STAT 1012 Statistics for Life Sciences

Tutorial 3 --- Discrete Random Variables

1) Random variables

Definition:

Numeric quantities that take different values with specified probabilities.

Discrete Random Variables:

A discrete random variable is a random variable for which there exists a discrete set (i.e. countable number)
of numeric values.

Continuous Random Variables:

A continuous random variable is a random variable which can take a continuous range (i.e. over an interval)
of values.

2) Probability Mass Function and Cumulative Distribution Function

Probability Mass Function (pmf): (Denoted as: Pr(X=x))

1) Probability to each possible value x of the discrete random variable.

2) Probability mass function is a function of x, with value between 0 and 1 (note the difference between
X and x).

Cumulative Distribution Function (cdf): (Denoted as: Pr(X≤x) )

1) Probability such that the random variable X takes a value smaller than or equal to x.
2) Denoted by F(x) or Pr(X≤x), which is increasing and the graph for F(x) against x should be a step
function increases from 0 to 1.
3) There are empty circles in the graph of cdf. And please note their positions.
3) Expected Value and Variance

Expected Value:

1) Denoted by E(X) or μ, = ∑𝑛𝑖=1 𝑥𝑖 𝑃𝑟(𝑋 = 𝑥𝑖 ), called population mean sometimes.

2) Expected Value is Measure of Location (Population).
3) Usually estimated by sample mean.

Variance:
 1) Denoted by Var(X) or 𝜎 2 , = ∑𝑛𝑖=1(𝑥𝑖 − 𝜇)2 𝑃𝑟(𝑋 = 𝑥𝑖 ), called population variance sometimes.

2) Usually estimated by sample variance.

3) Alternative formula: 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋) = 𝐸(𝑋 2 ) − [𝐸(𝑋)]2 = ∑𝑛𝑖=1 𝑥𝑖2 Pr(𝑋 = 𝑥𝑖 ) − [∑𝑛𝑖=1 𝑥𝑖 Pr(𝑋 = 𝑥𝑖 )]2

4) Permutations and Combinations

Factorial:

n! = n(n-1)….(3)(2)1. For example, 3! = 3 × 2 × 1 = 6.

Permutations:

Denoted as 𝑃𝑘𝑛 , number of permutations of n objects taken k at a time. (Order is important.) ({1,2} ≠{2,1})
𝑛!
𝑃𝑘𝑛 = (𝑛−𝑘)!

Combinations:

number of combinations of n objects taken k at a time. Ordering does not matter when the objects are

𝑛!
selected, ({1,2} = {2,1}). Denoted as 𝐶𝑘𝑛 𝑜𝑟 (nk), and 𝐶𝑘𝑛 = 𝑘!(𝑛−𝑘)! .

5) Binomial Distribution

5.1) Binomial Distribution:

Definition:

If we perform a fixed number of experiments n, and probability of successes for each experiment is p. Let X
is the total number of successes, then X follows Binomial Distribution with parameters n and p. is denoted as
X ~ Binomial (n, p).

Properties:

1) Probability Mass Function:

Pr(X=x) = (nx)𝑝 𝑥 (1 − 𝑝)𝑛−𝑥 , 𝑥 = 0,1,2, … , 𝑛.

2) (Expected Value) Population Mean: 𝜇 = 𝐸(𝑋) = 𝑛𝑝.

3) Population Variance: 𝜎 2 = 𝑛𝑝(1 − 𝑝).
4) Skewness:

p < 0.5, the distribution is right-skewed.

 p = 0.5, the distribution is symmetric.

p > 0.5, the distribution is left-skewed.

6) Exercises

1. Suppose that in a particular sheet of 100 postage stamps, 3 are defective. The inspection policy is to look
at 5 randomly chosen stamps on a sheet and to release the sheet into circulation if none of those five is
defective. Determine the probability that the sheet described here will be allowed to go into circulations
when
i) The stamps are chosen with replacement
ii) The stamps are chosen without replacement
2. A committee of 4 is to be selected from a group consisting of 5 men and 5 women. Let X be the random
variable that represents the number of women in the committee. Find the pmf of X.
3. Assuming in a deck of 52 cards, you are randomly picking up 5 out of the 52 cards, what is the probability
that you obtain a full house? A full house is a poker hand containing three cards of one rank and two cards
of another rank, such as 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 6♣ 6♥.
4. Assume Tom gets a fair coin, he repeats the following 2n times,
1) Toss a coin;
2) If the coin shows “head”, he moves forward by 1 step, otherwise he moves backward by 1 step.

Find the probability that after the 2n repeated trials, he stays in the original position. (The starting position
before he tossed the coin).
 STAT 1012 Statistics for Life Sciences

Tutorial 3 --- Discrete Random Variables (Solutions)

1.

Let X denote the number of defective stamps selected

i) X~ Binomial (5,3/100)

3 0 3 5
Pr(X=0) = (50) (100) (1 − 100) = 0.858734

(97 3
5 )(0)
ii) Pr(X=0) = = 0.855999
(100
5 )

(𝑥5)(4−𝑥
5
)
2. Pr(X=x) = for x=0,1,2,3,4.
(10
4)

3.

Pr(full house) = Pr(full house with AAA) + Pr(full house with 222)… + Pr(full house with KKK)

= 13Pr(full house with AAA) ---(1)

Pr(full house with AAA) = Pr(AAA22) + Pr(AAA33) +…+ Pr(AAAKK) = 12Pr(AAA22)---(2)

𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡 3 𝐴𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 4 𝐴𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 2 '2' from 4 '2' (43)(42)
Pr(AAA22) = =
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡 5 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 52 (52
5)

(43)(42) 13(12)(4)(6)
By (1),(2), Pr(full house) = 13(12)Pr(AAA22) = 13(12) = = 0.001440576
(52
5) 2598960

4.

Pr(he stays in the original position)

= Pr(equal number of heads and tails are obtained in the 2n tosses)

= Pr(n heads and n tails are obtained in the 2n tosses)

= Pr(n heads are obtained in the 2n tosses)

= Pr(X=n) where X~ Binomial(2n,0.5) Let X = number of heads obtained

1 2𝑛
=(2𝑛
𝑛
) (2)