Discrete Random Variables

Random Variable
Random variable
– A numerical value to each outcome of a particular experiment

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
 Random Variable
Example 1 : Machine Breakdowns
– Sample space : S = {electrical, mechanical, misuse}
– Each of these failures may be associated with a repair cost
– State space : {50, 200, 350}
– Cost is a random variable : 50, 200, and 350
 Random Variable
Example 2 : Ship arrive at the port transporting 470 tones food, 500 tones
medical supply, 200 tones construction materials.

– Sample space :
– State space :
– Random variable :
 Discrete and Continuous Variables
A random variable is discrete if it has a finite or countable
number of possible outcomes that can be listed.

0 2 4 6 8 10

A random variable is continuous if it has an uncountable

number or possible outcomes, represented by the intervals
on a number line.
x

0 2 4 6 8 10
 Discrete and Continuous Variables
Other examples include:
 Random Variables
Example 3:
Decide if the random variable x is discrete or continuous.

a.) The distance your car travels on a tank of gas

The distance your car travels is a continuous
random variable because it is a measurement that
cannot be counted.

b.) The number of students in a statistics class

The number of students is a discrete random

variable because it can be counted.
 Probability Functions

• A probability function maps the possible discrete random values of

x against their respective probabilities of occurrence, p(x)
• p(x) is a number from 0 to 1.0.
• The area under a probability function is always 1.
 Probability Mass Function (PMF)
Example 4 – Role a Dice x p(x)

1 p(x=1)=1/6
Sample Space :{1,2,3,4,5,6) - X
2 p(x=2)=1/6

3 p(x=3)=1/6

4 p(x=4)=1/6

5 p(x=5)=1/6

6 p(x=6)=1/6
Example 4: Role of a Dice

p(x)

 P(x) = 1
all x
1/6

x
1 2 3 4 5 6
Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF)
x P(x≤A)

1 P(x≤1)=1/6

2 P(x≤2)=2/6

3 P(x≤3)=3/6

4 P(x≤4)=4/6

5 P(x≤5)=5/6

6 P(x≤6)=6/6
Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF)

1.0 P(x)
5/6
2/3
1/2
1/3
1/6
1 2 3 4 5 6 x
 Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF)

What’s the probability that you roll a 3 or less?

P(x≤3) = 3/6 = 2/3

What’s the probability that you roll a 5 or higher?

P(x≥5) = 1 – P(x≤4)
= 1– 4/6
= 2/6 = 1/3
Exercise 1

Which of the following are probability functions?

i. f (x)=0.25 for x=9,10,11,12

ii. f (x)= (3-x)/2 for x=1,2,3,4
iii.f (x)= (x2+x+1)/25 for x=0,1,2,3
i. f (x)=0.25 for x=9,10,11,12

x f(x)

9 0.25

10 0.25

11 0.25

12 0.25

 P(x) = 1
all x
Yes, probability function!
ii. f (x)= (3-x)/2 for x=1,2,3,4

x f(x)

1 (3-1)/2
= 1.0
2 (3-2)/2
= 0.5
3 (3-3)/2
=0
4 (3-4)/2 Though this sums to 1, you
can’t have a negative
= - 0.5
probability; therefore, it’s
 P(x) = 1
all x
not a probability function.
iii. f (x)= (x2+x+1)/25 for x=0,1,2,3

x f(x)

0 1/25
1 3/25

2 7/25

3 13/25

 P(x) = 1
all x
Doesn’t sum to 1. Thus, it’s
not a probability function.
Exercise 2
The number of times that Rohan wakes up in the night is a random
variable represented by x. The probability distribution for x is:

x 1 2 3 4 5
P(x) 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.1

Find the probability that on a given night:

a. He wakes exactly 3 times
b. He wakes at least 3 times
c. He wakes less than 3 times
 Continuous Variables

▪ The probability function that accompanies a continuous random

variable is a continuous mathematical function that integrates
to 1.
▪ The function of continuous variable integrates to 1:

f ( x) = e − x
+ +


−x −x 1
e = −e = 0 +1 =1
0
0 x
 Continuous Variables
▪ The area under a bell curve is always 1

+ 1 x− 2
1 − ( )

− 2
 e 2  dx =1
 Continuous Variables

▪ Probabilities are given for a range of values, rather than a particular

value
▪ e.g.: the probability of getting a Mathematics and Statistics score
between 700 and 800 is 2%.
 Probability Distribution

• An assignment of probabilities to the values of the random variable.

• A probability distribution can be represented in table form or as a graph.

The graph looks like a histogram.
Example 5

The 2010 U.S. Census found the chance of a household being a certain size.
The data is in table below:

This is a probability distribution since the sum of all the probabilities is 1

Therefore, the table above is the probability distribution table for household
size from the 2010 U.S Census
• Since it is probability distribution, it can be also represented as
graph/histogram
Probability Distribution Parameters
 Probability Distribution Parameters

• Mean / Expected Value (known as miu)

Expected average value of the discrete random variables
(i.e. it is not the same as normal average value)
• Variance (known as sigma square)
How far a discrete random variable is spread out
• Standard Deviation
How far away from the mean we can expect the value of the discrete
random variable to be
 Mean / Expected Value (μ)

• To calculate the Mean /Expected Value :

1. multiply each value by its probability
2. sum them up
Example 6

Calculate the μ from the probability distribution table below:

1 2 3 4 5 6
0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5
Example 7

Consider the simple experiment of rolling a single dice once. Illustrate the
probability distribution table and calculate the mean value (μ)
 2
Variance (𝜎 )
• To calculate the Variance:
1. square each value and multiply by its probability
2. sum them up to get Σx2p
3. subtract the square of the Expected Value μ2
Example 8

Calculate the variance of the probability distribution table below:

1 2 3 4 5 6
0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5
Example 9

Consider the same experiment in Example 7. Calculate the variance value

(𝜎 2 )
 Standard Deviation (𝜎)

• To calculate the Standard Deviation

1. square root of the Variance value
Example 10

Calculate the standard deviation of the probability distribution table below:

1 2 3 4 5 6
0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.5
Example 11

Consider the same experiment in Example 9. Calculate the standard

deviation value
Exercise 3

A discrete random variable can take-on the values:

x = {1,2,3,4}
And has the probability distribution function of:
𝑥
P(X=x) =
10

1. Construct the probability distribution table for the discrete random value
2. Calculate the mean value of X
3. Calculate the variance, hence the standard deviation
Exercise 4

A discrete random variable X can take the values x ={3, 4, 6, 7}

x
and has a probability distribution function P(X= x)=
20
1. Calculate the mean value of X.
2. Calculate the variance and the standard deviation.
Exercise 5

A discrete random variable X has probability distribution defined as:

𝑥2
𝑃 𝑋=𝑥 =
120
Where X can be taken the values of 1,3,5,6,7

1. Calculate the discrete random variable’s mean value

2. Calculate the variance and standard deviation
Exercise 6

The discrete random variable X has the probability distribution table as

below:
x 1 2 3 4 5
P(X=x) 2/10 2/10 k 3/10 1/10

1. Find the value of k

2. Calculate the expected value E(X)
3. Calculate the variance and standard deviation of X
Exercise 7

The 2010 U.S. Census found the chance of a household being a certain size.
The data is in the table below:

Size of 1 2 3 4 5 6 ≥7
Household
Probability 26.7% 33.6% 15.8% 13.7% 6.3% 2.4% 1.5%

Find the mean, variance and standard deviation.