/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 35 If \(Y\) is a continuous random ... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

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If \(Y\) is a continuous random variable such that \(E\left[(Y-a)^{2}\right]<\infty\) for all \(a,\) show that \(E\left[(Y-a)^{2}\right]\) is minimized when \(a=E(Y) .[\) Hint: \(\left.E\left[(Y-a)^{2}\right]=E\left(\\{[Y-E(Y)]+[E(Y)-a]\\}^{2}\right) .\right]\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
The expression is minimized when \(a = E(Y)\).

Step by step solution

01

Express the variance formula

Using the hint, we rewrite the expression for mean squared error: \[ E[(Y-a)^2] = E\left(\{[Y-E(Y)]+[E(Y)-a]\}^{2}\right) \] This expands to: \[ E[(Y-a)^2] = E\left( (Y - E(Y))^2 + 2(Y-E(Y))(E(Y)-a) + (E(Y)-a)^2 \right) \]
02

Simplify using linearity of expectation

Due to the linearity of expectation, we can distribute the expectation operator: \[ E[(Y-a)^2] = E[(Y-E(Y))^2] + 2E\left((Y-E(Y))(E(Y)-a)\right) + E[(E(Y)-a)^2] \] Now we examine each term separately.
03

Evaluate the terms

1. **First term:** \[ E[(Y-E(Y))^2] = \text{Var}(Y) \] which is a constant.2. **Second term:** \[ 2(E(Y)-a)E[(Y-E(Y))] = 2(E(Y)-a)\cdot0 = 0 \] because \(E[Y-E(Y)] = 0\).3. **Third term:** \[ E[(E(Y)-a)^2] = (E(Y)-a)^2 \] as it does not depend on \(Y\) and is treated as a constant.
04

Finalize the expression and find the minimum

Putting it all together:\[ E[(Y-a)^2] = \text{Var}(Y) + 0 + (E(Y)-a)^2 \]Since \(\text{Var}(Y)\) is a constant, the expression is minimized when \( (E(Y)-a)^2 = 0 \), i.e., \( a = E(Y) \).
05

Conclusion

Thus, the value of \(a\) that minimizes \(E[(Y-a)^2]\) is indeed \(a = E(Y)\), as the proof confirms.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Mean Squared Error
Mean squared error (MSE) is a fundamental concept that often shows up in statistics and data analysis. MSE measures how much the values of a variable deviate from a chosen target or expected value, represented by \( a \).
To understand MSE, consider the formula \( E[(Y-a)^2] \). Here, \( Y \) is a continuous random variable, and \( a \) is a constant we are trying to adjust for minimum error. Essentially, MSE is about finding the average of the squared differences between actual values \( Y \) and the constant \( a \).
The squaring part serves two purposes:
  • It transforms all deviations to non-negative values, eliminating issues with negative differences.
  • It places greater emphasis on larger deviations, making it a more sensitive measure of error.
By minimizing the MSE, we aim to choose an \( a \) that makes the actual data as close as possible to the expected value.
Linearity of Expectation
Linearity of expectation is a crucial rule in probability and statistics useful in simplifying complex expectation expressions.
This principle states that the expected value of a sum of random variables is the same as the sum of their individual expected values. Formally, it can be written as: \( E[X + Y] = E[X] + E[Y] \), regardless of whether \( X \) and \( Y \) are independent.
In the solution, linearity of expectation helps break down the expression:
  • \( E[(Y-a)^2] = E[(Y-E(Y))^2] + 2E[(Y-E(Y))(E(Y)-a)] + E[(E(Y)-a)^2] \).
  • Each component can be evaluated separately using this property.
The beauty of linearity is its universal applicability, making it an essential tool for both theoretical analysis and practical problem-solving.
Variance
Variance is another statistical measure, closely related to mean squared error, that quantifies the spread or variability of a set of data points.
The variance of a random variable \( Y \), denoted as \( \text{Var}(Y) \), is calculated using the formula \( E[(Y - E(Y))^2] \). This aligns directly with the first term in our expression \( E[(Y-a)^2] \).
Variance tells us how much the values of \( Y \) are expected to spread around their mean \( E(Y) \). When \( E[(Y-a)^2] \) is rewritten using variance, it highlights that:
  • The portion related to variance \( \text{Var}(Y) \) remains constant because it does not depend on \( a \).
  • The other terms are influenced solely by the choice of \( a \).
Understanding variance's role helps in recognizing that minimizing variance leads to selecting \( a \) as close as possible to the mean.
Minimization Problem
The minimization problem in this context involves determining the value of \( a \) that will minimize \( E[(Y-a)^2] \). This type of problem is central in optimization and statistical estimation tasks.
By setting the derivative of \( E[(Y-a)^2] \) with respect to \( a \) to zero, we identify that the minimum is achieved when \( a = E(Y) \). This is because:
  • The expression \( (E(Y)-a)^2 \) achieves its lowest value, zero, when \( a = E(Y) \).
  • Consequently, \( E[(Y-a)^2] = \text{Var}(Y) + (E(Y)-a)^2 \) is minimized.
Minimization ensures the expected differences between \( Y \) and \( a \) are as small as possible, optimizing the representation of \( Y \) with respect to \( a \). This strategy is vital for effective data modeling and accurate risk assessment.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A random variable \(Y\) is said to have a log-normal distribution if \(X=\ln (Y)\) has a normal distribution. (The symbol In denotes natural logarithm.) In this case \(Y\) must be non negative. The shape of the log-normal probability density function is similar to that of the gamma distribution, with a long tail to the right. The equation of the log-normal density function is given by $$ f(y)=\left\\{\begin{array}{ll} \left.\frac{1}{\sigma y \sqrt{2 \pi}} e^{-(\ln (y)-\mu)^{2} / 2 \sigma^{2}}\right), & y>0 \\ 0, & \text { elsewhere } \end{array}\right. $$ Because \(\ln (y)\) is a monotonic function of \(y\) $$ P(Y \leq y)=P[\ln (Y) \leq \ln (y)]=P[X \leq \ln (y)] $$ where \(X\) has a normal distribution with mean \(\mu\) and variance \(\sigma^{2} .\) Thus, probabilities for random variables with a log-normal distribution can be found by transforming them into probabilities that can be computed using the ordinary normal distribution. If \(Y\) has a log-normal distribution with \(\mu=4\) and \(\sigma^{2}=1,\) find a. \(P(Y \leq 4)\) b. \(P(Y>8)\)

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