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MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

MATH 403

Engineering
Data
Analysis

CABACES, DONNALYN C.
MARCAIDA, MARJORIE G.
SOTTO, RODOLFO JR. C.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 1
OBTAINING DATA

Introduction

Statistics may be defined as the science that deals with the collection,

organization, presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data in order be able to draw

judgments or conclusions that help in the decision-making process. The two parts of this

definition correspond to the two main divisions of Statistics. These are Descriptive

Statistics and Inferential Statistics. Descriptive Statistics, which is referred to in the first

part of the definition, deals with the procedures that organize, summarize and describe

quantitative data. It seeks merely to describe data. Inferential Statistics, implied in the

second part of the definition, deals with making a judgment or a conclusion about a

population based on the findings from a sample that is taken from the population.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the different methods of obtaining data.

2. Explain the procedures in planning and conducting surveys and experiments.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Statistical Terms

Before proceeding to the discussion of the different methods of obtaining data, let

us have first definition of some statistical terms:

Population or Universe refers to the totality of objects, persons, places, things used in

a particular study. All members of a particular group of objects (items) or people

(individual), etc. which are subjects or respondents of a study.

Sample is any subset of population or few members of a population.

Data are facts, figures and information collected on some characteristics of a population

or sample. These can be classified as qualitative or quantitative data.

Ungrouped (or raw) data are data which are not organized in any specific way. They are

simply the collection of data as they are gathered.

Grouped Data are raw data organized into groups or categories with corresponding

frequencies. Organized in this manner, the data is referred to as frequency distribution.

Parameter is the descriptive measure of a characteristic of a population

Statistic is a measure of a characteristic of sample

Constant is a characteristic or property of a population or sample which is common to all

members of the group.

Variable is a measure or characteristic or property of a population or sample that may

have a number of different values. It differentiates a particular member from the rest of

the group. It is the characteristic or property that is measured, controlled, or manipulated

in research. They differ in many respects, most notably in the role they are given in the

research and in the type of measures that can be applied to them.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

1.1 Methods of Data Collection

Collection of the data is the first step in conducting statistical inquiry. It simply refers

to the data gathering, a systematic method of collecting and measuring data from different

sources of information in order to provide answers to relevant questions. This involves

acquiring information published literature, surveys through questionnaires or interviews,

experimentations, documents and records, tests or examinations and other forms of data

gathering instruments. The person who conducts the inquiry is an investigator, the one

who helps in collecting information is an enumerator and information is collected from a

respondent. Data can be primary or secondary. According to Wessel, “Data collected in

the process of investigation are known as primary data.” These are collected for the

investigator’s use from the primary source. Secondary data, on the other hand, is

collected by some other organization for their own use but the investigator also gets it for

his use. According to M.M. Blair, “Secondary data are those already in existence for

some other purpose than answering the question in hand.”

In the field of engineering, the three basic methods of collecting data are through

retrospective study, observational study and through a designed experiment. A

retrospective study would use the population or sample of the historical data which had

been archived over some period of time. It may involve a significant amount of data but

those data may contain relatively little useful information about the problem, some of the

relevant data may be missing, recording errors or transcription may be present, or those

other important data may not have been gathered and archived. These result in statistical

analysis of historical data which identifies interesting phenomena but difficulty of obtaining

solid and reliable explanations is encountered.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

In an observational study, however, process or population is observed and

disturbed as little as possible, and the quantities of interests are recorded. In a designed

experiment, deliberate or purposeful changes in the controllable variables of the system

or process is done. The resulting system output data must be observed, and an inference

or decision about which variables are responsible for the observed changes in output

performance is made. Experiments designed with basic principles such as randomization

are needed to establish cause-and-effect relationships. Much of what we know in the

engineering and physical-chemical sciences is developed through testing or

experimentation. In engineering, there are problem areas with no scientific or engineering

theory that are directly or completely applicable, so experimentation and observation of

the resulting data is the only way to solve them. There are times there is a good underlying

scientific theory to explain the phenomena of interest. Tests or experiments are almost

always necessary to be conducted to confirm the applicability and validity of the theory in

a specific situation or environment. Designed experiments are very important in

engineering design and development and in the improvement of manufacturing processes

in which statistical thinking and statistical methods play an important role in planning,

conducting, and analyzing the data. (Montgomery, et al., 2018)

1.2 Planning and Conducting Surveys

A survey is a method of asking respondents some well-constructed questions. It is

an efficient way of collecting information and easy to administer wherein a wide variety of

information can be collected. The researcher can be focused and can stick to the

questions that interest him and are necessary in his statistical inquiry or study.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

However surveys depend on the respondents honesty, motivation, memory and

his ability to respond. Sometimes answers may lead to vague data. Surveys can be done

through face-to-face interviews or self-administered through the use of questionnaires.

