STATISTICS AND

PROBABILITY

Course code: CORE 10

Facilitator: ROCELLE ANN G. TERCO
TOPIC 1
Random Variables anD
Probability Distribution

Course code: CORE 10

Facilitator: ROCELLE ANN G. TERCO
 At the end of the session, you should have:

• illustrated a random variable (discrete

and continuous);

learning • found the possible values of a random

variable;

objectives • illustrated a probability distribution;

• constructed the probability mass
function; and
• computed probabilities
 ➢ Reflect

➢ Overview of the Topic

Flow of ➢ Examples of Random Variables presented

session using Probability Distribution

➢ Checkpoint
Reflect
• Why do we need to understand
Variability?
• What’s the function of random
variable in constructing
probability distribution?
• Why do we need to construct
probability distribution?
VARIABILITY

PROBABILITY
What is your
probability of
winning the jackpot
price in the lottery?
What are the
chances that you’ll
get an A+ in your
report card?
What are the
chances of your
team winning
today’s game?
VARIABILITY is
universal.
We need to understand
variability to be able to collect,
analyze, and draw conclusions
from data in a sensible way.
Concept Map

may be described by
Random Variable
Random Variable Probability Distribution

Properties Types Discrete Continuous

Distribution Distribution

Probability Mass
Expected
Function
Variance Discrete Continuous
Value
Random Variables

Uncertain
outcome

variables whose possible values are the

numerical outcomes of a random experiment
Types of Random Variables

Discrete Continuous
• Countable • Measurable
• Take only specific values • Take any value within
• Whole numbers a range
• Real numbers
Examples of Random Variables
𝐴 = the sum of the numbers that turn up when a pair of dice is tossed.
𝐵 = the distance leaped in meters by a long-jumper in a competition
𝑊 =the length of time in minutes that a scheduled airplane flight is
delayed.
𝑋 = the number of correct answers a student get in a 10-item True-False
test.

Discrete Random Variable: 𝐴 and 𝑋

Continuous Random Variable: 𝐵 and 𝑊

Example 1
If a football team plays for three consecutive games,
the sample space is the set of all possible outcomes
of the events.

If W stands for a win and L stands for a loss, find the

possible sample space of the three consecutive
games and the probability that the team will win in 3
games.
Solution 1
Probability Distribution Function
Function 𝑃(𝑋) that shows the relative probability that
each outcome of an experiment will happen.

Sample Space
{𝑊𝑊𝑊, 𝑊𝑊𝐿, 𝑊𝐿𝑊, 𝐿𝑊𝑊, 𝑊𝐿𝐿, 𝐿𝑊𝐿, 𝐿𝐿𝑊, 𝐿𝐿𝐿}
Sample Point PDF
𝑊𝑊𝑊 = 3 𝑊𝐿𝐿 = 1 𝒙 0 1 2 3
𝑊𝑊𝐿 = 2 𝐿𝑊𝐿 = 1 𝑷(𝑿) 1 3 3 1
𝑊𝐿𝑊 = 2 𝐿𝐿𝑊 = 1 8 8 8 8
𝐿𝑊𝑊 = 2 𝐿𝐿𝐿 = 0
where x is the number of wins and
𝑃 𝑋 is the probability of winning X
number of times in 3 games.
Probability Mass Function
A probability distribution function of a discrete random
variable, which assigns probability to each sample point.
It is denoted by 𝑃 𝑋 = 𝑥 .
Can be expressed in tabular, graphical, or formula form.

Properties:
• The probability of each value of the discrete random variable is
between 0 and 1, inclusive.

• The sum of all the probabilities is 1.

Example 2
In a game of chance, a pair of
dice is being thrown and the
sum of the values that will turn
up will be the basis of winning.

