Chapter review

3 a

x 1 2 3 4

P(X = x) 2 5 8 11
26 26 26 26

19
b P(2 < X 4) = P(X = 3) + P(X = 4) = 26

4 a For a discrete uniform distribution, the probability of choosing each counter must be equal.

1
b i P(X = 5) =
16

ii The prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13

6 3
P(X is prime) = 
16 8

8 1
iii P(3 X < 11) = 
16 2

5 a

x 1 2 3 4 5

P(Y = y) 1 2 3 4 5
k k k k k

1 2 3 4 5
    1
k k k k k

15
= 1, k = 15
k

x 1 2 3 4 5

P(Y = y) 1 2 3 1 4 5 1
 
15 15 15 5 15 15 3

c P(Y > 3) = P(Y = 4) + P(Y = 5) = 4

15  155  159  53

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6 a

t 0 1 2 3 4

P(T = t) 0.754 = 0.25 × 0.753 × 4 0.252 × 0.752 × 6 0.253 × 0.75 0.254 =

0.316 = 0.422 = 0.211 × 4 = 0.0469 0.00391

b P(T < 3) = P(T = 0) + P(T = 1) + P(T = 2) = 0.949 (to 3 s.f.)

S 1 2 3 4 5

P(S = s) 0.25 0.25 × 0.75 0.25 × 0.752 0.25 × 0.753 0.25 × 0.754 + 0.755
= 0.188 = 0.141 = 0.105 = 0.316

d P(S > 2) = P(S = 3) + P(S = 4) + P(S = 5) = 0.563 (to 3 s.f. using exact figures)

7 a The probability distribution for X is:

x 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
P(X = x)
21 21 21 21 21 21

b P(2  X 5)  P(X  3)  P(X  4)  P(X  5)  3

21  214  215  12
21  7

c E( X )  1 211  2  212  3  213  4  214  5  215  6  216

 211 (1  4  9  16  25  36)  91 21  3
13

d E( X 2 )  1 211  4  212  9  213  16  214  25  215  36  216

 211 (1  8  27  64  125  216)  441 21  21

Var( X )  E( X 2 )  (E( X )) 2
 21   133   21  169
2
9

 189
9  9 
169 20
9  2.22 (2 d.p.)

e Var (3 2 X )  Var(  2 X  3)

 ( 2) 2 Var(X )
 4  209  809  8.89 (2 d.p.)

f E( X 3 )  å x 3 P( X  x)
 13  211  23  212  33  213  43  214  53  215  63  216
= 1
21 (1  16  81  256  625  1296)
 2275
21  325
3  108.33 (2 d.p.)

8 a Probabilities sum to 1, so:

0.1 0.2  0.3 r  0.1 0.1  1
r  1 0.8  0.2
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8 b P(1 X  2)  P( X  1)  P( X  0)  P( X  1)  0.2  0.3  0.2  0.7

c E( X )  2  0.1 (1)  0.1 0  0.3  1 0.2  2  0.1 3 0.1

 0.2  0.2  0.2  0.2  0.3  0.3
E(2 X  3)  2 E( X )  3  (2  0.3)  3  3.6

d E( X 2 )  4  0.1 1 0.1 0  0.3 1 0.2  4  0.1 9  0.1

 0.4  0.2  0.2  0.4  0.9  2.1
Var( X )  E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2
 2.1 (0.3)2  2.1 0.09  2.01
Var(2 X  3)  2 2 Var(X )
 4  2.01  8.04

9 a Probabilities sum to 1, so:

5  b  b  5 1
1 1

2b  1  52  53
b  103

b E( X )  0  15  1 103  2  105  13
10  1.3

c E( X 2 )  0  15  1 103  4  105  10
23
 2.3
Var ( X )  E( X 2 )  ( E( X ))2
 2.3 1.32  2.3 1.69  0.61

d P(X 1.5)  P( X  0)  P( X  1)  15  103  0.5

10 a Probabilities sum to 1, so:

k (1  0)  k (1  1)  k (2  1)  k (3  1)  1
k  k  2k  1
4k  1
k  14  0.25

b The probability distribution for X is:

x 0 1 2 3
1 1 1
P(X = x) 4 0 4 2

E(X )  0  14  1 0  2  14  3  12  12  32  2
E( X 2 )  0  14  1 0  4  14  9  12  112  5.5

c Var( X )  E( X 2 )  (E( X )) 2  5.5  22  5.5  4  1.5

Var(2 X  2)  2 2 Var( X )  4 1.5  6

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11 a P(1  X 2)  P(X  2)  18

b E(X )  0  14  1 21  2  81  3  81  21  41  83  89

c E(3 X  1)  3E(X )  1  27
8  1  198

d E(X 2 )  0  14  1 21  4  81  9  81  12  12  98  178
Var( X )  E ( X 2 )  ( E ( X )) 2  178   89   136
2
64
 64
81
 64
55

e E(log(X  1))  å log( X 1) P( X  x)

 log(0  1)  14  log(1  1)  12  log(2  1)  81  log(3  1)  81
= 0  12 log 2 + 81 log 3 + 18 log 4
 0.5  0.30102  0.125  0.47712  0.125  0.60206
= 0.2854 (4 d.p.)

