Lesson 2: Mass Function, Mean and Variance of a Discrete Random Variable

Explore

In this lesson, you’ll learn to:

✓ construct the probability mass

function of a discrete random variable
and its corresponding histogram

✓ compute probabilities corresponding

to a given random variable

✓ illustrate the mean and variance of a

discrete random variable

✓ calculate the mean and the variance

of a discrete random variable
Andrei invited Madisson to invest in his fast-food restaurant.
There is aTerminologies
Important 38% chance of and
losing ₱400, 000, a 30% chance of making
Concepts
a profit of ₱550, 000, and a 32% chance of getting a break even.
Using the information stated, should Madisson invest her money
in the fast-food restaurant?

A probability distribution describes the probability of each specific value in a random variable. The
probability distribution of a discrete random variable is called a probability mass function (pmf). The values of the
discrete random variable 𝑋 where 𝑓(𝑥) > 0 are called mass points.

Properties

The pmf of 𝑥 is denoted by 𝑓(𝑥) and satisfies the following two basic properties.

a. For every element 𝑥 in the Support 𝑆, all the probabilities must be positive.

𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) ≥ 0 if 𝑥 𝜖 the Support 𝑆

b. The sum of all the probabilities for all possible 𝑥 values in the Support 𝑆 must be equal to 1.

∑ 𝑓(𝑥) = ∑ 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) = 1
𝑥𝜖𝑆 𝑥𝜖𝑆

Example 1.

Suppose a random variable 𝑋 can only take the four values (0, 1, 2 and 3). If each value has equal
probability, what is its pmf and its Support?

Statistics & Probability 1

Solution:
1
𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 0
4
1
4
𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 1 1
1 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 0, 1, 2, 𝑜𝑟 3
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 2 Simplifying further, we have: 𝑓(𝑥) = {4
4 0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒
1
4
𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 3
{0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒

Hence, the Support is 𝑆 = {0, 1, 2, 3}

Example 2.

Let 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑘𝑥 for 𝑥 = 1, 2, 3, 4. Find the value of 𝑘 so that 𝑓(𝑥) satisfies the two properties of being a
probability mass function.

Solution:
4

∑ 𝑓(𝑥) = ∑ 𝑘𝑥 = 1
𝑥𝜖𝑆 𝑥=1

1 = 𝑘(1) + 𝑘(2) + 𝑘(3) + 𝑘(4)

1 = 1𝑘 + 2𝑘 + 3𝑘 + 4𝑘
1 = 10𝑘
1
𝑘=
10

1
a. For 𝑥 ∈ {1, 2, 3,4}, 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) = 10 𝑥 > 0.
For 𝑥 ∉ {1, 2, 3,4}, 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) = 0.

1
𝑥, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 = 1, 2, 3, 4
Simplifying, we have 𝑓(𝑥) = { 10
0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒
By substitution,
1 2 3 4
𝑃(𝑋 = 1) = 10 𝑃(𝑋 = 2) = 10 𝑃(𝑋 = 3) = 10 𝑃(𝑋 = 4) = 10

Therefore, 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) ≥ 0.

b. To check if the sum of the probabilities is equal to 1, we have:

1 2 3 4
∑ 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) = + + +
10 10 10 10
10
= or 1
10
1
Both properties are met. So 𝑘 = 10.

Statistics & Probability 2

 Your Turn!
1
𝑥, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ {1, 2, 3}
Consider the pmf 𝑓(𝑥) = {6
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒
Show that 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) is indeed a probability mass function.

Expected Value or Mean of a Discrete Random Variable

The expected value of a discrete random variable 𝑋, denoted by 𝐸(𝑋), is equal to the weighted average of
the elements 𝑥 in the Support 𝑆 where each element is weighted by its respective probability. To find the expected
value, we use the formula

𝐸(𝑋) = ∑ 𝑥 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑥𝜖𝑆

Example 3.

Let 𝑋 be a discrete random variable and 𝑆 = {0, 1, 2, 3} be its Support. With the pmf of 𝑋 given as
1
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 𝜖 𝑆
𝑓(𝑥) = { 4 Compute for the expected value of 𝑋.
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∉ 𝑆
Solution:

𝐸(𝑋) = ∑ 𝑥 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑥𝜖𝑆

= 0𝑓(0) + 1𝑓(1) + 2𝑓(2) + 3𝑓(3)

1 1 1 1
= 0( ) + 1( )+ 2( ) + 3( )
4 4 4 4
1 2 3
=0+ + +
4 4 4
6
= 4 or 1.5

Example 4.

Let 𝑋 be a discrete random variable with Support 𝑆 = {1, 2, 3}. Compute for the expected value if the pmf
1
𝑥, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ 𝑆
of 𝑋 is 𝑓(𝑥) = {6
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∉ 𝑆

Statistics & Probability 3

Solution:

𝐸(𝑋) = ∑ 𝑥 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥)
𝑥𝜖𝑆

𝐸(𝑋) = 1𝑃(𝑋 = 1) + 2𝑃(𝑋 = 2) + 3𝑃(𝑋 = 3)

1 1 1
𝐸(𝑋) = 1 ( ) (1) + 2( )(2) + 3( )(3)
6 6 6
1 4 9
𝐸(𝑋) = + +
6 6 6
14
𝐸(𝑋) = 6
or 2.33

Your Turn!

Compute for the expected value of a discrete random variable with Support 𝑆 = {1, 2, 3}. The pmf of 𝑋 is
1
𝑥 2 , 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 𝜖 𝑆
given as 𝑓(𝑥) = {4
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∉ 𝑆

Example 4.