The advantages of face-to-face interviews include fewer misunderstood questions, fewer

incomplete responses, higher response rates, and greater control over the environment

in which the survey is administered; also, the researcher can collect additional information

if any of the respondents’ answers need clarifying. The disadvantages of face-to-face

interviews are that they can be expensive and time-consuming and may require a large

staff of trained interviewers. In addition, the response can be biased by the appearance

or attitude of the interviewer.

Self-administered surveys are less expensive than interviews. It can be

administered in large numbers and does not require many interviewers and there is less

pressure on respondents. However, in self-administered surveys, the respondents are

more likely to stop participating mid-way through the survey and respondents cannot ask

to clarify their answers. There are lower response rates than in personal interviews.

When designing a survey, the following steps are useful:

1. Determine the objectives of your survey: What questions do you want to answer?

2. Identify the target population sample: Whom will you interview? Who will be the

respondents? What sampling method will you use?

3. Choose an interviewing method: face-to-face interview, phone interview, self-

administered paper survey, or internet survey.

4. Decide what questions you will ask in what order, and how to phrase them.

5. Conduct the interview and collect the information.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

6. Analyze the results by making graphs and drawing conclusions.

In choosing the respondents, sampling techniques are necessary. Sampling is the

process of selecting units (e.g., people, organizations) from a population of interest.

Sample must be a representative of the target population. The target population is the

entire group a researcher is interested in; the group about which the researcher wishes

to draw conclusions.

There are two ways of selecting a sample. These are the non-probability sampling

and the probability sampling.

Non-Probability Sampling

Non-probability sampling is also called judgment or subjective sampling. This

method is convenient and economical but the inferences made based on the findings are

not so reliable. The most common types of non-probability sampling are the convenience

sampling, purposive sampling and quota sampling.

In convenience sampling, the researcher use a device in obtaining the information

from the respondents which favors the researcher but can cause bias to the respondents.

In purposive sampling, the selection of respondents is predetermined according to

the characteristic of interest made by the researcher. Randomization is absent in this type

of sampling.

There are two types of quota sampling: proportional and non proportional. In

proportional quota sampling the major characteristics of the population by sampling a

proportional amount of each is represented.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

For instance, if you know the population has 40% women and 60% men, and that

you want a total sample size of 100, you will continue sampling until you get those

percentages and then you will stop.

Non-proportional quota sampling is a bit less restrictive. In this method, a minimum

number of sampled units in each category is specified and not concerned with having

numbers that match the proportions in the population.

Probability Sampling

In probability sampling, every member of the population is given an equal chance

to be selected as a part of the sample. There are several probability techniques. Among

these are simple random sampling, stratified sampling and cluster sampling.

Simple Random Sampling

Simple random sampling is the basic sampling technique where a group of

subjects (a sample) is selected for study from a larger group (a population). Each

individual is chosen entirely by chance and each member of the population has an equal

chance of being included in the sample. Every possible sample of a given size has the

same chance of selection; i.e. each member of the population is equally likely to be

chosen at any stage in the sampling process.

Stratified Sampling

There may often be factors which divide up the population into sub-populations

(groups / strata) and the measurement of interest may vary among the different sub-

populations. This has to be accounted for when a sample from the population is selected
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

in order to obtain a sample that is representative of the population. This is achieved by

stratified sampling.

A stratified sample is obtained by taking samples from each stratum or sub-group

of a population. When a sample is to be taken from a population with several strata, the

proportion of each stratum in the sample should be the same as in the population.

Stratified sampling techniques are generally used when the population is

heterogeneous, or dissimilar, where certain homogeneous, or similar, sub-populations

can be isolated (strata). Simple random sampling is most appropriate when the entire

population from which the sample is taken is homogeneous. Some reasons for using

stratified sampling over simple random sampling are:

1. the cost per observation in the survey may be reduced;

2. estimates of the population parameters may be wanted for each subpopulation;

3. increased accuracy at given cost.

Cluster Sampling

Cluster sampling is a sampling technique where the entire population is divided

into groups, or clusters, and a random sample of these clusters are selected. All

observations in the selected clusters are included in the sample.

1.3 Planning and Conducting Experiments: Introduction to Design of Experiments

The products and processes in the engineering and scientific disciplines are mostly

derived from experimentation. An experiment is a series of tests conducted in a

systematic manner to increase the understanding of an existing process or to explore a

new product or process. Design of Experiments, or DOE, is a tool to develop an


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

experimentation strategy that maximizes learning using minimum resources. Design of

Experiments is widely and extensively used by engineers and scientists in improving

existing process through maximizing the yield and decreasing the variability or in

developing new products and processes. It is a technique needed to identify the "vital

few" factors in the most efficient manner and then directs the process to its best setting

to meet the ever-increasing demand for improved quality and increased productivity.

