Chapter 7: Problem 24
Let \(X\) be a standard normal random variable. Find the m.g.f. and density of \(X^{2}\).
Short Answer
Expert verified
The m.g.f. of \(X^2\) is \((1 - 2t)^{-1/2}\); its pdf is \(f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi x}} e^{-x/2}\).
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Problem
We need to find the moment generating function (m.g.f.) and the probability density function (pdf) of the random variable \(X^2\), where \(X\) is a standard normal random variable with mean 0 and variance 1.
02
Identify the Distribution of \(X^2\)
Since \(X\) is a standard normal random variable, \(X^2\) follows a Chi-squared distribution with 1 degree of freedom, denoted as \(\chi^2_1\).
03
Find the Moment Generating Function of \(X^2\)
The m.g.f. of a \(\chi^2_k\) distribution is \((1 - 2t)^{-k/2}\) for \(t < 1/2\). Here \(k = 1\), so the m.g.f. of \(X^2\) is \((1 - 2t)^{-1/2}\).
04
Find the Probability Density Function of \(X^2\)
The pdf of a \(\chi^2_1\) distribution is \(f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi x}} e^{-x/2}\) for \(x > 0\). This is derived from the density function of \(X\), which is normal.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Understanding Moment Generating Function (MGF)
A moment generating function, or m.g.f., is a crucial concept in probability theory. It is a tool used for summarizing the probability distribution of a random variable.
The m.g.f. provides a way to understand all moments (such as mean, variance, skewness, etc.) of a distribution.
Let's break it down further to make it simple.
The m.g.f. provides a way to understand all moments (such as mean, variance, skewness, etc.) of a distribution.
Let's break it down further to make it simple.
- The m.g.f. of a random variable X is defined as \( M_X(t) = E[e^{tX}] \), where \( E \) denotes the expected value.
- The function is called "moment generating" because its derivatives, evaluated at \( t = 0 \), give us the moments of the distribution.
- For a positive integer \( n \), the \( n^{th} \) moment is found by taking the \( n^{th} \) derivative of the m.g.f., then evaluating it at \( t = 0 \).
Exploring the Probability Density Function (PDF)
The probability density function, or pdf, is another fundamental concept in probability. It defines how the probabilities are distributed over the values of a random variable.
Understanding the pdf is key in evaluating the likelihood of different outcomes.
Understanding the pdf is key in evaluating the likelihood of different outcomes.
- The pdf gives us the probability that a continuous random variable falls within a particular range of values. It is denoted as \( f(x) \).
- For any value \( x \), \( f(x) \) should be non-negative, and the area under the pdf curve over all possible values equals 1.
- The pdf for a \( \chi^2_1 \) distribution is given by \( f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi x}} e^{-x/2} \) for \( x > 0 \). This tells us how values of \( X^2 \) are distributed when \( X \) is a standard normal variable.
Grasping the Standard Normal Distribution
The standard normal distribution is a special type of normal distribution, and it plays a fundamental role in statistics.
This distribution is characterized by a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1.
This distribution is characterized by a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1.
- It is symmetric around the mean, which in this case is zero. This symmetry implies that data near the mean are more frequent in occurrence than data far from the mean.
- The standard normal distribution uses a bell curve, which is described mathematically by the equation \( f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}} e^{-x^2/2} \).
- Within this context, any normal random variable can be transformed into a standard normal random variable \( Z \) using the transformation \( Z = \frac{X - \mu}{\sigma} \), where \( \mu \) is the mean and \( \sigma \) is the standard deviation of the original variable.