12 a The probability distribution for X2 is:

x2 1 4 9 19
P(X2 = x2) 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.3

P(3  X 2  10)  0.2  0.1  0.3

b E( X )  1 0.4  2  0.2  3 0.1 4  0.3  2.3

c E( X 2 )  1 0.4  4  0.2  9  0.116  0.3  6.9

Var( X )  E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2
 6.9  (2.3) 2  6.9  5.29  1.61

 3 X  3 1 3 2.3 0.7
d E    E( X )     0.35
 2  2 2 2 2 2

e E  Xå X P( X  x)

 1 0.4  2  0.2  3  0.1 4  0.3

 0.4  0.2828  0.1732  0.6
 1.4560 (4 d.p.)

f  
E 2  X  å 2 X P( X  x)
 21  0.4  22  0.2  23  0.1 24  0.3
 0.5  0.4  0.25  0.2  0.125  0.1 0.0625  0.3
 0.2  0.05  0.0125  0.01875
 0.28125

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13 a Probabilities sum to 1, so:
0.1  p  q  0.3  0.1  1
p  q  0.5 (1)

E( X )  0.1  2 p  3q  1.2  0.5  3.1

2 p  3q  1.3 ( 2)

b Multiply equation (1) by 2:

2 p  2q  1 ( 3)

Subtract equation (3) from equation (2)

q  0.3

Substitute for q in equation (1)

p  0.3  0.5 Þ p  0.2

c E( X )  1 0.1 2  0.2  3 0.3  4  0.3  5  0.1

 0.1 0.4  0.9  1.2  0.5  3.1

E( X 2 )  1 0.1 4  0.2  9  0.3  16  0.3 25  0.1

 0.1 0.8  2.7  4.8  2.5  10.9

Var( X )  E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2  10.9  (3.1)2  10.9  9.61  1.29

d Var(2 X  3)  2 2 Var( X )  4 1.29  5.16

14 a The probability distribution for X is:

x 1 2 3 4 5
P(X = x) k 2k k 2k 3k

Probabilities sum to 1, so:

k  2k  k  2k  3k  9k  1
k  19

b E(X )  1k  2  2k  3k  4  2k  5  3k
 31k  319

c E(X 2 )  1k  4  2k  9k  16  2k  25  3k
 125k  125
9

Var( X )  E( X 2 )  ( E ( X ))2

9   9   81  81  81
2
 125 31 1125 961 164

 2.02 (3 s.f.)

d Var (3 2 X )  (2)2 Var ( X )  4  2.02  8.1 (1 d.p.)

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15 a Probabilities sum to 1, so:
0.1  0.3  a  b  1
a  b  0.6 (1)
Rearrange the equation for Y to get X in terms of Y:
3 X  Y  1 Þ X  13 Y  13
E ( X )  E  13 Y  13   13 E (Y )  13  13  10
11
 13  30
21
 0.7
E( X )  å x P( X  x)
 0.1 a  2b  0.7
So a  2b  0.8 ( 2)
Subtract equation (1) from equation (2), which gives:
b  0.2
So by substituting the value for b in equation (1)
a  0.2  0.6 Þ a  0.4

b E( X 2 )  1 0.1 0  0.3  1 0.4  4  0.2  1.3

Var( X )  E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2  1.3 0.7 2  1.3  0.49  0.81

c Var(Y )  Var(1 3X )  (3)2 Var( X )  9  0.81  7.29

d P(Y  2 > X )  P(3X  1 2 > X )

 P(2 X > 1)  P( X > 0.5)
 0.3 0.4  0.2  0.9

16 a A discrete uniform distribution.

b Any distribution where all the probabilities are the same. An example is throwing a fair die.

c There are 5 possible values. So as the variable has discrete uniform distribution, each value has a
1
5 (= 0.2) probability. E(X) can be found by symmetry, as the probability distribution is uniform,
or by:
E( X )  0.2(0 1 2  3 4)  0.2 10  2

d E( X 2 )  0.2(0  1 4  9  16)  0.2  30  6

Var( X )  E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2  6  2 2  6  4  2

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Challenge
1 1 1 1 1
E( X )  1            n 
n n n n n
1
 1          n 
n
1 n
 åi
n i 1
1 n(n  1)
  (using first sum in hint)
n 2
n 1

2
E( X 2 )  1         n 2 
1
n
1 n
 å i2
n i 1
1 n(n  1)(2n  1)
  (using second sum in hint)
n 6
(n  1)(2n  1)

6

Var( X )  E ( X 2 )  ( E ( X ))2
(n  1)(2n  1) (n  1) 2
 
6 4
2(n  1)(2n  1) 3(n  1)2
 
12 12
4n  6n  2  3n  6n  3
2 2
 (multiplying out)
12
n 1
2
 (simplifying terms)
12
(n  1)(n  1)
 (factoring)
12

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