The methodology of DOE ensures that all factors and their interactions are

systematically investigated resulting to reliable and complete information. There are five

stages to be carried out for the design of experiments. These are planning, screening,

optimization, robustness testing and verification.

1. Planning

It is important to carefully plan for the course of experimentation before embarking

upon the process of testing and data collection. At this stage, identification of the

objectives of conducting the experiment or investigation, assessment of time and

available resources to achieve the objectives. Individuals from different disciplines related

to the product or process should compose a team who will conduct the investigation. They

are to identify possible factors to investigate and the most appropriate responses to

measure. A team approach promotes synergy that gives a richer set of factors to study

and thus a more complete experiment. Experiments which are carefully planned always

lead to increased understanding of the product or process. Well planned experiments are

easy to execute and analyze using the available statistical software.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

2. Screening

Screening experiments are used to identify the important factors that affect the

process under investigation out of the large pool of potential factors. Screening process

eliminates unimportant factors and attention is focused on the key factors. Screening

experiments are usually efficient designs which require few executions and focus on the

vital factors and not on interactions.

3. Optimization

After narrowing down the important factors affecting the process, then determine

the best setting of these factors to achieve the objectives of the investigation. The

objectives may be to either increase yield or decrease variability or to find settings that

achieve both at the same time depending on the product or process under investigation.

4. Robustness Testing

Once the optimal settings of the factors have been determined, it is important to make the

product or process insensitive to variations resulting from changes in factors that affect

the process but are beyond the control of the analyst. Such factors are referred to as

noise or uncontrollable factors that are likely to be experienced in the application

environment. It is important to identify such sources of variation and take measures to

ensure that the product or process is made robust or insensitive to these factors.

5. Verification

This final stage involves validation of the optimum settings by conducting a few follow-

up experimental runs. This is to confirm that the process functions as expected and all

objectives are achieved.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

REFERENCES:

Montgomery, Douglas C.,et al., Applied Statistics and Probabiliy for Engineers, 7th ed., John
Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2018

Panopio, Felix M. (2004). Statistics with Probability. Batangas City, Philippines: Feliber
Publishing House

Rawley, Eve. Planning and Conducting Surveys. https://www.ck12.org/statistics/planning-and-


conducting-surveys/lesson/Planning-and-Conducting-Surveys-ALG-I/ Date accessed: July 27,
2020

Walpole, Ronald E., et al., Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, 9th ed.,
Pearson Education Inc., 2016

Introduction to Design of Experiments.


https://www.weibull.com/hotwire/issue84/hottopics84.htm. Date Accessed: April 15, 2020

https://mathspace.co/learn/world-of-maths/language-and-use-of-statistics/planning-a-statistical-
investigation-i-investigation-18643/investigation-statistical-inquiry-916/
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Answer the following.

1. Explain the different methods how you can obtain data.

2. As one of the students of EDA class, you are tasked to conduct a survey to show

which extracurricular activities the students from the College of Engineering,

Architecture and Fime Arts would like to engage in during the first semester. Follow

the presented steps in conducting a survey.

3. You are asked to conduct an experiment in a catapult shown in the figure. It ia a

table-top wooden device used in teaching design of experiments and statistical

process control. The objective of the experiment is to determine the significant

factors that affect the distrance travelled by the ball at it is thrown by the catapult.

Also, you are to establish the settings to reach 25, 50, 75 and 100 inches. The

response variable is the distance and the factors are the band height, start angle,

number of rubber bands used ( 1 or 2), arm length, and the stop angle. Explain

how are you going to conduct the experiment taking note of the stages of planning

and conducting design of expermients.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 2
PROBABILITY

Introduction

Probability is simply how likely an event is to happen. “The chance of rain today is

50%” is a statement that enumerates our thoughts on the possibility of rain. The likelihood

of an outcome is measured by assigning a number from the interval [0, 1] or as

percentage from 0 to 100%. The higher the number means the event is more likely to

happen than the lower number. A zero (0) probability indicates that the outcome is

impossible to happen while a probability of one (1) indicates that the outcome will occur

inevitably.

This module intends to discuss the concept of probability for discrete sample

spaces, its application, and ways of solving the probabilities of different statistical data.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Understand and describe sample spaces and events for random experiments

2. Explain the concept of probability and its application to different situations

3. Define and illustrate the different probability rules

4. Solve for the probability of different statistical data.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Probability

Probability is the likelihood or chance of an event occurring.

𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠


𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠

For example, the probability of flipping a coin and it being heads is ½, because

there is 1 way of getting a head and the total number of possible outcomes is 2 (a head

or tail). We write P(heads) = ½ .

