STAT 1012: Statistics for Life Sciences

2023-24 Term 1
Assignment #5

Problem 1 [30 Points] Consider a continuous

Random Variable 𝑋 with pdf 𝑓(𝑥) define
on 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 6 as the chart on the right, and
𝑓(𝑥) = 0 elsewhere. If we have 3𝑓(1) = 2𝑓(4),
please calculate the following value:
(a) [4 points] 𝑓(1.5), 𝑓(5.5), Pr(𝑋 = 5.5)
(b) [4 points] Pr(4 ≤ 𝑋 ≤ 6)
(c) [4 Points] 𝐹(2) (The CDF value of 2)
(d) [4 points] Pr(2 ≤ 𝑋 ≤ 3|1 < 𝑋 < 4)
(e) [4 Points] Pr⁡((𝑋 − 5)2 ≥ 4)
(f) [10 Points] [ADVANCED] First⁡quartile, Third⁡quartile⁡and⁡IQR

Solution:
1 2
(a) Let 𝑓(4) = 𝑥, as the total area under the curve should be 1, we have 1 = ∗ 𝑥 + 2 ∗
2 3

2 1 2 1 1 4 5 1 1
𝑥 + (1) ( 𝑥 + 𝑥) + 𝑥 + ∗ 𝑥 leading to 1 = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 𝑥 leading to 𝑥 =
3 2 3 2 3 3 6 2 4

2 2 1
Then 𝑓(1.5) = 𝑓(4) = (0.25) = , 𝑓(5.5) = 0.125, 𝑃(𝑋 = 5.5) = 0
3 3 6

(b) 𝑃(4 ≤ 𝑋 ≤ 6) = 0.25 + 0.125 = 0.375

1 1 3 1
(c) 𝐹(2) = + = =
6 12 12 4

1
6 4
(d) 𝑃(2 ≤ 𝑋 ≤ 3|1 < 𝑋 < 4) = 1 1 1 =
+ ( +0.25) 13
3 2 6

7 5
(e) 𝑃((𝑋 − 5)2 ≥ 4) = 1 − 𝑃(−2 ≤ 𝑋 − 5 ≤ 2) = 1 − 𝑃(3 ≤ 𝑋 ≤ 7) = 1 − =
12 12

(f) let 𝑋0.25 be the first Quartile, and clearly it lies between 1 and 3, hence we have
1 1
0.25 = + (𝑋0.25 − 1) which leads to 𝑋0.25 = 2
12 6

Similarly, let 𝑋0.75 be the third Quartile, which lies between 4 and 5, hence we have
5 1
0.75 = + (𝑋0.75 − 4) which leads to 𝑋0.75 = 4.5
8 4

Hence, IQR = 2.5

Page 1/2
Problem 2 [20 Points] If the class in our university lasts that is Uniformly Distributed
between 120 min to 170 min.
(a) [5 points] What is the probability that the time interval randomly selected a class length
is longer than 145 minutes (Class delay)?
(b) [5 points] There are 25 classes in university per week for all year one students, let Y be
the number of classes would delay (class length is longer than 145 minutes) in each
week for year one students, so what’s the distribution of Y? And please write out the
parameter of this distribution.
(c) [5 points] Please calculate the probability that at least 14 classes are delayed each week
for year one students. Can we apply the approximation method here? Which method
should be used for calculating this probability?
(d) [5 points] Please calculate the probability that exact 10 classes delay in each week for
year one students by using the exact method AND approximation method in part (c).
Compare the results, are they close?

Solution:
(a) Let X be the random variable that denotes the length of a class. Then, 𝑃(𝑋 > 145) =
145−120 25 1
1− = =
170−120 50 2

1
(b) Binomial Distribution with 𝑛 = 25, 𝑝 =
2

(c) 𝑃(𝑌 ≥ 14) can be approximated using normal distribution, 𝑛𝑝 = 𝑛𝑞 = 12.5 which is
(13.5−12.5)
≥ 5. Hence 𝑃(𝑌 ≥ 14) ⁡ ≈ 𝑃(𝑌 ≥ 13.5) = 𝑃 (𝑍 ≥ ) = 1 − Φ(0.4) = 0.3446
√6.25

(d) 𝑃(𝑌 = 10) = 25𝐶10(0.5)10 (0.5)15 = 0.0974

(9.5−12.5) (10.5−12.5)
Approximation: 𝑃(𝑌 = 10) = 𝑃(9.5 ≤ 𝑌 ≤ 10.5) = 𝑃 ( ≤𝑍≤ )=
√6.25 √6.25
Φ(1.2) − Φ(0.8) = 0.0968

