Probability

Random Variable And

Distribution

Lecture 15 Dated:
 Random Variable

A random variable is a variable whose

values are determined by chance.
 Types of
Continuous Random
Random variable
Variable

Discrete
Random
Variable
If Counted Discrete random Variable
( No. of heads , dots on a die)

If measured continuous random variable

(eg temperature , current , lenth etc)
 Probability Distributions

A discrete probability distribution consists of the values a random

variable can assume and the corresponding probabilities of the values.

The probabilities are determined theoretically or

by observation.
Find Probability Distribution of number of Heads when a coin tossed 3 times

Solution:
Let No. of heads 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑚 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒

𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 = 𝐻𝐻𝐻, 𝐻𝐻𝑇 , 𝐻𝑇𝐻, 𝑇𝐻𝐻, 𝑇𝐻𝑇, 𝐻𝑇𝑇, 𝑇𝑇𝐻, 𝑇𝑇𝑇

Probability Distribution
No. of Heads 𝒙 0 1 2 3
Probability 1 3 3 1
𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) 8 8 8 8
 Probability Distributions or Probability Mass Function

The Probability mass function of a discrete random variable is defined

for every number 𝒙 by 𝑷(𝑿 = 𝒙)

Example:
A large Store places its last 15 radios in a clearance sale . Unknown to
anyone , 5 of radios are defective . If a customer tests 3 different radios
at random. Find the probability Distribution of defective radios the
customer test.
Solution: Number of Radios in clearance sale 15
Defective= 5 Non-defective= 10, To be tested= 3
𝟏𝟓
Sample Space= = 𝟒𝟓𝟓
𝟑
 Let random variable x represents no. of defective radios to be
tested in a sale it assumes values 𝟎 , 𝟏 , 𝟐 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝟑
Mass Function
𝟓 𝟏𝟎 𝟓 𝟏𝟎
𝑷(𝑿 = 𝒙) = 𝒙 𝟑−𝒙 𝑷 𝑿=𝟐 = 𝟐 𝟏 = 𝟏𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝟏𝟓 𝟏𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓
𝟑 𝟑

𝟓 𝟏𝟎 𝟓 𝟏𝟎
𝟑 = 𝟏 × 𝟏𝟐𝟎 = 𝟏𝟐𝟎 𝑷 𝑿=𝟑 = 𝟑 𝟎 = 𝟏𝟎 × 𝟏 = 𝟏𝟎
𝑷 𝑿=𝟎 = 𝟎 𝟏𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓
𝟏𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓
𝟑 𝟑
𝟓 𝟏𝟎 Probability Distribution
𝟏 𝟐 𝟓 × 𝟒𝟓 𝟐𝟐𝟓 No. of 0 1 2 3
𝑷 𝑿=𝟏 = = = defective 𝒙
𝟏𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓 𝟒𝟓𝟓
𝟑 Probability 120 225 100 10
𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) 455 455 455 455
Example:
Find the probability distribution of boys on a committee of 3 to be
selected at random from 4 boys and 3 girls

Total persons 7
Boys= 4 Girls = 3, To be selected = 3
𝟕
Sample Space= = 𝟑𝟓
𝟑

Let random variable x represents no. of boys to be seleceted in a

committee it assumes values 𝟎 , 𝟏 , 𝟐 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝟑
𝟒 𝟑
𝑷(𝑿 = 𝒙) = 𝒙 𝟑 − 𝒙
𝟕
𝟑
 𝟒 𝟑
𝟒 𝟑
𝑷 𝑿=𝟎 = 𝟎 𝟑 =𝟏×𝟏= 𝟏
𝟕 𝟑𝟓 𝟑𝟓 𝑷 𝑿=𝟑 = 𝟑 𝟎 =𝟒×𝟏= 𝟒
𝟕 𝟑𝟓 𝟑𝟓
𝟑
𝟑
𝟒 𝟑
Probability Distribution
𝑷 𝑿=𝟏 = 𝟏 𝟐 = 𝟒 × 𝟑 = 𝟏𝟐
𝟕 𝟑𝟓 𝟑𝟓 No. of boys 𝒙 0 1 2 3
𝟑 Probability 1 12 18 4
𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) 35 35 35 35

𝟒 𝟑
𝑷 𝑿=𝟐 = 𝟐 𝟏 = 𝟔 × 𝟑 = 𝟏𝟖
𝟕 𝟑𝟓 𝟑𝟓
𝟑
 Example:
A box contains 24 transistors, 4 of which are defective. If 4 are sold at
random, find the following probabilities.
a. Exactly 2 are defective. b. None is defective.
c. All are defective. d. At least 1 is defective

Solution: Number of Transistors 24

Defective= 4 Non-defective= 20, Sold= 4
𝟐𝟒
Sample Space= = 𝟏𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟔
𝟒

𝟒 𝟐𝟎
𝑷(𝑿 = 𝒙) = 𝒙 𝟒−𝒙
𝟐𝟒
𝟒
 a. Exactly 2 are defective. c. All are defective.

𝟒 𝟐𝟎 𝟒 𝟐𝟎
𝟐 = 𝟏𝟏𝟒𝟎 𝑷 𝑿=𝟒 = 𝟒 𝟒 = 𝟏
𝑷 𝑿=𝟐 = 𝟐 𝟐𝟒 𝟏𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟔
𝟐𝟒 𝟏𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟔
𝟒 𝟒

b. None is defective. d. At least 1 is defective

𝑷 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝟏 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 = 𝟏 − (𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆)

𝟒 𝟐𝟎
𝑷 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝟏 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 = 𝟏 − 𝑷 𝑿 = 𝟎
𝑷 𝑿=𝟎 = 𝟎 𝟒 = 𝟒𝟖𝟒𝟓
𝟐𝟒 𝟏𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟔 𝟒 𝟐𝟎
𝟒 𝑷 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝟏 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 = 𝟏 − 𝟎 𝟒
𝟐𝟒
𝟒𝟖𝟒𝟓 𝟒
𝑷 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝟏 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 = 𝟏 −
𝟏𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟔
A store has 6 TV Graphic magazines and 8 News time magazines on the
counter. If two customers purchased a magazine, find the probability
that one of each magazine was purchased.