Exercise 6D

1 a By symmetry E( X ) = 1
Alternatively, use E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
E( X ) = 15 (1  0  1  2  3) = 15  5 = 1

b E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x)
E( X 2 ) = 15 (1  0  1  4  9) = 15 15 = 3
Var ( X ) = E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2
= 3 12 = 2

2 a E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
= 1 13  2  12  3  16
= 13  1  21 = 116 = 1.833 (3 d.p.)
E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x )
= 1 13  4  12  9  16
= 13  2  23 = 23
6

Var ( X ) = E( X 2 )  ( E( X )) 2
2
= 23
6   116  = 138 121 17
36  36 = 36 = 0.472 (3 d.p.)

b E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
= 1 14  0  12  1 41 = 0 (or derive answer by symmetry)
E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x)
= 1 14  0  12  1 14 = 12 = 0.5
Var( X ) = E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2 = 0.5  02 = 0.5

c E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
= (2)  13  (1)  13  1 61  2  61
= 1  12 =  12 = 0.5
E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x)
= 4  13  1 13  1 16  4  16
= 53  56 = 156 = 2.5
Var( X ) = E( X 2 )  (E( X ))2 = 2.5  (0.5)2 = 2.5  0.25 = 2.25

3 The probability distribution for Y is:

y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
P(Y = y) 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

E(Y ) = 18 (1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8) = 18  36 = 4.5
E(Y 2 ) = 18 (1  4  9  16  25  36  49  64) = 18  204 = 25.5
Var(Y ) = E(Y 2 )  (E(Y ))2 = 25.5  (4.5)2 = 25.5  20.25 = 5.25

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4 a This sample space diagram shows the 36 possible outcomes:

+ 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Use the table to construct the probability distribution of S:

s 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
P(S = s) 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

b E (S ) = 361 (2 1  3  2  4  3  5  4  6  5  7  6  8  5  9  4  10  3  11 2  12 1)

= 361 (2  6  12  20  30  42  40  36  30  22  12)
= 252
36 = 7
The answer can also be derived by symmetry.

c E( S 2 ) = 361 (4  9  2  16  3  25  4  36  5  49  6  64  5  81 4  100  3  121 3  144)

= 361 (4  18  48  100  180  294  320  324  300  242  144)
= 1974
36 = 54.833 (3 d.p.)

Var ( S ) = E(S 2 )  (E( S )) 2

= 1974
36
 (7) 2 = 1974
36
 49 = 1974361764
210
= 36 = 5.833 (3 d.p.)

d Standard deviation = 5.8333 = 2.415 (3 d.p.)

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5 a This sample space diagram shows the 16 possible outcomes:

Difference
between 1 2 3 4
scores
1 0 1 2 3
2 1 0 1 2
3 2 1 0 1
4 3 2 1 0

Use the table to construct the probability distribution of D:

d 0 1 2 3
4 6 4 2
P(D = d) 16 16 16 16

Simplify the probabilities:

d 0 1 2 3
1 3 1 1
P(D = d) 4 8 4 8

b E( D) = 0  14  1 38  2  14  3  81 = 108 = 54 = 1.25

c E( D 2 ) = 0  14  1 83  4  41  9  81 = 20
8
= 25 = 2.5
Var ( D) = E(D 2 )  (E( D))2
= 2.5  (1.25)2 = 2.5  1.5625 = 0.9375
Alternatively, in fractional form
2
Var ( D ) = 52   54  = 52  16
25 40
= 16 25
 16 15
= 16

6 a P(heads on first spin) = 12  P(T = 1) = 12

P(tails on first spin, heads on second spin) = 12  12  P(T = 2) = 1
4

P(T = 3) = 1   P(T = 1)  P(T = 2)  = 1   12  14  = 1

4

Alternatively note that

P(T = 3) = P (heads, heads, tails)  P (heads, heads, heads)
= 12  12  21  21  21  12 = 81  81 = 1
4

b E(T ) = 1 12  2  14  3  14 = 74 = 1.75

E(T 2 ) = 1 12  4  14  9  14 = 154 = 3.75

2
Var(T ) = 154   74  = 16
60 49
 16 11
= 16 = 0.6875

7 a E( X ) = å xP( X = x) = a  2b  3a = 4a  2b

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7 b å p( x ) = 1, so 2a  b = 1 (1)
As E( X ) = 4a  2b = 2(2a  b)
 E( X ) = 2

E( X 2 ) = a  4b  9a = 10a  4b

Var( X ) = E( X 2 )  ( E( X ))2
= 10a  4b  2 2 = 10a  4b  4

As Var(X) = 0.75, this gives

10a  4b = 4.75 ( 2)

Multiply equation (1) by 4 to give

8a  4 b = 4 ( 3)

Subtract (3) from (2)

2a = 4.75  4 = 0.75  a = 0.375

Substitute value of a in (1)

0.75  b = 1  b = 0.25

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