Chapter 5: Some Discrete Probability Distributions:

5.2: Discrete Uniform Distribution:

If the discrete random variable X assumes the values x1, x2, , xk
with equal probabilities, then X has the discrete uniform
distribution given by: 1
; x x1 , x2 ,, xk
f ( x) P( X x) f ( x; k ) k
0 ; elsewhere
Note:
f(x)=f(x;k)=P(X=x)
k is called the parameter of the distribution.
Example 5.2:
Experiment: tossing a balanced die.
Sample space: S={1,2,3,4,5,6}
Each sample point of S occurs with the same probability
1/6.
Let X= the number observed when tossing a balanced die.
The probability distribution of X is:
 1
; x 1, 2,, 6
f ( x) P( X x) f ( x;6) 6
0 ; elsewhere

Theorem 5.1:
If the discrete random variable X has a discrete uniform
distribution with parameter k, then the mean and the variance of
k
X are:
x i
E(X) i 1
k k

i
( x
i 1
) 2

Var(X) = 2 =
k
Example 5.3:
Find E(X) and Var(X) in Example 5.2.

Solution: k
xi
i 1 1 2 3 4 5 6
E(X) = = 3.5
k 6
k k
( xi ) ( xi 3.5)
2 2
i 1
Var(X) = 2 = i 1
k 6
(1 3.5) 2 (2 3.5) 2 (6 3.5) 2 35

6 12
 5.3 Binomial Distribution:
Bernoulli Trial:
Bernoulli trial is an experiment with only two possible
outcomes.
The two possible outcomes are labeled:
success (s) and failure (f)
The probability of success is P(s)=p and the probability
of failure is P(f)= q = 1p.
Examples:
1. Tossing a coin (success=H, failure=T, and p=P(H))
2. Inspecting an item (success=defective, failure=non-
defective, and p=P(defective))
 Bernoulli Process:
Bernoulli process is an experiment that must satisfy the
following properties:
1. The experiment consists of n repeated Bernoulli trials.
2. The probability of success, P(s)=p, remains constant from
trial to trial.
3. The repeated trials are independent; that is the outcome
of one trial has no effect on the outcome of any other trial

Binomial Random Variable:

Consider the random variable :
X = The number of successes in the n trials in a Bernoulli
process
The random variable X has a binomial distribution with
parameters n (number of trials) and p (probability of success),
and we write:
X ~ Binomial(n,p) or X~b(x;n,p)
The probability distribution of X is given by:
n x n x
p (1 p) ; x 0, 1, 2, , n
f ( x) P( X x) b( x; n, p) x
0 ;
otherwise
We can write the probability distribution of X as a table as
follows.
x f(x)=P(X=x)=b(x;n,p)
n 0
p 1 p n 0 1 p n
0
0
n 1
p 1 p n1
1
1
2 n 2
p 1 p n 2
2

n1 n n 1
p 1 p 1
n 1
n n
p 1 p 0 p n
n
n
Total 1.00
Example:
Suppose that 25% of the products of a manufacturing process
are defective. Three items are selected at random, inspected,
and classified as defective (D) or non-defective (N). Find the
probability distribution of the number of defective items.

Solution:
Experiment: selecting 3 items at random, inspected, and
classified as (D) or (N).
The sample space is
S={DDD,DDN,DND,DNN,NDD,NDN,NND,NNN}
Let X = the number of defective items in the sample
We need to find the probability distribution of X.
(1) First Solution: Outcome Probability X
NNN 3 3 3 27 0