You will win if you get a sum of 3

to 9. Find your probability of
winning.
Solution 2
Sample Space
2nd Die (Columns)
Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1st Die (Rows)

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Sum 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
No. of
sample 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
points
Solution 2
Probability Mass Function

𝑺𝒖𝒎 (𝒚) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
𝑷(𝒀 = 𝒚)
36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

Probability of getting a sum of 3 to 9:

2 3 4 5 6 5 4
𝑃 3≤𝑌≤9 = + + + + + +
36 36 36 36 36 36 36
29
= 36

𝟐𝟗
Your probability of wining this game is or 80.56%.
𝟑𝟔
Try this!
𝑺𝒖𝒎 (𝒚) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
𝑷(𝒀 = 𝒚)
36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

Using the same sample space, find the probability of the following:

a) Getting a sum of less than 5.

b) Getting a sum of greater than 12.
c) Getting a sum of 7 or 8.
d) Getting a sum of less than or equal to 10 but greater than 5.
Checkpoint: (10mins)
An experiment is consisting of rolling a pair of dice. Let 𝑌
be the random variable representing the absolute value
of the difference of the numbers that come up.
Construct the probability mass function of 𝑌 and answer
the following:

Find the probability of randomly getting an absolute value that

is (a) two, (b) at most three, and (c) between two and five.
Solution
The experiment can result to 36 possible pairings of the
dice. There are 6 possible values of the random variable
𝑌, namely, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, from 36 sample points.

2nd Die (Columns)

Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6

1 0 1 2 3 4 5

2 1 0 1 2 3 4
1st Die (Rows)

3 2 1 0 1 2 3

4 3 2 1 0 1 2

5 4 3 2 1 0 1

6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Solution
By counting the number of sample points which correspond to each
value of the random variable 𝑌, we can compute the corresponding
probabilities. The value are summarized in the following table.
𝒚 0 1 2 3 4 5
Number of
sample 6 10 8 6 4 2
points

The probability mass function expressed in tabular form:

𝒚 0 1 2 3 4 5

6 𝟏 10 𝟓 8 𝟐 6 𝟏 4 𝟏 2 𝟏
𝑷(𝒀 = 𝒚) = = = = = =
36 𝟔 36 𝟏𝟖 36 𝟗 36 𝟔 36 𝟗 36 𝟏𝟖
Solution
𝒚 0 1 2 3 4 5

𝟏 𝟓 𝟐 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
𝑷(𝒀)
𝟔 𝟏𝟖 𝟗 𝟔 𝟗 𝟏𝟖

The probability mass function expressed in formula and graphical form:

𝟏
, 𝒊𝒇 𝒚 = 𝟎, 𝟑
𝟔
𝟓
, 𝒊𝒇 𝒚 = 𝟏
𝟏𝟖
𝟐
𝑷(𝒀) = , 𝒊𝒇 𝒚 = 𝟐
𝟗
𝟏
, 𝒊𝒇 𝒚 = 𝟒
𝟗
𝟏
, 𝒊𝒇 𝒚 = 𝟓
𝟏𝟖
Solution
Find the probability of randomly getting an absolute value that is (a) two, (b) at most three, and (c)
between two and five.

𝒚 0 1 2 3 4 5

𝟏 𝟓 𝟐 𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
𝑷(𝒀)
𝟔 𝟏𝟖 𝟗 𝟔 𝟗 𝟏𝟖

(a)Two
𝟐
𝑃 𝑌 = 2 = 𝟗 𝒐𝒓 𝟐𝟐. 𝟐𝟐%

(b) at most three

1 5 2 1 𝟓
𝑃 𝑌 ≤ 3 = 6 + 18 + 9 + 6 = 𝟔 𝒐𝒓 𝟖𝟑. 𝟑𝟑%

(c) between two and five

1 1 𝟓
𝑃 3 < 𝑌 < 5 = 6 + 9 = 𝟏𝟖 𝒐𝒓 𝟐𝟕. 𝟕𝟖%
What’s your takeaway
from today’s session?
REFERENCES
• De Guzman, D. Quintana, C. (2021). Statistics and Probability (Revised edition). Quezon
City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

• Farber, B. & Larson, R. (2012). Elementary statistics: Picturing the world (5th ed.). New York:
Prentice Education, Inc. Retrieved from:
https://www.gcsnc.com/cms/lib/NC01910393/Centricity/Domain/10320/Intro%20to%20Stati
stics%20Textbook.pdf