Thursday, 19 July 2018

probability - How to find the cumulative distribution function and the expected value of a random variable.




I've seen a lot of questions about cumulative distribution function (CDF) when you already have the PDF, but I was wondering how you find it when you're not given the PDF?



E.g., Let X:([0,1],B([0,1])R be a random variable, and let P=λ, where λ is the lebesgue measure (λ([a,b])=ba.



X is defined by:
X(ω)={2ω, if ω[0,1/2)1, if ω[1/2,1]

By eye, I think the CDF is given by
FX(x)={0,if x<012x, if x[0,1)1, if x1



However, I don't know any standard technique to find it and I was hoping someone could point me to a source which explains how to find this.




Once I have the CDF, I want to use this to find E[X]. I know E[X]=[0,1]X(ω)dP(ω)=RxdFX(x).



Clearly,
dFX(x)={1/2dx, if x[0,1)0dx, otherwise



So using the above formula, I would get:

E[X]=RxdFX(x)=10x12dx=1/4



But this seems wrong, because isn't this the expectation value we'd get if X was uniformuly distributed between 0 and 1/2, and didn't include the extra part between 1/2 and 1?



Please let me know if I've misunderstood how to calculate CDFs or expected values, and if possible give me a constructive way to find them in general situations.
Thanks!


Answer



X(ω)=2ω1ω[0;1/2)+1ω[1/2;1)



P{ω:X(ω)x} =λ[0;x/2)1x[0;1)+1x[1;)={0:x<0x/2:x[0;1)1:x[1;)




Either include the point mass from the step discontinuity



E(X)=10xx2/2xdx+1/2=3/4



Or use the alternative definition:



E(X)=10P(X>x)dx=10(1x/2)dx=[xx2/4]x=1x=0=3/4


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