 The probability of something which is certain to happen is 1.

 The probability of something which is impossible to happen is 0.

 The probability of something not happening is 1 minus the probability that it will

happen.

Experiment – is used to describe any process that generates a set of data

Event – consists of a set of possible outcomes of a probability experiment. Can be one

outcome or more than one outcome.

Simple event – an event with one outcome.

Compound event – an event with more than one outcome.

2.1 Sample Space and Relationships among Events

Sample space is the set of all possible outcomes or results of a random experiment.

Sample space is represented by letter S. Each outcome in the sample space is called an

element of that set. An event is the subset of this sample space and it is represented by
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

letter E. This can be illustrated in a Venn Diagram. In Figure 2.1, the sample space is

represented by the rectangle and the events by the circles inside the rectangle.

The events A and B (in a to c) and A, B and C (in d and e) are all subsets of the

sample space S.

Figure 2.1 Venn diagrams of sample space with events (adapted from Montgomery et

al., 2003)

For example if a dice is rolled we have {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6} as sample space. The event

can be {1, 3, and 5} which means set of odd numbers. Similarly, when a coin is tossed

twice the sample space is {HH, HT, TH, and TT}.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Difference between Sample Space and Events

As discussed in the beginning sample space is set of all possible outcomes of an

experiment and event is the subset of sample space. Let us try to understand this with

few examples. What happens when we toss a coin thrice? If a coin is tossed three times

we get following combinations,

HHH, HHT, HTH,THH, TTH, THT, HTT and TTT

All these are the outcomes of the experiment of tossing a coin three times. Hence,

we can say the sample space is the set given by,

S = {HHH, HHT, HTH,THH, TTH, THT, HTT, TTT}

Now, suppose the event be the set of outcomes in which there are only two heads.

The outcomes in which we have only two heads are HHT, HTH and THH hence the event

is given by,

E = {HHT, HTH, THH}

We can clearly see that each element of set E is in set S, so E is a subset of S.

There can be more than one event. In this case, we can have an event as getting only

one tail or event of getting only one head. If we have more than one event we can

represent these events by E1, E2, E3 etc. We can have more than one event for a Sample

space but there will be one and only one Sample space for an Event. If we have Events

E1, E2, E3, …… En as all the possible subset of sample space then we have,

S = E1 ∪ E2 ∪ E3 ∪ …….∪ En
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

We can understand this with the help of a simple example. Consider an experiment of

rolling a dice. We have sample space,

S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

Now if we have Event E1 as getting odd number as outcome and E2 as getting

even number as outcome for this experiment then we can represent E 1 and E2 as the

following set,

E1 = {1, 3, 5}

E2 = {2, 4, 6}

So we have

{1, 3, 5} ∪ {2, 4, 6} = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

Or S = E1 ∪ E2

Hence, we can say union of Events E1 and E2 is S.

Null space – is a subset of the sample space that contains no elements and is denoted

by the symbol . It is also called empty space.

Operations with Events

Intersection of events

The intersection of two events A and B is denoted by the symbol A  B. It is the

event containing all elements that are common to A and B. This is illustrated as the

shaded region in Figure 2.1 (c).


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

For example,

Let A = {3,6,9,12,15} and B = {1,3,5,8,12,15,17}; then A  B = {3,12,15}

Let X = {q, w, e, r, t,} and Y = {a, s, d, f}; then X  Y = , since X and Y have no

elements in common.

Mutually Exclusive Events

We can say that an event is mutually exclusive if they have no elements in common.

This is illustrated in Figure 2.1 (b) where we can see that A  B =.

Union of Events

The union of events A and B is the event containing all the elements that belong

to A or to B or to both and is denoted by the symbol A  B. The elements A  B maybe

listed or defined by the rule A  B = { x | x  A or x  B}.

For example,

Let A = {a,e,i,o,u} and B = {b,c,d,e,f}; then A  B = {a,b,c,d,e,f,i,o,u}

Let X = {1,2,3,4} and Y = {3,4,5,6}; then A  B = {1,2,3,4,5,6}

Compliment of an Event

The complement of an event A with respect to S is the set of all elements of S that

are not in A and is denoted by A’. The shaded region in Figure 2.1 (e) shows (A  C)’.

For example,

Consider the sample space S = {dog, cow, bird, snake, pig}

Let A = {dog, bird, pig}; then A’ = {cow, snake}


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Probability of an Event

Sample space and events play important roles in probability. Once we have

sample space and event, we can easily find the probability of that event. We have

following formula to find the probability of an event.

𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡


𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 =
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑡

𝑛(𝐸)
𝑃(𝐸) =
𝑛(𝑆)

Where,

n (S) represents number of elements in a sample space of an experiment;

n (E) represents a number of elements in the event set; and

P (E) represents the probability of an event.

