Random Variable &

Discrete Probability
Distribution
 Random Variable
Variable whose value is determined by
a random experiments.

Discrete Probability Distribution

Table or Formula that lists the
probabilities for each outcome of the
random variable, X.
 Example
Flip 3 coins at the same time

Let random variable X be

number Heads
Discrete Probability Distribution

HHH 3 heads
HHT 2 heads
HTH 2 heads
HTT 1 head
THH 2 heads
THT 1 head
TTH 1 head
TTT O heads
 x 0 1 2 3

P(X=x) 𝟏 𝟑 𝟑 𝟏
𝟖 𝟖 𝟖 𝟖
 Probability Distribution for X, sum of
2 rolled dice
x 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
P(X 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
=x) 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

36
∑= =1
36
Mean
Median
Mode
Mean
1, 2, 5, 8, 3, 4, 9,10
𝞢𝑥
𝑋ത = 𝑋 = 5.25
ത
𝑛
Mean, Variance of a
Random Variable
Population

The set of all possible values.

Population Mean

𝝁 = ∑𝒙𝑷(𝒙)
 A fair coin is flipped 4 times and the number of
times it lands tails up is recorded.

x P(x) 𝝁 = ∑𝒙𝑷(𝒙)
0 0.0625
𝝁 = (0)(0.0625)+
1 0.2500
(1)(0.2500)+(2)(0.3750)+(3)(0.25
2 0.3750

3 0.2500
00)+(4)(0.0625)
4 0.0625
𝝁=2
Population

The set of all possible values.

Population Variance

𝟐 𝟐
𝝈 = ∑ 𝒙−𝝁 𝐏(𝐱)
 A fair coin is flipped 4 times and the number of
times it lands tails up is recorded.

x P(x)
𝝁 = ∑𝒙𝑷 𝒙 = 𝟐
0 0.0625 𝝈𝟐 = ∑ 𝒙 − 𝝁 𝟐 𝐏(𝐱) =
𝟎 − 𝟐 𝟐 𝟎. 𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟓 + 𝟏 − 𝟐 𝟐 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓𝟎𝟎
1 0.2500
+ 𝟐 − 𝟐 𝟐 𝟎. 𝟑𝟕𝟓𝟎 + 𝟑 − 𝟐 𝟐 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓𝟎𝟎 +
2 0.3750 𝟒 − 𝟐 𝟐 𝟎. 𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟓
3 0.2500
𝝈𝟐 = ∑ 𝒙 − 𝝁 𝟐
𝐏(𝐱) = 1
4 0.0625
Population

The set of all possible values.

Population Standard Deviation

𝝈= 𝝈 𝟐

𝝈= 𝟏=1
 Activity
Probability Distribution for X, sum of
2 rolled dice
x 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
P(X 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
=x) 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

36
∑= =1
36