ACTIVITY 4

1.What is the difference between sample space and an ensemble?

• Sample space - is a collection or a set of possible outcomes of a random

experiment. The sample space is represented using the symbol, “S”. The subset
of possible outcomes of an experiment is called events. A sample space may
contain a number of outcomes that depends on the experiment.

• An ensemble - consists of a very large number of systems, each constructed to

be a replica on the macroscopic level. We will introduce several types of
ensemble in this course depending on which variables are held fixed.
Corresponding to each ensemble there is a partition function that represents the
average number of states accessible at a given temperature.

2. Define probability density function and probability distribution function

• Probability density functions - are a statistical measure used to gauge the

likely outcome of a discrete value (e.g., the price of a stock or ETF). PDFs
are plotted on a graph typically resembling a bell curve, with the probability of
the outcomes lying below the curve.

• Probability distribution function - is used to describe the probability that a

continuous random variable and will fall within a specified range. In theory,
the probability that a continuous value can be a specified value is zero
because there are an infinite number of values for the continuous random
value.

3. How are the mean value and variance of a random variable defined?

• MEAN VALUE - is the integral of a continuous function of one or more

variables over a given range divided by the measure of the range.

• Variance of random variable - A measure of spread for a distribution of a

random variable that determines the degree to which the values of a random
variable differ from the expected value.
4. What is a bivariate distribution function?

• Bivariate distribution function - a distribution showing each possible

combination of values for two random variables according to their probability
of occurrence. For example, a bivariate distribution may show the probability
of obtaining specific pairs of heights and weights among college students.