When probabilities are assigned to the outcomes in a sample space, each probability

must lie between 0 and 1 inclusive, and the sum of all probabilities assigned must be

equal to 1. Therefore,

0  P (E)  1 and P(S) = 1

Let us try to understand this with the help of an example. If a die is tossed, the

sample space is {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. In this set, we have a number of elements equal to 6.

Now, if the event is the set of odd numbers in a dice, then we have {1, 3, and 5} as an

event. In this set, we have 3 elements. So, the probability of getting odd numbers in a

single throw of dice is given by

3 1
𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 = =
6 2
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

2.2 Counting Rules Useful in Probability

Multiplicative Rule

Suppose you have j sets of elements, n1 in the first set, n2 in the second set, ...

and nj in the jth set. Suppose you wish to form a sample of j elements by taking one

element from each of the j sets. The number of possible sets is then defined by:

𝑛1 ∙ 𝑛2 ∙ … ∙ 𝑛𝑗

Permutation Rule

The arrangement of elements in a distinct order is called permutation. Given a

single set of n distinctively different elements, you wish to select k elements from the n

and arrange them within k positions. The number of different permutations of the n

elements taken k at a time is denoted Pkn and is equal to

𝑛!
𝑃𝑘𝑛 =
(𝑛 − 𝑘)!

Partitions rule

Suppose a single set of n distinctively different elements exists. You wish to

partition them into k sets, with the first set containing n1 elements, the second containing

n2 elements, ..., and the kth set containing nk elements. The number of different partitions

is

𝑛!
𝑛1 ! 𝑛2 ! … 𝑛𝑘 !

Where,

n1 + n2 + … + nk = n
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The numerator gives the permutations of the n elements. The terms in the

denominator remove the duplicates due to the same assignments in the k sets

(multinomial coefficients).

Combinations Rule

A sample of k elements is to be chosen from a set of n elements. The number of

different samples of k samples that can be selected from n is equal to

𝑛 𝑛!
( )=
𝑘 𝑘! (𝑛 − 𝑘)!

2.3 Rules of Probability

Before discussing the rules of probability, we state the following definitions:

 Two events are mutually exclusive or disjoint if they cannot occur at the same

time.

 The probability that Event A occurs, given that Event B has occurred, is called a

conditional probability. The conditional probability of Event A, given Event B, is

denoted by the symbol P (A|B).

 The complement of an event is the event not occurring. The probability that Event

A will not occur is denoted by P (A').

 The probability that Events A and B both occur is the probability of the intersection

of A and B. The probability of the intersection of Events A and B is denoted by P

(A ∩ B). If Events A and B are mutually exclusive, P(A ∩ B) = 0.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

 The probability that Events A or B occur is the probability of the union of A and B.

The probability of the union of Events A and B is denoted by P(A ∪ B).

 If the occurrence of Event A changes the probability of Event B, then Events A and

B are dependent. On the other hand, if the occurrence of Event A does not change

the probability of Event B, then Events A and B are independent.

Rule of Addition

Rule 1: If two events A and B are mutually exclusive, then:

𝑃(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) = 𝑃(𝐴) + 𝑃(𝐵)

Rule 2: If events A and B are not mutually exclusive events, then:

𝑃(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) = 𝑃(𝐴) + 𝑃(𝐵) − 𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵)

Example 1. A student goes to the library. The probability that she checks out (a) a work

of fiction is 0.40, (b) a work of non-fiction is 0.30, and (c) both fiction and non-fiction is

0.20. What is the probability that the student checks out a work of fiction, non-fiction, or

both?

Solution:

Let F = the event that the student checks out fiction;

Let N = the event that the student checks out non-fiction.

Then, based on the rule of addition:

𝑃(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) = 𝑃(𝐹) + 𝑃(𝑁) − 𝑃(𝐹 ∩ 𝑁)

𝑃(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) = 0.4 + 0.3 − 0.2 = 𝟎. 𝟓


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Rule of Multiplication

Rule 1: When two events A and B are independent, then:

𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = 𝑃(𝐴)𝑃(𝐵)

Dependent - Two outcomes are said to be dependent if knowing that one of the

outcomes has occurred affects the probability that the other occurs

Conditional Probability - an event B in relationship to an event A is the probability

that event B occurs after event A has already occurred. The probability is denoted

by 𝑃(𝐵|𝐴).

Rule 2: When two events are dependent, the probability of both occurring is:

𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = 𝑃(𝐴)𝑃(𝐵|𝐴)

𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵)
Where 𝑃(𝐵|𝐴) = , provided that P (A)  0
𝑃(𝐴)

Example 1. A day’s production of 850 manufactured parts contains 50 parts that do not

meet customer requirements. Two parts are selected randomly without replacement from

the batch. What is the probability that the second part is defective given that the first part

is defective?