Problem 3 [34 points]: Assume that the income of new graduate students follows normal
probability distribution, and the mean is 78 HKD per hour; the standard deviation is 12 HKD
per hour.
(a) [5 points] What is the probability that a randomly selected new graduate student will
have income between 54 HKD and 90 HKD dollars per hour?
(b) [5 points] What is the probability that a randomly selected new graduate students will
have income smaller than 72 HKD.
(c) [5 points] What is the 80th percentile income of the new graduate students?
(d) [5 points] If the mean income increases to 80 HKD (the standard deviation is fixed), will
the percentage of the new graduate students that have income more than 85 HKD
increase or decrease? Why?
Page 2/2
(e) [6 points] If the standard deviation of the incomes decreases to 10 HKD (the mean is
fixed), will the percentage of the new graduate students that have income more than 85
HKD increases or decreases? Why?
(f) [8 points] Assume that the income of the postgraduate students follows a new normal
probability distribution 𝑁(𝜇, 𝜎 2 ), please find 𝜇 and 𝜎 2 so that Pr(𝑋 > 55.9) =
99.2% and Pr(𝑋 < 95.9) = 94.41%.

Solution:
(a) 𝑃(54 ≤ 𝑋 ≤ 90) = 𝑃(−2 ≤ 𝑍 ≤ 1) = 0.841 − 0.023 = 0.818
(b) 𝑃(𝑋 ≤ 72) = 𝑃(𝑍 ≤ −0.5) = 0.309
(c) 𝑃(𝑋 ≤ 𝑎) = 0.8 need to solve for 𝑎
𝑎−78
0.841 = leads to 𝑎 = 88.092 where 0.841 = Φ−1 (0.8)
12

7 7
(d) with current mean, 𝑃(𝑋 ≥ 85) = 𝑃 (𝑍 ≥ ) = 1 − Φ (12)
12

5 5
With new mean, 𝑃(𝑋 ≥ 85) = 𝑃 (𝑍 ≥ ) = 1 − Φ (12)
12

7 5
As Φ is an increasing function, it can be seen that Φ ( ) > Φ ( ). Hence, the
12 12
percentage should increase.
(e) With lower standard deviation, the dispersion from the mean would decrease causing
the percentage of graduates having income more than HKD 85 to decrease.
55.9−𝜇
(f) 𝑃(𝑋 > 55.9) = 0.992 leads to the equation −2.41⁡ =
𝜎

95.9−𝜇
𝑃(𝑋 < 95.9) = 0.9441 leads to the equation 1.59⁡ =
𝜎

Solving the equations simultaneously will give 𝜇 = 80, 𝜎 = 10

Problem 4 [16 Points] Suppose that the prevalence rate of breast cancer among 50- to
54-year-old women whose mothers have had breast cancer is 4%. We have collected 150
such female staffs in faculty and let 𝑋 be the number of such female staffs who had the
breast cancer at some point in their lives in faculty.
(a) [4 Points] What’s the distribution of 𝑋 ? And please write out the parameter of this
distribution. Can we apply the approximation method here? Which approximation
method should be used?
(b) [4 Points] Please calculate the probability that over 7 (Not include 7) such female staffs
who had the breast cancer in faculty.
(c) [8 Points] If the faculty need to pay 1 million HKD Medical Fee for each female staff with
breast cancer, how many deposit 𝑁(million HKD) should be prepared so as to ensure
that the total Medical Fee (𝑋) can be paid with at least 80%? [Hints: Pr(𝑋 ≤ 𝑁) ≥
Page 3/2
 80%)]]

Solution:
(a) As 𝑛𝑝𝑞 = 5.76 > 5, we can use normal approximation, hence for 𝑋~𝐵𝑖𝑛(150,0.04),
we can write 𝑋~𝑁(6,5.76) as Normal approximation
5
(b) 𝑃(𝑋 > 7) = 𝑃(𝑋 ≥ 8) ≈ 𝑃(𝑋 > 7.5) = 𝑃 (𝑍 > ) = 0.266
8

𝑁−5.5
(c) 𝑃(𝑋 ≤ 𝑁) ≥ 0.8, we can write 𝑃(𝑋 < 𝑁 + 0.5) ≥ 0.8⁡ → 𝑃 (𝑍 < ) ≥ 0.8 →
2.4

𝑁−5.5
≥ 0.841 → 𝑁 ≥ 7.52 → 𝑁 = 8
2.4

Hence 8 deposits should be prepared.

Page 4/2