A researcher surveyed the households in NHA Poblacion. The random variable 𝑋 represents the number of
college graduates in the households. The probability distribution of 𝑋 is shown below. Find the expected
value of 𝑋.

𝑥 0 1 2
𝑃(𝑥) 0.25 0.50 0.25

Solution:

𝒙 𝑷(𝒙) 𝒙𝑷(𝒙)

0 0.25 0
1 0.50 0.50
2 0.25 0.50
∑[𝑥𝑃(𝑥)] = 1.00

The expected value is 1. It means that the average number of college graduates in the household of NHA
Poblacion is one.

Your Turn!

Mang Gibo, a security guard at LBP recorded the number of people entering the bank every hour during one
working day. The random variable 𝑋 represents the number of people who entered the bank. The
probability distribution is shown below. Find the expected number of people who enters the bank every
hour.

Statistics & Probability 4

Variance and Standard Deviation of a Discrete Random Variable

The variance of a random variable 𝑋 is denoted by 𝜎 2 . It can also be written as 𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑋). The variance of a
random variable is the expected value of the square of the difference between the assumed value of random
variable and the mean.

𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋) = ∑[(𝑥 − 𝜇)2 𝑃(𝑥)] or 𝜎 2 = ∑[(𝑥 − 𝜇)2 𝑃(𝑥)]

where: 𝑥 = outcome 𝜇 = population mean 𝑃(𝑥) = probability of the outcome

The standard deviation (𝜎) is simply the square root of the variance.

Example 5.

Solve for the variance and standard deviation of the following probability mass function.

𝑥 𝑃(𝑥)
1 0.15
2 0.25
3 0.30
4 0.15
5 0.10
6 0.05

Solution:

1. Find the expected value 𝐸(𝑋).

2. Subtract 𝐸(𝑋) from each outcome. Square each difference.
3. Multiply each squared difference by the corresponding probability.
4. Sum up all the figures obtained in Step 3.

𝒙 𝑷(𝒙) 𝒙𝑷(𝒙) 𝒙−𝝁 (𝒙 − 𝝁)𝟐 (𝒙 − 𝝁)𝟐 𝑷(𝒙)

1 0.15 0.15 1 − 2.95 = −1.95 3.8025 0.570375
2 0.25 0.50 2 − 2.95 = −0.95 0.9025 0.225625
3 0.30 0.90 3 − 2.95 = 0.05 0.0025 0.00075
4 0.15 0.60 4 − 2.95 = 1.05 1.1025 0.165375
5 0.10 0.50 5 − 2.95 = 2.05 4.2025 0.420250
6 0.05 0.30 6 − 2.95 = 3.05 9.3025 0.465125
∑[𝑥𝑃(𝑥)] = 2.95 ∑(𝒙 − 𝝁)𝟐 𝑷(𝒙) = 1.8475

𝐸(𝑋) = ∑[𝑥𝑃(𝑥)] 𝜎 2 = ∑(𝒙 − 𝝁)𝟐 𝑷(𝒙) 𝜎 = √∑(𝒙 − 𝝁)𝟐 𝑷(𝒙)

= 2.95
= 1.8475 𝑜𝑟 1.85 = √1.8475
= 1.359227 𝑜𝑟 1.36

Statistics & Probability 5

 Your Turn!

Determine the variance and standard deviation of the following probability mass function.

𝑥 0 1 2 3 4
𝑃(𝑥) 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.1

Name: Score: Muntinlupa National High School

Type C, NBP Reservation, Poblacion, Muntinlupa City

CN: Section: Date: SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Passing Statistics and Probability
Subject Teacher: Score:
Mass Function, Mean and Variance of a Discrete Random Variable Worksheet No. 2
General Direction: Answer the following accurately and honestly. Write your answer and solution (if needed) on
the space provided.

I. Show that the following is a probability mass function.

1
𝑥, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ {1, 2}
1. 𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = {3
0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒.

1
𝑥 2, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
2. 𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = { 55
0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒

1
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
3. 𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = { 6
0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒

Statistics & Probability 6

 𝑥2
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
4. 𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = {91
0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒

𝑥2
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ {1, 2, 3, … , 8}
5. 𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = {204
0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑒

II. Solve for the following:

6. Let 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑘𝑥 for 𝑥 = 2, 3, 4. Find 𝑘so that the function of 𝑓(𝑥) satisfies the two properties of a
probability mass function.

7. Let 𝑋 be a discrete random variable with Support 𝑆 = {1, 2, 3, 4}. It’s pmf is given below. Compute for
the expected value.
1
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆
𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = { 4
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∉ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆

Statistics & Probability 7

 8. Let 𝑋 be a discrete random variable with Support 𝑆 = {1, 2}. It’s pmf is given below. Compute for its
expected value.
𝑥
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆
𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = { 3
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∉ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆

9. Let 𝑋 be a discrete random variable with Support 𝑆 = {1, 2, 3, 4}. It’s pmf is given below. Compute for
its expected value.
𝑥
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆
𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = {10
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∉ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆

10. Let 𝑋 be a discrete random variable with Support 𝑆 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, , 6, 7}. It’s pmf is given below.
Compute for its expected value.
1
, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∈ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆
𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) = { 8
0, 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ∉ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑆

III. Calculate for the expected value, variance and standard deviation.

11. – 20. 21. - 30

x P(x) x P(x)
0 0.01 1 0.15
1 0.15 2 0.35
2 0.20 3 0.40
3 0.25 4 0.10
4 0.30
5 0.09

Reference:

• Next Century Mathematics: Statistics and Probability

Jesus P. Mercado, et al.

Statistics & Probability 8