School of Mathematics, Thapar University, Patiala

UMA032 : Numerical and Statistical Methods

Assignment 9
Mathematical Expectation and Regression

1. A coin is biased such that a head is three times as likely to occur as a tail. Find the expected number of
tails when this coin is tossed twice.

2. In a gambling game, a woman is paid $3 if she draws a jack or a queen and $5 if she draws a king or an ace
from an ordinary deck of 52 playing cards. If she draws any other card, she loses. How much should she pay
to play if the game is fair?

3. An attendant at a car wash is paid according to the number of cars that pass through. Suppose the
probabilities are 1/12, 1/12, 1/4, 1/4, 1/6, and 1/6, respectively, that the attendant receives $7, $9, $11,
$13, $15, or $17 between 4:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. on any sunny Friday. Find the attendants expected
earnings for this particular period.

4. The density function of coded measurements of the pitch diameter of threads of a fitting is

4
 , 0 < x < 1,
f (x) = π(1 + x2 )
 0, elsewhere.

Find the expected value of X.

5. A continuous random variable X has the density function

 −x
e , x > 0,
f (x) =
0, elsewhere.

Find the expected value of g(X) = e2X/3 .

6. An urn contains 7 white and 3 red balls. Two balls are drawn together at random. Compute the probability
that neither of them is white. Also find the probability of getting one white and one red ball. Hence compute
the expected number of white balls drawn.

7. The length of time, in minutes, for an airplane to obtain clearance for takeoff at a certain airport is a random
variable Y = 3X − 2, where X has the density function
 1 −x/4
f (x) = 4e , x > 0,
0, elsewhere.

Find the mean and variance of the random variable Y .

8. Suppose that X and Y have the following joint probability function:

f (x, y) x
2 4
1 0.10 0.15
y 3 0.20 0.30
5 0.10 0.15

(a) Find the expected value of g(X, Y ) = XY 2 .

(b) Find µX and µY .
(c) Find the covariance and correlation coefficient of X and Y .

9. Suppose that the probabilities are 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, and 0.1, respectively, that 0, 1, 2, or 3 power failures will strike
a certain subdivision in any given year. Find the mean and variance of the random variable X representing
the number of power failures striking this subdivision.

CONTINUED
 –2–

10. Random variables X and Y follow a joint distribution


2, 0 < x ≤ y < 1,
f (x, y) =
0, otherwise.

Determine the correlation coefficient between X and Y .

11. The grades of a class of 9 students on a midterm report (x) and on the final examination (y) are as follows:

x 77 50 71 72 81 94 96 99 67
y 82 66 78 34 47 85 99 99 68

(a) Estimate the linear regression line.

(b) Estimate the final examination grade of a student who received a grade of 85 on the midterm report.

12. Engineers fabricating a new transmission-type electron multiplier created an array of silicon nanopillars on
a flat silicon membrane. The precise structure can influence the electrical properties so, subsequently, the
height and width of 50 nanopillars were measured in nanometers or 10−9 × meters. The summary statistics,
with x = width and y = height, are

n = 50, x̄ = 88.34, ȳ = 305.58

σx2 = 7239.22, σxy = 17840.1, σy2 = 66975.2.

(a) Find the regression line for predicting height from width.
(b) Find the regression line for predicting width from height.
(c) Make a scatter plot and show both lines. Comment.

13. A mathematics placement test is given to all entering freshmen at a small college. A student who receives a
grade below 35 is denied admission to the regular mathematics course and placed in a remedial class. The
placement test scores and the final grades for 20 students who took the regular course were recorded.
(a) Plot a scatter diagram.
(b) Find the equation of the regression line to predict course grades from placement test scores.
(c) Graph the line on the scatter diagram.
(d) If 60 is the minimum passing grade, below which placement test score should students in the future be
denied admission to this course?
Placement Test 50 35 35 40 55 65 35 60 90 35 90 80 60 60 60 40 55 50 65 50
Course Grade 53 41 61 56 68 36 11 70 79 59 54 91 48 71 71 47 53 68 57 79