Solution:

Let A = event that the first part selected is defective

Let B = event that the second part selected is defective.

P (B|A) =?

If the first part is defective, prior to selecting the second part, the batch contains

849 parts, of which 49 are defective, therefore

P (B|A) = 49/849
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 2. An urn contains 6 red marbles and 4 black marbles. Two marbles are drawn

without replacement from the urn. What is the probability that both of the marbles are

black?

Solution:

Let A = the event that the first marble is black;

and let B = the event that the second marble is black.

We know the following:

 In the beginning, there are 10 marbles in the urn, 4 of which are black. Therefore,

P (A) = 4/10.

 After the first selection, there are 9 marbles in the urn, 3 of which are black.

Therefore, P (B|A) = 3/9.

4 3
𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = ( ) ( ) = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟑𝟑
10 9

Example 3. Two cards are selected from a pack of cards. What is the probability that they

are both queen?

Solution:

Let A = First card which is a queen

Let B = Second card which is also a queen

We require P (A  B). Notice that these events are dependent because the

probability that the second card is a queen depends on whether or not the first card is a

queen.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

P (A  B) = P (A) P (B|A)

P (A) = 1/13 and P (B|A) = 3/51

P (A  B) = (1/13) (3/51) = 1/221 = 0.004525

Rule of Subtraction

The probability that event A will occur is equal to 1 minus the probability that event

A will not occur.

𝑃(𝐴) = 1 − 𝑃(𝐴′ )

Example 1.The probability of Bill not graduating in college is 0.8. What is the probability

that Bill will not graduate from college?

Solution:

𝑃(𝐴) = 1 − 0.8 = 𝟎. 𝟐

REFERENCES:

Montgomery, D. C. et al. (2003). Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers 3rd Edition. USA.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Walpole, R. E. et al. (2016). Probability & Statistics for Engineers & Scientists 9th Edition. England.
Pearson Education Limited

https://math.tutorvista.com/statistics/sample-space-and-events.html

https://stattrek.com/probability/probability-rules.aspx

https://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Probability-and-Statistics-Advanced-Second-

Edition/section/3.6/
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. Three events are shown on the Venn diagram in the following figure:

Reproduce the figure and shade the region that corresponds to each of the

following events.

a. A’ b. A  B c. (A  B)  C d. (B  C)’ e. (A  B)’  C

2. Each of the possible five outcomes of a random experiment is equally likely. The

sample space is {a, b, c, d, e}. Let A denote the event {a, b}, and let B denote the

event {c, d, e}. Determine the following:

a. P(A) b. P(B) c. P(A’) d. P(A  B) e. P(A  B)

3. If A, B, and C are mutually exclusive events with P (A) = 0.2, P(B) = 0.3, and P(C)

= 0.4, determine the following probabilities:

a. P(A  B  C) c. P(A  B) e. P(A’  B’  C’)

b. P(A  B  C) d. P[(A  B)  C]
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

4. A lot of 100 semiconductor chips contains 20 that are defective. Two are selected

randomly, without replacement, from the lot.

a. What is the probability that the first one selected is defective?

b. What is the probability that the second one selected is defective given that

the first one was defective?

c. What is the probability that both are defective?

d. How does the answer to part (b) change if chips selected were replaced

prior to the next selection?

5. Suppose 2% of cotton fabric rolls and 3% of nylon fabric rolls contain flaws. Of the

rolls used by a manufacturer, 70% are cotton and 30% are nylon. What is the

probability that a randomly selected roll used by the manufacturer contains flaws?
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 3
DISCRETE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

Introduction

Many physical systems can be modelled by a similar or the same random variables

and random experiments. The distribution of the random variables involved in each of

these common systems can be analyzed, and the result of that analysis can be used in

different applications and examples. In this chapter, the analysis of several random

experiments and discrete random variables that often appear in applications is discussed.

A discussion of the basic sample space of the random experiment is frequently omitted

and the distribution of a particular random variable is directly described.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Determine probabilities from probability mass functions.

2. Determine probabilities from cumulative functions and cumulative distribution

functions from probability mass functions.

3. Calculate means and variances for discrete random variables.

4. Understand the assumptions for each of the discrete probability distributions

presented.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

5. Select an appropriate discrete probability distribution to calculate probabilities in

specific applications.

6. Calculate probabilities, determine means and variances for each of the discrete

probability distributions presented

Discrete Probability Distribution

A discrete distribution describes the probability of occurrence of each value of a

discrete random variable. A discrete random variable is a random variable that has

countable values, such as a list of non-negative integers.

