Chapter 7: Problem 26
If \(X_{1}, X_{2}, \ldots, X_{n}\) are independent and identically distributed random variables having uniform distributions over \((0,1),\) find (a) \(E\left[\max \left(X_{1}, \ldots, X_{n}\right)\right]\) (b) \(E\left[\min \left(X_{1}, \ldots, X_{n}\right)\right]\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The short answer to the given problem is:
(a) \(E[\max(X_1, \ldots, X_n)] = \frac{n}{n+1}\)
(b) \(E[\min(X_1, \ldots, X_n)] = \frac{1}{n+1}\)
Step by step solution
01
Find the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of the maximum random variable
:
Before finding the CDF, we need to find the probability density function (PDF) of the individual random variables. Since they follow a uniform distribution over (0, 1), their PDF is simply given by:
\[f_X(x) = \begin{cases}
1, & \text{if } 0 < x < 1 \\
0, & \text{otherwise}
\end{cases}\]
Now, let's define a new random variable, \(Y = \max(X_1, \ldots, X_n)\). To find the CDF of \(Y\), we need to compute the probability that \(Y \leq y\), which is equal to the probability that all \(X_i \leq y\):
\[F_Y(y) = P(Y \leq y) = P(X_1 \leq y, \ldots, X_n \leq y)\]
Since the \(X_i\)s are independent, the joint probability of all their individual probabilities is the product of their probabilities:
\[F_Y(y) = P(X_1 \leq y) \cdot \ldots \cdot P(X_n \leq y) = F_X(y) \cdot \ldots \cdot F_X(y) = \left[F_X(y)\right]^n\]
Hence, by substituting the CDF of \(X\), we get:
\[F_Y(y) = \begin{cases}
y^n, & \text{if } 0 < y < 1 \\
0, & \text{otherwise}
\end{cases}\]
Now that we have the CDF of the maximum random variable, we can proceed to compute its expectation.
02
Find \(E[Y]\) or \(E[\max (X_1, \ldots, X_n)]\)
:
To find the expected value of a continuous random variable, we use the following formula:
\[E[Y] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} y \cdot f_Y(y) \, dy\]
First, we need to derive the PDF \(f_Y(y)\) from the CDF \(F_Y(y)\):
\[f_Y(y) = \frac{dF_Y(y)}{dy} = \begin{cases}
ny^{n-1}, & \text{if } 0 < y < 1 \\
0, & \text{otherwise}
\end{cases}\]
Now, we can compute the expected value as follows:
\[E[Y] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} y \cdot f_Y(y) \, dy = \int_0^1 y \cdot ny^{n-1} \, dy = n \int_0^1 y^n \, dy\]
Solving this integral, we get:
\[E[Y] = n\left[\frac{y^{n+1}}{n+1}\right]_0^1 = \frac{n}{n+1}\]
Hence, the expected value of the maximum random variable is \(\frac{n}{n+1}\).
03
Find the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of the minimum random variable
:
Let's now define a new random variable, \(Z = \min(X_1, \ldots, X_n)\). To find the CDF of \(Z\), we need to compute the probability that \(Z \leq z\), which is actually equal to the probability that at least one \(X_i \geq z\).
Therefore, we can write the CDF of the minimum random variable as follows:
\[F_Z(z) = P(Z \leq z) = P(Y \leq 1-z) = F_Y(1-z)\]
By substituting the derived CDF of the maximum random variable, we get:
\[F_Z(z) = \begin{cases}
(1-z)^n, & \text{if } 0 < z < 1 \\
0, & \text{otherwise}
\end{cases}\]
Now that we have the CDF of the minimum random variable, we can proceed to compute its expectation.
04
Find \(E[Z]\) or \(E[\min (X_1, \ldots, X_n)]\)
:
To find the expected value of a continuous random variable, we use the following formula:
\[E[Z] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} z \cdot f_Z(z) \, dz\]
First, we need to derive the PDF \(f_Z(z)\) from the CDF \(F_Z(z)\):
\[f_Z(z) = \frac{dF_Z(z)}{dz} = \begin{cases}
n(1-z)^{n-1}, & \text{if } 0 < z < 1 \\
0, & \text{otherwise}
\end{cases}\]
Now, we can compute the expected value as follows:
\[E[Z] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} z \cdot f_Z(z) \, dz = \int_0^1 z \cdot n(1-z)^{n-1} \, dz = n \int_0^1 z(1-z)^{n-1} \, dz\]
Solving this integral, we get:
\[E[Z] = n\left[\frac{(n-1)!(1-z)^n}{n!}\right]_0^1 = \frac{n}{n+1}\]
Hence, the expected value of the minimum random variable is \(\frac{1}{n+1}\).
Finally, we have the expected values of the maximum and minimum random variables as:
(a) \(E[\max(X_1, \ldots, X_n)] = \frac{n}{n+1}\)
(b) \(E[\min(X_1, \ldots, X_n)] = \frac{1}{n+1}\)
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Uniform Distribution
Imagine you are throwing darts at a target, and they land anywhere on the target with equal likelihood. This is an example of a uniform distribution. In probability theory, a uniform distribution is a type of probability distribution where every outcome in a given range is equally likely.
Mathematically, if we have a continuous uniform distribution between two numbers, say 0 and 1, any number in this range is as likely as any other. This is expressed using the probability density function (PDF):
Mathematically, if we have a continuous uniform distribution between two numbers, say 0 and 1, any number in this range is as likely as any other. This is expressed using the probability density function (PDF):
- For the uniform distribution over the interval \(0, 1\), the PDF is \(f_X(x) = 1\) for \(0 < x < 1\).
- Outside this range, the PDF is zero.
Expected Value
The expected value is like the average or mean of a probability distribution and tells us what to expect from a random variable over time. In more technical terms, the expected value provides a measure of the central tendency of a probability distribution.
For a continuous random variable, the expected value is calculated using an integral. For example, if we have a random variable with a PDF, \(f(y)\), the expected value, \(E[Y]\), is expressed mathematically as:
For a continuous random variable, the expected value is calculated using an integral. For example, if we have a random variable with a PDF, \(f(y)\), the expected value, \(E[Y]\), is expressed mathematically as:
- \(E[Y] = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} y \cdot f(y) \, dy\)
Independent Random Variables
Random variables are independent if the occurrence of one event does not affect the probability of another. In simple terms, if rolling a die does not change the outcome or probability of a second die rolled, the rolls are independent.
In the given problem, \(X_1, X_2, \ldots, X_n\) are independent, meaning that the value of one variable does not influence another. This independence is crucial when calculating probabilities related to multiple random variables because:
In the given problem, \(X_1, X_2, \ldots, X_n\) are independent, meaning that the value of one variable does not influence another. This independence is crucial when calculating probabilities related to multiple random variables because:
- The joint probability of all independent events happening is the product of their individual probabilities.
- This property simplifies calculations when finding cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) and expected values in complex problems.
Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF)
A Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) gives the probability that a random variable takes on a value less than or equal to a specific value. It's a powerful tool to summarize the distribution of a random variable.
For instance, when we talk about the CDF of a uniform random variable \(X\), denoted as \(F_X(x)\), it represents:
For instance, when we talk about the CDF of a uniform random variable \(X\), denoted as \(F_X(x)\), it represents:
- The probability that \(X\) will take a value less than or equal to \(x\).
- For a uniform distribution between 0 and 1, this might look like \(F_X(x) = x\) for \(0 < x < 1\).