CHAPTER_3: DISCRETE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION

NOTES:
Discrete random variable- a random variable that can take on only a finite or countable
infinite number of values.
Probability Distribution :
(a). f(x) 0 for all x R
(b).


allx
x f 1 ) (
(c). P ( X =x)=f(x)
x!ected value or mean
) ( X E
=
) (x xf
or
) ( x X xP
if X is discrete.
"ariance
"ar (X) =
#
=
# #
) ( X E $here
) ( X E
%tandard Deviation&
) (X Var
'seful (a$ of )athematical x!ectation*
i.
a a E ) (
& a constant
ii.
b X aE b aX E + + ) ( ) (
iii.
) ( ) ( ) ( Y bE X aE bY aX E t t
'seful (a$ of "ariation*
i.
0 ) ( a Var
ii. ) ( ) (
#
X Var a b aX Var +
iii. ) ( ) ( ) (
# #
Y Var b X Var a bY aX Var + t
Eg* 1.+he follo$in, !robability distribution is that of a !articular ex!eriment*
X=x 1 # - .
P(X=x) .b b #b -b
$here b is a constant. /ind the value of b.
Ans:
%ince this is a !robability distribution& then

1 ) ( x X P
.b 0 b 0 #b 0 -b = 1
b =
10
1
#. +he !robability distribution of a discrete random variable X is ,iven by

'

otherwise
x kx
x f
0
. & - & # & 1
) (
1here k is a constant. /ind the value of k.
/ind the !robability P ( X
) #
.
Ans:
%ince
) (x f
is a !robability distribution& then

.
1
& 1 ) (x f
1 . - # + + + k k k k
10
1
k

'

otherwise
x
x
x f
0
. & - & # & 1
10
) (
P ( X
) # ( ) 1 ( ) # + x P X P
=
10
-
10
#
10
1
+
-. 2 discrete random variable X has the !robability distribution as follo$s*
X 1 # - .
P ( X = x ) 0.. 0.# 0.- 0.1
3alculate*
(a). +he mean and variance of random variable.
(b).
) # ( )& . # ( )& # ( )& # ( X Var X Var X Var X E +
Ans:
(a). )ean&
) ( ) ( x X xP X E
= 1(0..) 0 #(0.#) 0 -(0.-) 0 .(0.1)
= #.1
"ariance & "ar(X) =
# #
)4 ( 5 ) ( x E X E
=6.6 - (#.1)
#
= 1.07
(b).
# . . ) 1 . # ( # ) ( # ) # ( X E X E
-8 . . ) 07 . 1 ( . ) ( # ) # (
#
X Var X Var
-8 . . ) ( # ) . # (
#
+ X Var X Var
-8 . . ) ( # ) # (
#
X Var X Var
-. 2 ne$sa,ent sells tele!hone cards at 9)1& 9)#& 9).& 9)10 or
9)#0.+he value & in 9in,,its & of a tele!hone card sold may be re,arded
as a random variable& X& $ith the follo$in, !robability distribution.
x 1 # . 10 #0
P(X=x) ! #! #: : 0.0;
(a). /ind the value of ! and :& ,iven that -
). # ( # ) # ( > X P X P
(b). /ind the mean and standard deviation of X.
(c). 1hat is the !robability that the value of the next tele!hone card sold is
less than 9).<
Ans:
(a).
1 0; . 0 - - + + q p
! 0 : =0.-1---------(1)
=iven that -! ( X > # ) = #! ( X
)& #
so
- ( -: 0 0.0; ) = # ( -! )
-#! 0 -: = -0.0;----------(#)
%olve e:uation (1) and (#)*
6: = 0.66
#0 . 0
11 . 0


p
q
+he !robability distribution of X is *
x 1 # . 10 #0
P ( X =x ) 0.#0 0..0 0.## 0.11 0.0;

