Math4030SAProbabilityandStatistics

Assignment#4
(Due:4:00PM,Thursday,May16,2013)
1. ProvethatforPoissondistribution
f ( x + 1; )

, for x = 0,1, 2,3,...

=
f ( x; )
x +1
2. Use the recursion formula in above question 1 to calculate the probability values of a
Poisson distribution with = 2.5 , for x = 0,1, 2,3, 4,5, 6, 7,8,9 . Draw the probability
histogramofthedistribution.
3. UseTable2tofind
(a) F (4;7) ;
(b) f (4;7) ;
19

(c)

f (k ;8) .
k =6

4. At a checkout counter customers arrive at an average of 1.5 per minute. Find the
probabilitiesthat
(a) Exactly1willarriveinanygivenminute;
(b) Exactly2willarriveinanygivenminute;
(c) Atmost5willarriveinanygivenminute;
(d) Atleast4willarriveduringanyintervalof3minutes;
(e) Atmost10willarriveduringanyintervalof10minutes.
5. In a given city, 5% of all drivers get at least one parking ticket per year. Use the Poisson
approximation to binomial distribution to determine the probability that among 90
randomlychosendrivers:
(a) 4willgetatleastoneparkingticketinanygivenyear;
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(b) Atleast3willgetatleastoneparkingticketinanygivenyear;
(c) Atmost8willgetatleastoneparkingticketinanygivenyear.
6. Inatorturetest,alightswitchisturnedonandoffuntilitfails.Iftheprobabilitythatthe
switchwillfailatanytimewhenitisturnedonoroffis0.0015,whatistheprobabilitythat
theswitchwillsurvive1000turningsofonoroffwithoutfail?(Assumingthattheconditions
forgeometricdistributionaremet.)
7. RandomvariableXisdefinedbelow.Foreachcase,identifythedistributionofX(Binomial,
Hypergeometric, Poisson, Geometric, or Negative Binomial), as well as the values of the
parameters.
(a) Flipabalancedcoin400times,letXbethenumberofheadsobserved.
(b) A class has 12 female students and 42 male students. Randomly select 6 students to
formateam.LetXbethenumberoffemalestudentsontheteam.
(c) A basketball player makes 85% of her free throws. Let X be the number of successful
shotsshewillmakebeforethefirstmiss.
(d) Computer breakdown happens randomly, 1.5 times a week on average. Let X be the
numberofbreakdownshappenedinanygivenday.
(e) Acandidateinvitedforavisithasprobabilityof0.3ofbeinghired.LetXbethenumber
ofcandidateswhohavebeeninvitedforavisitbefore2ofthemarehired.
8. As can easily be shown, the probabilities of getting 0, 1, 2, or 3 heads from tossing 3
balancedcoinsare0.125,0.375,0.375,and0.125.Whatistheprobabilityofgetting2heads
twice,1head3timesin6tossesofthese3coins?
9. Theprobabilitydensityfunctionofarandomvariableisgivenby
kx 2 , 0 < x < 2,
f ( x) =

0, elsewhere.

Find
(a) Theconstant k ;
(b) P (0 < x < 1) ;
(c) P (1 < x < 6) ;
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(d) MeanoftherandomvariableX;
(e) VarianceofthevariableX.
10. If a random variable has the standard normal distribution, find the probability that it will
takeonavalue(s)
(a) Lessthan1.25;
(b) Greaterthan2.5;
(c) Lessthan1.2;
(d) Greaterthan3.1;
(e) Between0and2.3;
(f) Between1.22and2.43;
(g) Between1.45and0.45;
(h) Between1.70and1.35;
11. Findziftheprobabilitythatastandardnormaldistributedrandomvariablewilltakeona
valueis
(a) Lessthanzis0.98;
(b) Greatthanzis0.21;
(c) Greaterthanzis0.5;
(d) Greaterthanzis0.65;
(e) Lessthanzis0.025.
12. Givenarandomvariablehavingthenormaldistributionwith = 15.2 and 2 = 1.56 ,find
theprobabilitiesthatitwilltakeonavalue
(a) Greaterthan15.1;
(b) Lessthan12.5;
(c) Between12.0and17.5;
(d) Between16.5and16.8.
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13. Findthequartilesofthestandardnormaldistribution z0.25 , z0.50 ,and z0.25 .

14. A stamping machine produces can tops whose diameters are normally distributed with a
standarddeviationof0.01inch.Atwhatnormal(mean)diametershouldthemachinebe
setsothatnomorethan5%ofthecantopsproducedhavediametersexceeding3inches?
15. Ifarandomvariablehasthebinomialdistributionwithn=40andp=0.36,usethenormal
approximationtodeterminetheprobabilitiesthatitwilltakeon
(a) Avaluegreaterthan20;
(b) Avaluelessthan15;
(c) Thevalue15.
Note:inthisquestion npisnotlargeenoughtousenormaltoapproximatethebinomial,
butforpracticepurposewewilldoitanyway.