With a discrete probability distribution, each possible value of the discrete random

variable can be associated with a non-zero probability. Thus, a discrete probability

distribution is often presented in tabular form.

3.1 Random Variables and Their Probability Distributions

Random Variables

In probability and statistics, a random variable is a variable whose value is subject

to variations due to chance (i.e. randomness, in a mathematical sense). As opposed to

other mathematical variables, a random variable conceptually does not have a single,

fixed value (even if unknown); rather, it can take on a set of possible different values,

each with an associated probability.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

A random variable’s possible values might represent the possible outcomes of a

yet-to-be-performed experiment, or the possible outcomes of a past experiment whose

already-existing value is uncertain (for example, as a result of incomplete information or

imprecise measurements). They may also conceptually represent either the results of an

“objectively” random process (such as rolling a die), or the “subjective” randomness that

results from incomplete knowledge of a quantity. Random variables can be classified as

either discrete (that is, taking any of a specified list of exact values) or as continuous

(taking any numerical value in an interval or collection of intervals). The mathematical

function describing the possible values of a random variable and their associated

probabilities is known as a probability distribution.

Discrete Random Variables

Discrete random variables can take on either a finite or at most a countably infinite

set of discrete values (for example, the integers). Their probability distribution is given by

a probability mass function which directly maps each value of the random variable to a

probability. For example, the value of x1 takes on the probability p1, the value of x2 takes

on the probability p2, and so on. The probabilities pi must satisfy two requirements: every

probability pi is a number between 0 and 1, and the sum of all the probabilities is 1.

(p1+p2+⋯+pk=1)
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Discrete Probability Distribution

This shows the probability mass function of a discrete probability distribution. The

probabilities of the singletons {1}, {3}, and {7} are respectively 0.2, 0.5, 0.3. A set not

containing any of these points has probability zero.

Examples of discrete random variables include the values obtained from rolling a

die and the grades received on a test out of 100.

Probability Distributions for Discrete Random Variables

Probability distributions for discrete random variables can be displayed as a

formula, in a table, or in a graph. A discrete random variable x has a countable number

of possible values. The probability distribution of a discrete random variable x lists the

values and their probabilities, where value x1 has probability p1, value x2 has

probability x2, and so on. Every probability pi is a number between 0 and 1, and the sum

of all the probabilities is equal to 1.

Examples of discrete random variables include:

 The number of eggs that a hen lays in a given day (it can’t be 2.3)

 The number of people going to a given soccer match

 The number of students that come to class on a given day

 The number of people in line at McDonald’s on a given day and time

A discrete probability distribution can be described by a table, by a formula, or by a

graph. For example, suppose that xx is a random variable that represents the number of

people waiting at the line at a fast-food restaurant and it happens to only take the values

2, 3, or 5 with probabilities 2/10, 3/10, and 5/10 respectively. This can be expressed
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

through the function f(x) = x/10, x=2, 3, 5 or through the table below. Of the conditional

probabilities of the event BB given that A1 is the case or that A2 is the case, respectively.

Notice that these two representations are equivalent, and that this can be represented

graphically as in the probability histogram below.

Probability Histogram: This histogram displays the probabilities of each of the three

discrete random variables. The formula, table, and probability histogram satisfy the

following necessary conditions of discrete probability distributions:

1. 0≤f(x) ≤1, i.e., the values of f(x) are probabilities, hence between 0 and 1.

2. ∑f(x) =1, i.e., adding the probabilities of all disjoint cases, we obtain the probability

of the sample space, 1.

Sometimes, the discrete probability distribution is referred to as the probability mass

function (pmf). The probability mass function has the same purpose as the probability

histogram, and displays specific probabilities for each discrete random variable.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The only difference is how it looks graphically.

Probability Mass Function

This shows the graph of a probability mass function. All the values of this function

must be non-negative and sum up to 1.

x f(x)

2 0.2

3 0.3

5 0.5

Discrete Probability Distribution: This table shows the values of the discrete random

variable can take on and their corresponding probabilities.

Example 1. A shipment of 20 similar laptop computers to a retail outlet contains 3 that

are defective. If a school makes a random purchase of 2 of these computers, find the

probability distribution for the number of defectives.

Solution:

Let X be a random variable whose values x are the possible numbers of defective

computers purchased by the school. Then x can only take the numbers 0, 1, and 2.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Now,

Thus, the probability distribution of X is

x 0 1 2

f(x) 68/95 51/190 3/190

3.2 Cumulative Distribution Functions

You might recall that the cumulative distribution function is defined for discrete

random variables as:

𝐹(𝑥) = 𝑃(𝑋 ≤ 𝑥) = ∑ 𝑓(𝑡)


𝑡≤𝑥

Again, F(x) accumulates all of the probability less than or equal to x. The cumulative

distribution function for continuous random variables is just a straightforward extension of

that of the discrete case. All we need to do is replace the summation with an integral.

