordinary die is thrown and the “result” is the score if it is not 3. If the score is 3, the
die is thrown again and the “result” is the absolute difference of the scores on the two throws. If
1 2
R denotes the “result”, show that P  R  0   , P  R  1  and find the probability
36 9
distribution table of R. [6]
Find
(i) the mean “result”, [2]
the probability that the difference between  R  1 and 3 is at most the mean found in part
2
(ii)
(i). [4]
7. [2017/SAJC/II/8]
A fairground game involves trying to hit a moving target with a gunshot. A round consists of a
maximum of 3 shots. Ten points are scored if a player hits the target. The round ends
immediately if the player misses a shot. The probability that Linda hits the target in a single shot
is 0.6. All shots taken are independent of one another.
(i) Find the probability that Linda scores 30 points in a round. [2]
The random variable X is the number of points Linda scores in a round.
(ii) Find the probability distribution of X. [3]
(iii) Find the mean and variance of X. [4]
(iv) A game consists of 2 rounds. Find the probability that Linda scores more points in round
2 than in round 1. [2]
8. [2017/PJC/J2MYE/II/7]
In a game, 3 red balls and 7 white balls are placed in a bag. A player draws 3 balls at random and
without replacement. The player scores 2 points for every red ball that is drawn, and 1 point for
every white ball that is drawn. The total score X is obtained by adding up the scores of the 3 balls.
Find the probability distribution of X. [3]
Find E  X  and show that Var  X   0.49 . [2]
9. [N1981/I/11(b)]
A discrete random variable X takes the values 0, 1 and 2 only, with probabilities p0 , p1 and p2
4 5
respectively. Given that E  X   and Var  X   , find the values of p0 , p1 and p2 .
3 9
Page | 112
10. [2017/CJC/II/10]
A box contains 2 red balls, 3 green balls and x blue balls, where x  , x  5 . A game is played
where the contestant picks 5 balls from the box without replacement. The total score, S, for the
contestant is the sum of the number of green balls chosen and thrice the number of red balls
chosen. The blue balls will not contribute any points, unless all 5 balls are blue. If all the 5 balls
are blue, the score will be 25 points.
20 x  x 2  3 x  14 
(i) Show that P  S  6   . [2]
 x  5  x  4  x  3 x  2  x  1
5
(ii) Given that P  S  6   , calculate x. [2]
63
(iii) Complete the probability distribution table for S. [4]
s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 25
5 5 5 5 5 1
PS  s
42 63 21 63 84 252
(iv) Evaluate E  S  and find the probability that S is more than E  S  . [2]
(v) Find the probability that there are no green balls drawn given that S is more than E  S  .
[2]
11. [2006/TJC/II/24]
Two unbiased dice are in the form of a regular tetrahedron and each has its faces numbered 1, 2,
3 and 4. When each die is thrown on to a horizontal table, the number on the face in contact with
the table is noted. Suppose Tom and Harry play the following game: Tom throws the 2 dice
together and notes the total score, X. Harry tries to guess this total score and his guess is denoted
1
by Y. If Harry guesses correctly, he wins $Y 2 , otherwise he loses $ Y .
2
1
(i) Obtain the probability distribution of X and find E   , correct to 3 decimal places. [4]
X
(ii) Harry guesses the total score to be 6 in a particular game. Find the expected gain in this
game. [2]
12. [2017/VJC/II/7]
Four digits are randomly selected from the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} to form a four-digit number.
Repetitions are not allowed.
(i) Find the probability that none of the digits in the four-digit number are odd. [2]
The random variable X denotes the number of odd digits in the four-digit number formed.
10
(ii) Show that P  X  1  , and find the rest of the probability distribution of X, giving
63
each probability as a fraction in its lowest terms. [3]
(iii) Find the expectation and variance of X. [3]
(iv) Two independent observations of X are denoted by X 1 and X 2 .
Find P  X 1  X 2  3 . [4]
Page | 113
13. [2017/RVHS/II/7]
A board game simulates players attacking each other by throwing tetrahedral (8-sided) dice.
When attacking, the player throws an attack die once. An attack die has 5 of the sides printed
with the number “0”, 2 of the sides printed with the number “1”, and 1 of the sides printed with
the number “2”. After the attacking player has thrown the attack die, the defending player throws
a defence die once. A defence die has 2 of the sides printed with the number “0”, 4 of the sides
printed with the number “1” and 2 of the sides printed with the number “2”. The damage dealt
during a round is equal to the score shown on the attack die minus the score shown on the defence
die. If the score on the defence die is more than the score on the attack die, the damage dealt will
be zero.
Let A denote the score on an attack die, and D denote the score on a defence die.
(i) Write down the probability distributions for A and D. Hence find the expected value and
variance of A  D . [4]
Let X denote the damage dealt during a round.
(ii) Find the probability distribution for X. Hence find the expected value and variance of X.
[5]
(iii) Explain why, in the context of the question, E  X   0 when E  A   E  D  . [1]
14. [2006/NJC/II/29(OR)]
or
In a game, a player wins if he balances a beam with 3 items, spherical balls and cubes alternately
as shown in the diagrams above. He throws an unbiased die to determine either a ball or a cube
to be obtained. If the score is either 1 or 2, he obtains a ball. Otherwise, he obtains a cube. He is
given 5 chances to throw the die in each game. He has to reject the ball or cube if it is the last
drawn accepted item. Let X denote the number of throws required to win the game. Show that
2
P  X  4  . [3]
9
Find the probability of winning. [5]
The player has to pay $a to play the game. If he wins at the third throw, he gets twice the amount
he paid for the game. If he wins at the fourth throw, he gets half of the amount he paid for the
game. If he wins at the fifth throw, he gets one third of the amount he paid for the game. Find the
value of a if the game owner expects a profit of $1.20 for each game. [4]
Page | 114
15. [2017/NJC/J2MYE/II/3]
The probability distribution table of a random variable X is shown below.
x 2 1 0 3
1 1
P  X  x p q
6 13
343
Given that E  X 2   , find the exact value of p and of q. [3]
78
Using the value of p and of q found, calculate the variance of thrice of X. [3]
Five independent observations of X are taken. Find the probability that exactly two observations
each shows the value of 1 . [2]
16. [N1980/II/11]
Two dice are thrown and the numbers A and B shown on each die are noted. The score X from
 A  B if A  B,
the throw is defined by X  
 A  B if A  B.
Tabulate the probability distribution of X and evaluate E  X  and Var  X  .
17. [J1986/II/7]
A coin and a six-faced die are thrown simultaneously. The random variable X is defined as
follows: If the coin shows a head, then X is the score on the die. If the coin shows a tail, then X
7
is twice the score on the die. Find the expected value,  , of X and show that P  X     .
12
497
Show that Var  X   . The experiment is repeated and the sum of the two values obtained
48
for X is denoted by Y. Find P  Y  4  and E  Y  .
18. [J1990/II/7]
1 1
2
2 3
3
A circular card is divided into 3 sectors scoring 1, 2, 3 and having angles 135, 90, 135
respectively. On a second circular card, sectors scoring 1,2,3 have angles 180, 90, 90
respectively (see diagram). Each card has a pointer pivoted at its centre. After being set in motion,
the pointers come to rest independently in random positions. Find the probability that
(i) the score on each card is 1.
(ii) the score on at least one of the cards is 3.
The random variable X is the larger of the two scores if they are different, and their common
9 75
value if they are the same. Show that P  X  2   . Show that E  X   and find Var  X  .
32 32
Page | 115
19. [2017/AJC/J2MYE/II/5(modified)]
Bag A contains 2 blue balls and 1 white ball. Bag B contains 2 blue balls and 2 white balls.
After drawing a ball from bag A to bag B, a player will keep drawing from bag B, one ball at a
time, without replacement, until he gets a white ball.
A player pays $m to play the game where m  2 . If he gets a white ball on his first draw from
3
bag B, he receives $ m . If he gets the first white ball on his second draw, he receives $  m  1 .
2
1
If he gets the first white ball on his third draw, he receives $ m . Otherwise, he receives
2
$  m  2 .
Let X denote the amount of money the player receives from playing in the game.
3
(i) Show that P  X  m  1  . Hence find the probability distribution of X. [4]
10
(ii) Find the value of m if the game organiser expects a profit of $0.10 per game. [3]
20. [2018/DHS/II/10]
The discrete random variable X has probability mass function given by
 ax
 for x  1, 2,, n,
P  X  x    n  n  1
0 otherwise,

