Random Variables
A random variable, usually written X, is a variable whose possible values are
numerical outcomes of a random phenomenon. There are two types of random
variables, discrete and continuous.
Discrete Random Variables
A discrete random variable is one which may take on only a countable number of
distinct values such as 0,1,2,3,4,........ Discrete random variables are usually (but not
necessarily) counts. If a random variable can take only a finite number of distinct
values, then it must be discrete. Examples of discrete random variables include the
number of children in a family, the Friday night attendance at a cinema, the number of
patients in a doctor's surgery, the number of defective light bulbs in a box of ten.
The probability distribution of a discrete random variable is a list of probabilities
associated with each of its possible values. It is also sometimes called the probability
function or the probability mass function.
(Definitions taken from Valerie J. Easton and John H. McColl's Statistics Glossary
v1.1)
Suppose a random variable X may take k different values, with the probability that X
= xi defined to be P(X = xi) = pi. The probabilities pi must satisfy the following:
1: 0 < pi < 1 for each i
2: p1 + p2 + ... + pk = 1.
Suppose a variable X can take the values 1, 2, 3, or 4.
The probabilities associated with each outcome are described by the following table:
Outcome 1 2 3 4
Probability 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.2
The probability that X is equal to 2 or 3 is the sum of the two probabilities: P(X = 2 or
X = 3) = P(X = 2) + P(X = 3) = 0.3 + 0.4 = 0.7. Similarly, the probability that X is
greater than 1 is equal to 1 - P(X = 1) = 1 - 0.1 = 0.9, by the complement rule.
This distribution may also be described by the probability histogram shown to the
right:
he cumulative distribution function for the above probability distribution is calculated
as follows:
The probability that X is less than or equal to 1 is 0.1,
the probability that X is less than or equal to 2 is 0.1+0.3 = 0.4,
the probability that X is less than or equal to 3 is 0.1+0.3+0.4 = 0.8, and
the probability that X is less than or equal to 4 is 0.1+0.3+0.4+0.2 = 1.
The probability histogram for the cumulative distribution of this random variable is
shown to the right:
Continuous Random Variables
A continuous random variable is one which takes an infinite number of possible
values. Continuous random variables are usually measurements. Examples include
height, weight, the amount of sugar in an orange, the time required to run a mile.
(Definition taken from Valerie J. Easton and John H. McColl's Statistics Glossary
v1.1)
A continuous random variable is not defined at specific values. Instead, it is defined
over an interval of values, and is represented by the area under a curve (in advanced
mathematics, this is known as an integral). The probability of observing any single
value is equal to 0, since the number of values which may be assumed by the random
variable is infinite.
Suppose a random variable X may take all values over an interval of real numbers.
Then the probability that X is in the set of outcomes A, P(A), is defined to be the area
above A and under a curve. The curve, which represents a function p(x), must satisfy
the following:
1: The curve has no negative values (p(x) > 0 for all x)
2: The total area under the curve is equal to 1.
A curve meeting these requirements is known as a density curve.
