ST2334 P ROBABILITY AND S TATISTICS

S EMESTER I, AY 2022/2023

Midterm Test: Solution

• The format of the exam is open book (hard copies or/and soft copies physically stored on
the laptop for exam are allowed), onsite through exam software: Exemplify. A laptop
with the software installed and solid battery that can last for at least 1.5 hours is needed.

• Calculators of any kind are allowed.

• Coverage:

– Chapter 1: Basic Probability Concepts and Definitions;

– Chapter 2: Random Variables.

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1. Multiple Responses Question: Choose all that apply.
Consider the sample space S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}, and events A = {1, 3, 5, 7}, B = {4, 5, 6, 7}.
Which of the following is/are true?

(a) A ∩ B = {1, 5, 7}
(b) A ∪ B = {1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
(c) A ∪ B′ = {1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8}
(d) A′ ∩ B = {4, 6}

S OLUTION
Answer: (b), (c), (d).

2. TRUE/FALSE
Let A and B be any two events. We must have P(A) + P(B) ≥ P(A ∪ B).

TRUE FALSE

S OLUTION
Answer: TRUE

3. Multiple Choice Question: Choose the correct answer.

Let A, B, C be three events; then (A ∪ (B ∩C))′ =

(a) (A′ ∩ B′ ) ∩ (A′ ∩C′ )

(b) (A′ ∪ B′ ) ∩ (A′ ∪C′ )
(c) (A′ ∩ B′ ) ∪ (A′ ∩C′ )
(d) (A′ ∪ B′ ) ∪ (A′ ∪C′ )

S OLUTION
Answer: (c).

4. Multiple Choice Question: Choose the correct answer.

Suppose that A and B are two events, where P(A) = 0.6, P(B) = 0.4. Which of the following
is WRONG?

(a) If A and B are independent, then A and B are not mutually exclusive.
(b) If A and B are mutually exclusive, then A and B are not independent.
(c) If B ⊂ A, then A and B are not independent.
(d) Events A and A ∪ B must not be independent.

S OLUTION
Answer: (d).

5. TRUE/FALSE
Sample space depends on the problem of interest. So, even for the same statistical experi-
ment, the sample space could be changed if our interest is changed.

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 TRUE FALSE

S OLUTION
Answer: TRUE
6. Fill in the blank
Consider the digits 0,1,2,3,4,5, and 6. If each digit can be used at most once, how many
3-digit numbers, which are equal to or greater than 301, can be formed?
Answer:
S OLUTION

• If 4,5, or 6 is used at the hundreds place, we have 3 × 6 × 5 = 90.

• If 3 is used at the hundreds place, and 0 is not used at the tens place, we have 1×5×5 =
25.
• If 3 is used at the hundreds place, and 0 is used at the tens place, we have 1 × 1 × 5 = 5.

Totally, we have 90 + 25 + 5 = 120.

7. Multiple Choice Question: Choose the correct answer.
In an oral exam, a student needs to answer a question correctly to pass. The question will be
randomly drawn from a box containing 6 hard and 4 easy questions. If an easy question is
drawn, with 75% chance, the student can answer it correctly; otherwise, with 25% chance,
the student can answer it correctly. If the student passed the exam, what is the probability
that an easy question was drawn?

(a) 2/3
(b) 4/5
(c) 5/6
(d) 1/2

S OLUTION
Define events
E = {Easy question was drawn}
C = {student answered correctly and passed the exam}

We have P(E) = 4/10 = 2/5; P(C|E) = 3/4; P(C|E ′ ) = 1/4.

P(E ∩C) P(E)P(C|E) (2/5)(3/4)
P(E|C) = = ′ ′
= = 2/3.
P(C) P(E)P(C|E) + P(E )P(C|E ) (2/5)(3/4) + (3/5)(1/4)

8. Fill in the blank

There are 5 vowels and 21 consonants among 26 alphabets. If a sample of 3 alphabets are
selected without replacement, how many samples have at least 1 vowels?
Answer:
S OLUTION

3
  
26
• The total number of samples: = 2600.
3
 
21
• Without vowel: = 1330.
3

The number of samples with at least 1 vowel: 2600 − 1330 = 1270.

9. TRUE/FALSE
Let A and B be two events. If P(A) ≤ P(B), then A ⊂ B.

TRUE FALSE

S OLUTION
Answer: FALSE.