(b). )ean &
) ( ) ( x X xP X E
=1(0.#0) 0 # ( 0..0 ) 0 . ( 0.## ) 0 10 (0.11) 0 #0 (0.0;)
= ..-?
"ar (X ) =
# #
)4 ( 5 ) ( X E X E
) 0; . 0 ( #0 ) 11 . 0 ( 10 ) ## . 0 ( . ) .0 . 0 ( # ) #0 . 0 ( 1 ) (
# # # # # #
+ + + + X E
=...-#
1. . #6 -? . . -# . .. ) (
#
X Var
%tandard deviation & 1. . #6 = 6.01
(c). P ( X @ . ) = P ( X = 1 ) 0 P ( X = # )
= 0.#0 0 0..0
= 0.80
Level_1: EASY
1. The discrete random variable X has the probability
P( X = x ) =
8
) 1 ( + x k
, x = 0, 1, 2, 3
(i) Determine the vale o! k and tablate the probability distribtion o! X

(ii) The discrete random variable " is de!ined by " = 2X# 3. $ind
a) %(")
b) &ar ("),
'ence, sho( that the standard deviation o! " is 2.
#. (a) X is a random variable sch that X ) *(
p n&
). +! %(X) = 2 and &ar (X) =
#
-

!ind the vales o! n and
p
, and P(X = 3).
(b) ,n avera-e, the nmber o! boo.s read by an adlt is 2 boo.s per year.
/sin- the Poisson distribtion, !ind, correct to 0 decimal places, the
probability that1

i) an adlt reads e2actly 3 boo.s per year
ii) an adlt reads more than 3 boo.s in 2 years.

-. 4 discrete random variable X has the !ollo(in- probability distribtion *
P ( X = x ) =
& 0
&
&
#
1
m
x

,
_

'

otherwise
x
x
8
6 & . & - & # & 1

5here m is a constant .
(a) Determine the vale o! m .

(b) 6alclate the mean o! X
(c) $ind P( 0 X 7 )

(d) ,btain Var( 3X # 2 )
.. The nmber o! telephone calls arrivin- per minte at a small telephone e2chan-e
has a Poisson distribtion (ith mean 2.23. $ind , correct to three decimal places ,
the probability that
(i) e2actly 2 calls arrive in a mintes.
(ii) more than 0 calls arrive in a period o! 2 mintes .
3. The probability that a stdent (ill spent at least 8930 per (ee. in school is 0.13.
i) $ind the probability that amon- !ive stdents, none o! them (ill spend at
least 8930 in school per (ee..
ii) $ind the probability that amon- ten stdents, none o! them (ill spend at least
8930 in school per (ee..
iii) $ind the most nmber o! stdents !or a sample so that the probability that
none o! them (ill spend at least 8930 is -reater than 0.-
7. X is a random variable sch that
) & 10 ( A p B X
(ith p : 0.3 and &ar(x) =
6
?
.
$ind
(a) the vale o! p
(b) mean
(c)
) 6 ( X P
;. The discrete random variable 2 has the !ollo(in- probability !nction*
f(x) =

'

otherwise
x if b
x if a
0
# &
- & 1 &
(here a and b are constants.
(a) 1rite do$n (X) and (X
#
).
(b) =iven that "ar (X ) = 0.;6& find the values of a and b.
SCHEME
1. (i).
1 ) ( x X P

8
k
5 1 0 # 0 - 0 . 4 = 1
k =
6
-


x 0 1 # -

P(X = x)
10
1
10
#
10
-
10
.

(ii) (X) =
10
1# 8 # 0 + + +
= #
(B) = #(X) 0 -
= ;
"ar(B) = "ar(#X 0 -)
= . "ar(X)
= .C(X
#
) D5(X)4
#
E
= .

