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What is the difference between the probability distribution of a discrete random variable and that of a continuous random variable? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The difference between the probability distribution of a discrete and a continuous random variable is that a discrete random variable is represented by a probability mass function (PMF), which assigns probabilities to exact values, while a continuous random variable is represented by a probability density function (PDF), where probabilities are assigned over an interval of values.

Step by step solution

01

- Understand Discrete Random Variable

A discrete random variable is one which may take on only a countable number of distinct values such as 0,1,2,3,4,... etc. It can be visualized on a graph where the X-axis represents the outcomes and the Y-axis represents the probability of the outcomes. A discrete probability distribution can be represented in a probability mass function (PMF). The PMF is a function that gives the probability that a discrete random variable is exactly equal to some value.
02

- Understand Continuous Random Variable

A continuous random variable is one which takes an infinite number of possible values. It's a random variable with a set of possible values, known as the range, that is infinite and uncountable. A continuous random variable is not defined at specific values. Instead, it is defined over an interval of values, and is represented by the area under a curve (the integral). A continuous probability distribution can be described by a probability density function (PDF).
03

- Differentiate Between Discrete and Continuous Random Variables

The main difference between these two kinds of random variables lies in the set of possible outcomes. While a discrete random variable can have a countable number of outcomes, a continuous random variable has an uncountable number of outcomes. Furthermore, the probability distribution of a discrete random variable is represented by a PMF, which assigns probabilities to exact values, while the probability distribution of a continuous random variable is represented by a PDF, where probabilities are assigned over an interval of values.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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