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Discrete Probability Distribution. Probability Distribution of a Random Variable: Is a table, graph, or mathematical expression that specifies all possible values (outcomes) of a random variable along with their respective probabilities. Random Variables.
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Discrete Probability Distribution • Probability Distribution of a Random Variable: Is a table, graph, or mathematical expression that specifies all possible values (outcomes) of a random variable along with their respective probabilities. Random Variables Probability Distribution of a Discrete Random Variable Probability Distribution of a Continuous Random Variable Ch.6 Ch.5
A discrete probability distribution applied to countable values (That is to a random variables resulting from counting, not measuring) • Example: Using the records for past 500 working days, a manager of auto dealership summarized the number of cars sold per day and the frequency of each number sold. • Questions: • What is the average number of cars sold per day? • What is the dispersion of the number of cars sold per day? • What is the probability of selling less than 4 cars per day? • What is the probability of selling exactly 4 cares per day? • What is the probability of selling more than 4 cars per day? • To answer these questions, we need the mean and the standard deviation of the distribution.
Expected Value (or mean) of a discrete distribution (Weighted Average) • Variance of a discrete random variable • Standard Deviation of a discrete random variable where: E(X) = Expected value of the discrete random variable X=Mean Xi = the ith outcome of the variable X P(Xi) = Probability of the Xi occurrence
NOTE: The usefulness of the Table • P(X < 4) = P(X = 0) + P(X = 1) + P(X = 2) + P(X = 3) = (0.08 + 0.2 + 0.284 + 0.132) = 0.696 • P(X 4) = P(X < 4) + P(X = 4) = 0.696 + 0.072 = 0.768 • P(X 4) = 1 – P(X < 4) = 1 – 0.696 = 0.304 • P(X = 4) = 0.072 • P(X > 4) = 1 – P(X 4) = 1 – 0.768 = 0.232 • Go to handout example
Binomial Probability Distribution(a special discrete distribution) • Characteristics • A fixed number of identical observations, n. Each observation is drawn from: • Infinite population without replacement or • Finite population with replacement • Two mutually exclusive (?) and collectively exhaustive (?) categories • Generally called “success” and “failure” • Probability of success is p, probability of failure is (1 – p) • Constant probability for each outcome from one observation to observation over all observations. • Observations are independent from each other • The outcome of one observation does not affect the outcome of the other
Binomial Distribution has many application in business Examples: • A firm bidding for contracts will either get a contract or not • A manufacturing plant labels items as either defective or acceptable • A marketing research firm receives survey responses of “yes I will buy” or “no I will not” • New job applicants either accept the offer or reject it • An account is either delinquent or not • Example: Suppose 4 credit card accounts are examined for over the limit charges. Overall probability of over the limit charges is known to be 10 percent (one out of every 10 accounts).
Let, p = probability of “success” in one trial or observation n = sample size (number of trials or observations) X = number of ‘successes’ in sample, (X = 0, 1, 2, ..., n) P(X) = probability of X successes in n trials, with probability of success p on each trial Then, 1. P(X success in a particular sequence (or order) = 2. Number of possible sequences (or orders) Where n! =n(n - 1)(n - 2) . . . (2)(1) X! = X(X - 1)(X - 2) . . . (2)(1) 0! = 1 (by definition) 3. P(X success regardless of the sequence or order)
Back to our example: • What is the probability of 3 account being over the limit with the following order? OL,OL,Not OL, and OL. 2. How many sequences (order) of 3 over the limit are possible? • What is the probability of 3 accounts being over the limit in all possible orders? (all Possible sequences) Solutions: Calculate 1, 2, and 3.
Characteristics of a Binomial Distribution • For each pair of n and p a particular probability distribution can be generated. • The shape of the distribution depends on the values of p and n. • If p=0.5, the distribution is perfectly symmetrical • If p< 0.5, the distribution is right skewed • If p>0.5, the distribution is left skewed • The closer p to 0.5 and the larger the sample size, n, less skewed the distribution • The mean of the distribution = • The standard deviation = • Or you can download the binomial table on the text- book’s companion Web site. (You need to learn how to use this table for the test). • http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/9431/9657451/Ch_05/levine-smume6_topic_BINO.pdf