OTHER

PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTIONS
discrete UNIFORM DISTRIBUTION
!A random variable has a discrete uniform
distribution when all the values of the random
variable are equally likely, that is they have equal
probabilities.

!If the random variable X assumes equally

likely values x1, x2, x3,… , xn, then it has a
discrete uniform distribution.

!
The probability of any outcome xi is ".
Example 1
When a fair die is thrown, the possible outcomes
are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Each time the die is thrown, it
can roll on any of these numbers. Since there are six
!
numbers, the probability of a given score is ".
Therefore, we have a discrete uniform distribution.

! ! !
P(1) = P(3) = P(5) =
" " "
! ! !
P(2) = " P(4) = " P(6) = "
 x 1 2 3 4 5 6
P(x) 1 1 1 1 1 1
6 6 6 6 6 6

P(x)

x
1 2 3 4 5 6
d i s c r e t e U N I F O R M D I S T R I BU T I O N
#$! ## & !
Mean μ = Variance σ2 =
% !%

"$! "# & !

= =
% !%
' (" & !
= or 3.5 =
% !%
()
= #$ 2.9167
!%

Standard ## & ! "# & !

σ= = = 1.7078
Deviation !% !%
The Bernoulli DISTRIBUTION
!named after the Swiss mathematician Jacob
Bournelli (1655-1705)

!is a probability distribution of a random variable X

with only two possible outcomes, 1 and 0, as
success and failure.

If the probability of is p then the probability of

failure is q = 1 – p.
The Bernoulli distribution, with parameter p where 0
< p < 1, has the following probability mass function.

p if x=1
P(x)= 1-p if x=0
0 if x=0

This can also be written as follows:

P(X=x) = px(1-p)1-x , for x=0

p = probability of success
where: 1-p = probability of failure
The Bernoulli DISTRIBUTION

μ=!

σ =
2 !" = !(1 − !)

σ = !" = !(1 − !)

p = probability of success
where:
1-p = probability of failure
Example 2
Find the probability of getting a head in a single toss
of a coin.
Example 3
Find the probability of getting a 4 in a single toss of a die.
Binomial probability distribution

A binomial experiment possesses the following

properties:

1. The experiment consists of n repeated trials.

2. Each trial results in two possible outcomes that
may be classified as a success or a failure.
3. The probability of a success, denoted by p,
remains the same from trial to trial.
4. Each trial is independent of the previous
trials.
 A random variable X follows a binomial
Binomial probability

distribution, denoted by X ~ Bi(n,p), if the pmf

of X is given by:
distribution

$ $ %&$ %!
! " = % & = % $ &%&$ for x=0,1,2, … ,n
" $! %&$ !

where:
n = number of binomial trials
x = number of successes among n trials
p = probability of success in one of the n trials
q = 1-p =probability of failure in one of the n trials
Example 4
Solve the following problems by using the binomial formula.

!
a. If n = 5 and p = # , find P(X=3).

b. If n = 4 and p = 0.2, find P(X=3).

Example 5
Find the probability of tossing a fair coin four times, where
there appears

(a) 4 heads
(b) at least 1 head
 μ = ( ) = *!
Binomial probability

σ = +,-
2 ) = *!"
distribution

σ = *!"

where:
n = expected number of successes in n trials
p = probability of success
q = probability of failure
Example 6

Find the mean, variance, and standard

deviation of a random variable X that follows a
binomial distribution with n = 90 and p = 0.07.