Random Variable

Definition

Random variable 是將 sample space 中的 outcome 映射到 real line 的函數。

X:S→RX:S\rightarrow\mathbb{R}

也就是把隨機實驗的結果轉成一個可以分析的數值。

Types of Random Variables

  • Discrete Random Variable: possible values 可以一一列舉
  • Continuous Random Variable: possible values 為連續數值

Discrete Random Variables

  • Probability Mass Function (PMF): p(x)=P(X=x)p(x)=P(X=x)

    • ∑xP(X=x)=1\sum_x P(X=x)=1
  • Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF): F(x)=P(X≤x)F(x)=P(X\le x)

    • F(x)=∑a≤xP(X=a)F(x)=\sum_{a\le x}P(X=a)
    • F(x)F(x) 為 non-decreasing function
    • discrete CDF 是階梯狀函數

Expected Value

Expected value 描述 distribution 的 center。

μ=E(X)=∑xxP(X=x)\mu=E(X)=\sum_x xP(X=x)

Variance

Variance 描述 distribution 的 dispersion。

σ2=Var(X)=E[(X−μ)2]\sigma^2=Var(X)=E[(X-\mu)^2]

更常用的計算式:

Var(X)=E(X2)−[E(X)]2=E(X2)−μ2Var(X)=E(X^2)-[E(X)]^2=E(X^2)-\mu^2

Moments

r-th moment: E(Xr)=∑xxrP(X=x)E(X^r)=\sum_x x^rP(X=x)

  • First Moment: E(X)=μE(X)=\mu
  • Second Moment: E(X2)=μ2+σ2E(X^2)=\mu^2+\sigma^2

Expectation of a Function

對函數 g(X):

E[g(X)]=∑xg(x)P(X=x)E[g(X)]=\sum_x g(x)P(X=x)

Properties of Expectation and Variance

若 a,b,ca, b, c 為 constants:

  • Constant: E(c)=c,Var(c)=0E(c)=c,Var(c)=0

  • Linearity of Expectation: E(aX+bY)=aE(X)+bE(Y)E(aX+bY)=aE(X)+bE(Y)

  • Variance under Scaling: Var(aX)=a2Var(X)Var(aX)=a^2Var(X)

  • Adding a Constant: Var(aX+c)=a2Var(X)Var(aX+c)=a^2Var(X)

  • General Variance Formula: Var(aX+bY)=a2Var(X)+2abCov(X,Y)+b2Var(Y)Var(aX+bY)=a^2Var(X)+2abCov(X,Y)+b^2Var(Y)

    • 若 X,YX,Y independent: Cov(X,Y)=0Cov(X,Y)=0
      • Var(aX+bY)=a2Var(X)+b2Var(Y)Var(aX+bY)=a^2Var(X)+b^2Var(Y)

Covariance and Correlation

不考

  • Covariance: Cov(X,Y)=E[(X−μX)(Y−μY)]Cov(X,Y)=E[(X-\mu_X)(Y-\mu_Y)]

  • Correlation coefficient: ρX,Y=Cov(X,Y)Var(X)Var(Y)\rho_{X,Y}=\frac{Cov(X,Y)}{\sqrt{Var(X)Var(Y)}}

  • X,YX, Y independent: Cov(X,Y)=0Cov(X,Y) = 0

Bernoulli Random Variable

Bernoulli trial 只有兩種 outcome: Success/Failure

Y={1,success0,failureY=\begin{cases}1, & \text{success}\\0, & \text{failure}\end{cases}

若 success probability 為 p: Y∼Bernoulli(p)Y\sim Bernoulli(p)

且:

P(Y=1)=pP(Y=1)=p

P(Y=0)=1−pP(Y=0)=1-p

合併寫成:

P(Y=y)=py(1−p)1−y,y=0,1P(Y=y)=p^y(1-p)^{1-y},\quad y=0,1

  • Mean: E(Y)=pE(Y)=p
  • Variance: Var(Y)=p(1−p)Var(Y)=p(1-p)
  • Odds=p1−pOdds=\frac{p}{1-p}

Binomial Random Variable

  1. 固定 trial 次數 n
  2. 每次只有 success / failure
  3. trials independent
  4. 每次 success probability 都相同為 p
  5. X = n 次 trials 中 success 的次數

若符合: X∼Binomial(n,p)X\sim Binomial(n,p)

則: P(X=x)=(nx)px(1−p)n−xP(X=x)=\binom{n}{x}p^x(1-p)^{n-x}

  • E(X)=npE(X)=np
  • Var(X)=np(1−p)Var(X)=np(1-p)
  • Standard deviation: SD(X)=np(1−p)SD(X)=\sqrt{np(1-p)}

記憶方式: Binomial as a Sum of Bernoulli Variables (n 次獨立)