10. Multiple Responses Question: Choose all that apply.

Suppose that A and B are independent events. Denote by S and 0/ the sample space and the
empty set, respectively. Which of the following is/are true?

(a) A and B′ are independent.

(b) A′ and B′ are independent.
(c) A and S are independent.
(d) B′ and 0/ are independent.

S OLUTION
(a), (b), (c), (d).

11. Fill in the blank

Suppose

P(A) = P(B) = 1/3 and P(B′ |A) = 3/4.

Find P(A|B).
Answer:
S OLUTION

3 1 1
P(B′ ∩ A) = P(B′ |A)P(A) = × = ,
4 3 4
1 1 1
P(B ∩ A) = P(A) − P(B′ ∩ A) = − = ,
3 4 12
P(B ∩ A) 1/12
P(A|B) = = = 0.25.
P(B) 1/3

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12. Fill in the blank
Suppose that A and B are independent events; P(A) = 0.6 and P(B) = 0.5. Then P(A∪B) =?
Answer:
S OLUTION

P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A ∩ B) = 0.6 + 0.5 − 0.6 × 0.5 = 0.8.

13. Multiple Choice Question: Choose the correct answer.

Mike pick a number from the set M = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8} at random. John pick a number
from the set J = {−3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4} at random. What is the probability that their
picked numbers are equivalent?

(a) 1/4
(b) 1/8
(c) 1/16
(d) 1/32

S OLUTION
There are 8 × 8 possible picked results in total, in which 4 satisfy the requirement that
their picked numbers are equivalent, namely (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), (4, 4). So the probability is
4/64 = 1/16.
14. TRUE/FALSE
Let A and B be any events. We must have P(A) > P(A ∩ B).

TRUE FALSE

S OLUTION
Answer: FALSE.
15. TRUE/FALSE
Let X be an arbitrary random variable. For any real numbers a < b, the events {X < a} and
{X ≥ b} are mutually exclusive.

TRUE FALSE

S OLUTION
Answer: TRUE.
16. Fill in the blank
Suppose that random variable X has the cumulative distribution function given by


 0, x<0
 3
x
F(x) = , 0≤x≤3

 27
 1, x>3

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 Compute P(X = 2).
Answer:
S OLUTION
From the c.d.f., it is a continuous random variable. Therefore P(X = 2) = 0.

17. Fill in the blank

Let X be a random variable, whose cumulative distribution function is given by


 0, x<0
 0.2, 0 ≤ x < 2


F(x) = 0.5, 2 ≤ x < 3 .
0.7, 3 ≤ x < 5




1 x≥5


Compute E(X).
Answer:
S OLUTION
X is a discrete RV, whose p.m.f. is given by f (x) = 0.2, 0.3, 0.2, 0.3, for x = 0, 2, 3, 5.

E(X) = 0 × 0.2 + 2 × 0.3 + 3 × 0.2 + 5 × 0.3 = 2.7.

18. Multiple Choice Question: Choose the correct answer.

Let F(x) be the cumulative distribution function for a random variable X. Let x be some
given real number. Which of the following is IMPOSSIBLE?

(a) F(x) > 1 − P(X ≥ x)

(b) F(x) = 1 − P(X ≥ x)
(c) F(x) < 1 − P(X ≥ x)
(d) F(x) = P(X = x)

S OLUTION
(c) is impossible, since F(x) = P(X ≤ x), and 1 − P(X ≥ x) = P(X < x). So no matter what
is the value of x, we must have F(x) ≥ 1 − P(X ≥ x).

19. Multiple Responses Question: Choose all that apply.

Which of the following f (x) can serve as the probability density function of a random vari-
able X:

1.5x2 −1 ≤ x ≤ 1

(a) f (x) =
0 elsewhere
1 − 1.5x2 −1 ≤ x ≤ 1

(b) f (x) =
0 elsewhere
 2
2x 0 ≤ x ≤ 1
(c) f (x) =
0 elsewhere

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 3x2 0 ≤ x ≤ 1

(d) f (x) =
0 elsewhere

S OLUTION
(a), (d)

20. Fill in the blank

Let X be a random variable. E(X) = 4; E[X(X − 1)] = 20. Compute V (X).
Answer:
S OLUTION
E(X 2 ) − E(X) = 20, so E(X 2 ) = 20 + 4 = 24.

V (X) = E(X 2 ) − [E(X)]2 = 24 − 42 = 8.