SM 316 – Spring 2019
Homework 4
Due: Monday 11 FEB 2019
Please read the instructions/suggestions on the course webpage.
Hand in the following problems:
1. From the text book, 4.2, 4.12, 4.20, 4.34.
4.2: The probability distribution of the discrete random variable X is
x 3−x
3 1 3
f (x) = , x = 0, 1, 2, 3.
x 4 4
Find the mean of X.
Solution: The mean of X is
3 x 3−x
X X 3 1 3
E[X] = xf (x) = x ,
x=0
x 4 4
all x
1 2 2 1 3 0
3 1 3 3 1 3 3 1 3 3
=0+1· +2· +3· =
1 4 4 2 4 4 3 4 4 4
4.12: If a dealers profit, in units of $5000, on a new automobile can be looked upon as a
random variable X having the density function
2(1 − x), 0 < x < 1,
f (x) =
0, elsewhere.
find the average profit per automobile.
Solution: By definition, the average is
Z ∞ Z 1
1
E[X] = xf (x) dx = x[2(1 − x)] dx = .
−∞ 0 3
Since the units are in $5000, then the average profit is
5000
Average profit = $
3
4.20: A continuous random variable X has the density function
−x
e , x > 0,
f (x) =
0, elsewhere.
Find the expected value of g(X) = e2X/3 .
Solution: By definition we have
Z ∞ Z ∞
E[e 2X/3
]= 2x/3
e f (x) dx = e2x/3 e−x dx
−∞ 0
Z ∞ ∞
= e−x/3 dx = −3e−x/3 0
= 3.
0
4.34: Let X be a random variable with the following probability distribution:
x −2 3 5
f (x) 0.3 0.2 0.5
Find the standard deviation of X.
Solution: Note the standard deviation is the square root of the variance of X. First we must
find the mean. X
E[X] = xf (x) = −2 · 0.3 + 3 · 0.2 + 5 · 0.5 = 2.5.
all x
The variance is
X
E[(X − µ)2 ] = (x − 2.5)2 f (x) = (−2 − 2.5)2 · 0.3 + (3 − 2.5)2 · 0.2 + (5 − 2.5)2 · 0.5 = 9.25.
all x
Thus the standard deviation of X is
p
σX = E[(X − µ)2 ] = 3.041.
2. Suppose that X is a random variable with mean 2 and variance 3.
(a) Compute E(X − 1)2 .
Solution: We foil the expected value to obtain
E[(X − 1)2 ] = E[X 2 − 2X + 1] = E[X 2 ] − 2E[X] + 1.
We know the mean is 2 and the variance is 3. We can find E[X 2 ] by noting
Var(X) = E[(X − µ)2 ] = E[X 2 − 2µX + µ2 ] = E[X 2 ] − 2µ2 + µ2
= E[X 2 ] − µ2 .
Thus
Var(X) = 3 = E[X 2 ] − (2)2
7 = E[X 2 ].
Therefore,
E[(X − 1)2 ] = E[X 2 ] − 2E[X] + 1 = 7 − 2 · 2 + 1 = 4.
(b) Compute Var(2X + 1).
Solution: By definition
Var(2X + 1) = E[(2X + 1 − E[2X + 1])2 ] = E[(2X − 2E[X])2 ]
= 4E[(X − µ)2 ] = 4Var(X) = 4 · 3 = 12.
3. Consider these two random variables X and Y ,
1 1
P (X = 0) = , P (X = 1) = P (X = −1) = ,
2 4
and
1 1
P (Y = 0) = , P (Y = 10) = P (Y = −10) = .
2 4
Find E[X] and E[Y ]. Next find the variance of X and variance of Y . Discuss why the mean
of X and Y don’t tell the whole story about the random variables.
Solution: The mean of each is
X 1 1 1
E[X] = xf (x) = −1 + 0 + 1 = 0,
4 2 4
all x
and X 1 1 1
E[Y ] = yf (y) = −10 + 0 + 10 = 0.
4 2 4
all y
The variance is
1 1 1 1
Var(X) = E[(X − µ)2 ] = E[X 2 ] = (−1)2 + 02 + (1)2 = ,
4 2 4 2
and
1 1 1
Var(Y ) = E[(Y − µ)2 ] = E[Y 2 ] = (−10)2 + 02 + (10)2 = 50.
4 2 4
Thus the variance of Y is much higher than X. We can imagine X is a game where we win $1
with probability 0.25, lose $1 with probability 0.25 and tie with probability 0.5. Y is a similar
game where we lose or win $10. Both games are mean 0, but Y you are risking 10 times as
much much (with the chance of a ×10 payout).
4. The length of time, in minutes, for an airplane to obtain clearance for takeoff at a certain
airport is a random variable Y = 3X − 2, where X has the density function
1 −x/4
4
e , x>0
f (x) =
0, elsewhere.
Find the mean and variance of the random variable Y .
Solution: First we find the mean of X
Z ∞ Z ∞
x −x/4
E[X] = xf (x) dx = e dx = 4,
−∞ 0 4
where we had to perform integration by parts. The variance of X is,
Z ∞ Z ∞
2 (x − 4)2 −x/4
Var(X) = (x − 4) f (x) dx = e dx = 16,
−∞ 0 4
where we did integration by parts twice. Then the mean of Y is
E[Y ] = E[3X − 2] = 3E[X] − 2 = 3 · 4 − 2 = 10 minutes to obtain clearance.
The variance is
Var(Y ) = E[(3X − 2 − E[3X − 2])2 ] = 9E[(X − µ)2 ] = 9Var(X)
= 9 · 16 = 144.