%tandard deviation B = ) (Y Var

= #
# a) X A F (n&p) (X) = # "ar (X) =
#
-
(X) = np = #
"ar (X) = np (1 D p) =
#
-
G n = # x . = ?
1 D ! =
.
-
#
#
-

p =
.
1

P(X = -) =
6 -
-
?
.
-
.
1

,
_

,
_

C = 0.#0;8
b) X = number of books read !er year
X A Po (#)
i) P(X=-) =
H -
) # (
- #
e
= 0.1?0.
ii) B = number of books read in # years
B A Po (.)
P(B > 6) = 1 D P(B 6)
= 1 - e ) . (
. .
e -
1#0
) . (
#.
) . (
8
) . (
#
) . (
6 . . . - . # .

e e e e

= 1 - e
1
]
1

+ + + + +

16
1#?
-
-#
-
-#
? . 1
.
= 0.#1.7
- a ) 1 ) (
1

n
x X p
1
#
1
#
1
#
1
#
1
#
1
6 . - #
+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

m
-#
1
m
b ) )ean = ( X ) =

n
x X xP
1
) (

,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

-#
1
8
-#
1
6
18
1
.
?
1
-
.
1
#
#
1
1

7; . 1
-#
-1
1
-#
8-

,
_

,
_

mean

c) P ( . x 8 ) = P ( x = . ) 0 P ( x = 6 ) 0 P ( x = 8 )
=
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

-#
1
-#
1
18
1
=
1#6 . 0
?
1

,
_

d ) "ar ( X ) = ( X
#
) D
#
( X )

( X
#
) =
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

+
,
_

-#
1
-8
-#
1
#6
18
1
18
?
1
7
.
1
.
#
1
1 ) (
1
#
x X P x
n

=
-#
1;;

#
-#
8-
-#
1;;
) (
,
_

,
_

X Var
= 1.88 or
,
_

10#.
1876

Var ( -X 0 # ) = -
#
"ar ( X ) = 7 x 1.88
= 1..7
.. (et X = call arrivin, !er minutes
X P()
X P(#.#6)
(i) P( X = #) =
H #
#6 . # e
# #6 . #

= 0.#8;
X P(..6)
(ii) P( X> .) = 1 D P( X .)
= 1 -
e
6 . .
( 1 0 ..6 0
H #
6 . .
#
0
H -
6 . .
-
0
H .
6 . .
.
)
= 0..8?
6. (et X denotes the number of students.
i) X A F(6& 0.16)
P(X = 0) =
6
30 (0.16)
0
(0.?6)
6

= 0....
ii) X A F(10& 0.16)
P(X = 0) =
10
30 (0.16)
0
(0.?6)
10
= 0.17;
iii) X A F(n& 0.16)
P(X = 0) > 0.-
n
30 (0.16)
0
(0.?6)
n
> 0.-
0.?6
n
> 0.-
n lo, 0.?6 > lo, 0.-
n @
?6 . 0 lo,
- . 0 lo,
n @ ;..1
+he most number of students for a sam!le so that the !robability that none of them
$ill
s!end at least 9)60 is ; students.
8. a)
) & 10 ( A p B X
&ar(X)=
6
?
) 1 ( 10 p p
6
?

0 ? 60 60
#
p p

6
1
p
b) )
6
1
( 10 ) ( np x E = #
c)
6 6
6
10
) 6 I . ( ) 6 I 1 ( ) 6 ( C X P
= 0.0#8.
;. a) %ince f(x) is a !robability function & then $e have
a 0 b 0 a = 1
or b = 1 -#a
(X) = 1 (a) 0 # (b) 0 - (a)
= .a 0 #b
=.a 0 # ( 1- #a )
( X ) = #
( X
#
)= 1(a) 0 .(b) 0 7 (a)
=10a 0 .b
= 10a 0 . ( 1- #a)
(X
#
) = #a 0 .
(b) =iven "ar (X) = 0.;6
Fut "ar (X) = ( X
#
) -
#

=#a 0 . D .
#a = 0.;6
a =
?
-
and b =
.
1