Civil Engineering

Statistics
(BFC 34303)
Tutorial Chapter 3:
Random Variables and
Probability Distributions
Exercise 1
Check whether the following can serve as probability
distributions :

𝑥−2
(a) 𝑓 𝑥 = , 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 = 1, 2, 3, 4
2

𝑥2
(b) ℎ 𝑥 = , 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 = 0,1,2,3,4
25

Solution???
Exercise 2
• A continuous random variable 𝑋 has the probability density function:

1
𝑓 𝑥 = 10 , 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 10
0, 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒

(a) Show that 𝑓(𝑥) is a probability density function.

(b) Find 𝐹 4.5 .
(c) Find 𝑃 3 ≤ 𝑋 ≤ 10 .
(d) Find 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋)
Solution???
Solution for exercises
• Exercise 1

(a) This function cannot serve as a probability distribution because

𝑓 1 is negative.

(b) The function cannot serve as a probability distribution because the

sum of the five probabilities is 6/5, and not 1.
Solution for exercises
• Exercise 2:
∞ 10 1
(a) ‫׬‬−∞ 𝑓 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 1 , 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒, ‫׬‬0
10
𝑑𝑥 =1
1
𝑥 10
0 =1
10
1
10 − 0 = 1
10
10
=1
10

𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

 ‫‪𝑥 1‬‬ ‫‪1‬‬ ‫𝑥‬ ‫𝑥‬
‫)‪(b‬‬ ‫‪0‬׬ ; ‪0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 10‬‬ ‫𝑥𝑑‬ ‫=‬ ‫𝑥‬ ‫‪0‬‬ ‫=‬
‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪10‬‬

‫‪0,‬‬ ‫‪𝑥<0‬‬
‫𝑥‬
‫= 𝑥 𝐹‬ ‫‪,‬‬ ‫‪0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 10‬‬
‫‪10‬‬
‫‪1,‬‬ ‫‪𝑥 > 10‬‬

‫‪4.5‬‬
‫= ‪𝐹 4.5‬‬ ‫‪= 0.45‬‬
‫‪10‬‬

‫)‪(c‬‬ ‫)‪𝑃 3 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 10 = 𝑃 𝑥 ≤ 10 − 𝑃(𝑥 ≤ 3‬‬

‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪3‬‬ ‫‪7‬‬
‫= ‪= 𝐹 10 − 𝐹 3‬‬ ‫‪−‬‬ ‫=‬ ‫‪= 0.7‬‬
‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪10‬‬

‫∞‬
‫)‪(d‬‬ ‫𝑥𝑑 𝑥 𝑓 ‪−∞ 𝑥.‬׬ = 𝑋 𝐸 = 𝜇‬

‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪1‬‬ ‫‪10 1‬‬

‫𝑥 ‪0‬׬ =‬ ‫‪0‬׬ = 𝑥𝑑‬ ‫𝑥𝑑 𝑥‬
‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪10‬‬
 ‫‪10‬‬
‫‪1 𝑥2‬‬ ‫‪1 102‬‬ ‫‪1 100‬‬
‫=‬ ‫=‬ ‫= ‪−0‬‬ ‫‪=5‬‬
‫‪10 2 0‬‬ ‫‪10 2‬‬ ‫‪10 2‬‬

‫∞‬
‫𝑥𝑑 𝑥 𝑓 ‪−∞ 𝑥 2 .‬׬ = ‪𝐸 𝑋 2‬‬

‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪1‬‬ ‫‪10 1‬‬

‫‪0 𝑥 2‬׬ =‬ ‫‪0‬׬ = 𝑥𝑑‬ ‫𝑥𝑑 ‪𝑥 2‬‬
‫‪10‬‬ ‫‪10‬‬

‫‪10‬‬
‫‪1 𝑥3‬‬ ‫‪1 103‬‬
‫=‬ ‫=‬ ‫‪−0‬‬
‫‪10 3 0‬‬ ‫‪10 3‬‬

‫‪100‬‬
‫=‬
‫‪3‬‬

‫‪100‬‬ ‫‪25‬‬
‫𝑋 𝐸 ‪𝑉𝑎𝑟 𝑋 = 𝐸 𝑋 2 −‬‬ ‫‪2‬‬
‫=‬ ‫‪−‬‬ ‫‪5‬‬ ‫‪2‬‬
‫=‬
‫‪3‬‬ ‫‪3‬‬