4 4 4 64
NND 3 3 1 9 1

4 4 4 64
NDN 3 1 3 9 1

4 4 4 64
NDD 3 1 1 3 2

4 4 4 64
DNN 1 3 3 9 1

4 4 4 64
DND 1 3 1 3 2

4 4 4 64
DDN 1 1 3 3 2

4 4 4 64
DDD 1 1 1 1 3

4 4 4 64
The probability distribution
.of X is
x f(x)=P(X=x)
0 27
64
1 9 9 9 27

64 64 64 64
2 3 3 3 9

64 64 64 64
3 1
64
(2) Second Solution:
Bernoulli trial is the process of inspecting the item. The results
are success=D or failure=N, with probability of success
P(s)=25/100=1/4=0.25.
The experiments is a Bernoulli process with:
 number of trials: n=3
Probability of success: p=1/4=0.25
X ~ Binomial(n,p)=Binomial(3,1/4)
The probability distribution of X is given by:
3 1 x 3 3 x
1 ( ) ( ) ; x 0, 1, 2, 3
f ( x) P( X x) b( x;3, ) x 4 4
4
0 ; otherwise
1 3 1 0 3 3 27 The probability
f (0) P( X 0) b(0;3, ) ( ) ( ) distribution of X is
4 0 4 4 64
x f(x)=P(X=x)
1 3 1 2 3 1 9
f (2) P( X 2) b(2;3, ) ( ) ( ) =b(x;3,1/4)
4 2 4 4 64 0 27/64
1 3 1 3 3 0 1 1 27/64
f (3) P( X 3) b(3;3, ) ( ) ( ) 2 9/64
4 3 4 4 64
3 1/64
Theorem 5.2:
The mean and the variance of the binomial distribution b(x;n,p)
are:
=np
2 = n p (1 p)
Example:
In the previous example, find the expected value (mean) and
the variance of the number of defective items.

Solution:
X = number of defective items
We need to find E(X)= and Var(X)=2
We found that X ~ Binomial(n,p)=Binomial(3,1/4)
.n=3 and p=1/4
The expected number of defective items is
E(X)= = n p = (3) (1/4) = 3/4 = 0.75
The variance of the number of defective items is
Var(X)=2 = n p (1 p) = (3) (1/4) (3/4) = 9/16 = 0.5625
Example:
In the previous example, find the following probabilities:
(1) The probability of getting at least two defective items.
(2) The probability of getting at most two defective items.

Solution:
X ~ Binomial(3,1/4)
3 1 x 3 3 x
1 ( ) ( ) for x 0, 1, 2, 3
f ( x) P( X x) b( x;3, ) x 4 4
4
0 otherwise

x .f(x)=P(X=x)=b(x;3,1/4)
0 27/64
1 27/64
2 9/64
3 1/64
 (1) The probability of getting at least two defective items:
9 1 10
P(X2)=P(X=2)+P(X=3)= f(2)+f(3)=
64 64 64
(2) The probability of getting at most two defective item:
P(X2) = P(X=0)+P(X=1)+P(X=2)
27 27 9 63
= f(0)+f(1)+f(2) =
64 64 64 64

or 1 63
P(X2)= 1P(X>2) = 1P(X=3) = 1 f(3) = 1
64 64

Example 5.4: Reading assignment

Example 5.5: Reading assignment
Example 5.6: Reading assignment
5.4 Hypergeometric Distribution :

Suppose there is a population with 2 types of elements:

1-st Type = success
2-nd Type = failure
N= population size
K= number of elements of the 1-st type
N K = number of elements of the 2-nd type
 We select a sample of n elements at random from the
population
Let X = number of elements of 1-st type (number of
successes) in the sample
We need to find the probability distribution of X.
There are to two methods of selection:
1. selection with replacement
2. selection without replacement
(1) If we select the elements of the sample at random and
with replacement, then K
X ~ Binomial(n,p); where p
N
(2) Now, suppose we select the elements of the sample at
random and without replacement. When the selection is made
without replacement, the random variable X has a hyper
geometric distribution with parameters N, n, and K. and we write
X~h(x;N,n,K).
 f ( x) P( X x) h( x; N , n, K )
K N K

x n x ; x 0, 1, 2,, n
N

n
0 ; otherwise

Note that the values of X must satisfy:

0xK and 0nx NK

0xK and nN+K x n

Example 5.8: Reading assignment

Example 5.9:
Lots of 40 components each are called acceptable if they
contain no more than 3 defectives. The procedure for sampling
the lot is to select 5 components at random (without
replacement) and to reject the lot if a defective is found. What is
the probability that exactly one defective is found in the sample if
there are 3 defectives in the entire lot.
Solution:
 Let X= number of defectives in the sample
N=40, K=3, and n=5
X has a hypergeometric distribution with parameters N=40,
n=5, and K=3.
X~h(x;N,n,K)=h(x;40,5,3).
The probability distribution of X is given by:
3 37

x 5 x ; x 0, 1, 2,,5
f ( x) P( X x) h( x;40,5,3) 40

5
0 ; otherwise

But the values of X must satisfy:

0xK and nN+K x n 0x3 and 42 x 5
Therefore, the probability distribution of X is given by:
 3 37

x 5 x ; x 0, 1, 2,3
f ( x) P( X x) h( x;40,5,3) 40

5
0 ; otherwise

Now, the probability that exactly one defective is found in the

sample is 3 37 3 37

1 5 1 1 4 0.3011
.f(1)=P(X=1)=h(1;40,5,3)=
40 40

5 5