where a is a constant.
(i) Show that a  2 . [2]
n
n
(ii) Find E  X  in terms of n. You may use the result that  r 2   n  1 2n  1 . [3]
r 1 6
Two players P1 and P2 play a game with n  1 tokens labelled 1 to n  1. Each player randomly
picks one token without replacement and the player who picks the token with the smaller number
loses. The amount of money lost by the losing player, in dollars, will be the number on the
winning token. For example, if P1 and P2 pick the tokens labelled 5 and 3 respectively, P2 loses
$5 to P1.
(iii) Explain why the probability of P2 losing a game is 0.5. [1]
(iv) Given that P2 loses, find the probability P2 loses $  m  1 in terms of m and n, where m
is such that 1  m  n. [3]
(v) Using the result in part (i), when P2 loses a game, find the amount that he is expected to
lose in terms of n. [3]
Page | 116
Answers:
1. a  0.25 ; b  0.1 ; 0.18

1 161
2. (i) (ii) (iii) 0.112
36 36
3. Var  X   2 ; E  X   1
y 4 2 0 2 4
1 1 3 1 1
P Y  y 
16 4 8 4 16
Var Y   4 ; E Y  3  3
4. x 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 2 2 2 2 1
P X  x
12 12 12 12 12 12 12
19 5
E X   5 (i) (ii)
3 144
5. (i) 0.7 (ii) E  S   5 ; Var  S   33 (iii) E  A   232π ; Var  A   221184π 2
6. r 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 2 1 1 1 1
PR  r
36 9 9 36 6 6 6
13 1
(i) (ii)
4 2
27
7. (i)
125
(ii) x 0 10 20 30
P X  x 0.4 0.24 0.144 0.216
(iii) E  X   11.76 ; Var  X   137.7024 (iv) 0.358

8. x 3 4 5 6
7 21 7 1
P X  x
24 40 40 120
E  X   3.9
1 1 1
9. p0  , p1  , p2 
6 3 2
10. (ii) 5
(iii) s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 25
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1
PS  s
84 42 63 21 21 63 42 84 252 252
1159 127 11
(iv) E  S   ; (v)
252 252 127
Page | 117
11. (i) x 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 3 2 1
P X  x
16 16 16 16 16 16 16
1  69
E   0.227 (ii) $
X  16
1 x 0 1 2 3 4
12. (i) (ii)
126 1 10 10 20 5
P X  x
126 63 21 63 126
20 50 7793
(iii) E  X   ; Var  X   (iv) P  X 1  X 2  3  
9 81 7938
13. (i) a 0 1 2 d 0 1 2
5 2 1 2 4 2
P  A  a PD  d 
8 8 8 8 8 8
1
E A  D   ; Var  A  D   1
2
x 0 1 2 3 55
(ii) E X   ; Var  X  
27 1 1 16 256
P X  x
32 8 32
50
14. ; a  3.10
81
5 29 25793
15. p , q ; Var  3 X   ; 0.345
13 78 676
16. x 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 12
5 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1
P X  x
18 4 6 36 18 36 36 36 36
28 1015
E X   ; Var  X  
9 162
21 1 21
17.  ; P Y  4   ; E Y  
4 24 2
3 17 615
18. (i) (ii) ; Var  X  
16 32 1024
3 1 20
19. (i) x m m 1 m m2 (ii) m 
2 2 9
7 3 1 1
P X  x
15 10 6 15
1 2m 2
20. (ii)  2n  1 (iv) (v)  n  2
3 n  n  1 3
Page | 118

M6 2020 Discrete Random Variable Notes For SLS

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M6 2020 Discrete Random Variable Notes For SLS

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CJC MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

2020 JC2 H2 MATHEMATICS (9758)

1 Concept of a Random Variable

S   HHH , HHT , HTH , THH , HTT , THT , TTH , TTT 

1.1 Discrete Random Variable

Possible outcomes T FT FFT FFFT …

2 Discrete Probability Distributions

The probability function, probability mass function or probability distribution function of a

Let S be the random variable denoting the score of a die.

0.1  0.3  d  0.25  0.01  1

(ii) P  3  Y  0   P  Y  3  P  Y  2   P  Y  1

If V  Y 2 , find the probability distribution of V.

P V  v  0.25 0.01  0.34  0.35 0.3 0.1

3.1 Mode and Median

Data Mode Median

If X is a discrete random variable, then

Find the mode and median of X.

The mode is 1 since P  X  1 is the largest.

We can also calculate the mean of a given random variable, X.

The probability distribution of X is

Let X be a discrete random variable with probability distribution, f  x  .

If Y  X  a , then Y is symmetrical about y  0 , i.e. P Y  y   P Y   y  .

Let the possible values of y be   yn ,  yn 1 ,  ,  y1 , 0, y1 , , yn 1 , yn  .

Since X  Y  a , i.e. to obtain the values of x, we will simply add a:

If there are 2n possible values of x, we will include an extra value, x  a , with P  X  a   0

Find the mean of X.

Since the probability distribution, f  x  , is symmetrical about x  0 , the mean is 0.

E  X   0.6   0.1  0  0.1  0.6

Worked Example 8: (Application)

x 0 1000 1500 2500

x P X  x 0 420 180 700

E  X   0  420  180  700  1300

Hence, his expected commission is $1300.

Let X be a discrete random variable with probability distribution, f  x  .

Proof for understanding:

Method 1: Using E  Y   E  g  X      g  x  f  x   formula

1 1 1 1 1 1

Method 2: Using Probability Distribution Table

One way to measure the variability of a random variable X is E  X     where  is the

Let X be a discrete random variable with probability distribution f  x  and mean  .

Then, the variance of X is

Variance of X can also calculated using

Proof for understanding:

Let X be a discrete random variable with mean  .

Proof for understanding:

Worked Example 10:

Find the mean and variance of X.

To find the mean of X:

E  X   0  0.38  0.2  0.03  0.61

To find the variance of X:

Method 1: Use  2  Var  X   E  X        x    f  x   formula

x    0  0.61 1  0.61  2  0.61  3  0.61

Var  X   0.51 0.3721  0.38  0.1521  0.11.9321  0.01 5.7121

E  X 2   0  0.38  0.40  0.09  0.87

Method 3: Using Graphing Calculator (G.C.)

Press Screen Display Remarks

2. Key in the x values in L1

3. Press STAT, select CALC Select the 1-Var Stats option

4. At the List option, key in

5. Highlight Calculate and You may scroll down to

6. To avoid typo error, we can

7. Select the value required. The G.C. is unable to give