The cumulative distribution function ("c.d.f.") of a continuous random variable X is

defined as:
𝑥
𝐹(𝑥) = ∫ 𝑓(𝑡)𝑑𝑡
−∞

For -∞<x<∞
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 1. Suppose that a day’s production of 850 manufactured parts contains 50 parts

that do not con- form to customer requirements. Two parts are selected at random,

without replacement, from the batch. Let the random variable X equal the number of

nonconforming parts in the sample. What is the cumulative distribution function of X?

Solution:

The question can be answered by first finding the probability mass function of X.

Therefore,

The cumulative distribution function for this example is graphed in the figure below. Note

that F(x) is defined for all x from - < x <  and not only for 0, 1, and 2.

Graph of the cumulative distribution function for the above example


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

3.3 Expected Values of Random Variables

The expected value of a random variable is the weighted average of all possible

values that this random variable can take on.

Discrete Random Variable

A discrete random variable X has a countable number of possible values. The

probability distribution of a discrete random variable X lists the values and their

probabilities, such that xi has a probability of pi. The probabilities pi must satisfy two

requirements:

1. Every probability pi is a number between 0 and 1.

2. The sum of the probabilities is 1: p1+p2+⋯+pi = 1.

Expected Value Definition

In probability theory, the expected value (or expectation, mathematical

expectation, EV, mean, or first moment) of a random variable is the weighted average of

all possible values that this random variable can take on. The weights used in computing

this average are probabilities in the case of a discrete random variable.

The expected value may be intuitively understood by the law of large numbers: the

expected value, when it exists, is almost surely the limit of the sample mean as sample

size grows to infinity. More informally, it can be interpreted as the long-run average of the

results of many independent repetitions of an experiment (e.g. a dice roll). The value may

not be expected in the ordinary sense—the “expected value” itself may be unlikely or even

impossible (such as having 2.5 children), as is also the case with the sample mean.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

How To Calculate Expected Value

Suppose random variable X can take value x1 with probability p1, value x2 with

probability p2, and so on, up to value xi with probability pi. Then the expectation value of

a random variable XX is defined as E[X] = x1 p1+ x2 p2+⋯+xi pi, which can also be written

as: E[X] =∑xi p1.

If all outcomes xi are equally likely (that is, p 1= p2 =⋯=pi), then the weighted average

turns into the simple average. This is intuitive: the expected value of a random variable is

the average of all values it can take; thus, the expected value is what one expects to

happen on average. If the outcomes xi are not equally probable, then the simple average

must be replaced with the weighted average, which takes into account the fact that some

outcomes are more likely than the others. The intuition, however, remains the same: the

expected value of X is what one expects to happen on average.

For example, let X represent the outcome of a roll of a six-sided die. The possible values

for X are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, all equally likely (each having the probability of 1/6). The

expectation of X is:

E[X] = (1x1/6) + (2x2/6) + (3x3/6) + (4x4/6) + (5x5/6) + (6x6/6) = 3.5.

In this case, since all outcomes are equally likely, we could have simply averaged the

numbers together:

(1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6) /6 = 3.5.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Average Dice Value Against Number of Rolls

An illustration of the convergence of sequence averages of rolls of a die to the

expected value of 3.5 as the number of rolls (trials) grows.

3.4 The Binomial Distribution

Binomial Experiment

A binomial experiment is a statistical experiment that has the following properties:

 The experiment consists of n repeated trials.

 Each trial can result in just two possible outcomes. We call one of these outcomes

a success and the other, a failure.

 The probability of success, denoted by P, is the same on every trial.

 The trials are independent; that is, the outcome on one trial does not affect the

outcome on other trials.

Consider the following statistical experiment. You flip a coin 2 times and count the

number of times the coin lands on heads.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

This is a binomial experiment because:

1. The experiment consists of repeated trials. We flip a coin 2 times.

2. Each trial can result in just two possible outcomes - heads or tails.

3. The probability of success is constant - 0.5 on every trial.

4. The trials are independent; that is, getting heads on one trial does not affect

whether we get heads on other trials.

The following notation is helpful, when we talk about binomial probability.

 x: The number of successes that result from the binomial experiment.

 n: The number of trials in the binomial experiment.

 P: The probability of success on an individual trial.

 Q: The probability of failure on an individual trial. (This is equal to 1 - P.)

 n!: The factorial of n (also known as n factorial).

 b (x; n, P): Binomial probability - the probability that an n-trial binomial experiment

results in exactly x successes, when the probability of success on an individual

trial is P.

 nCr: The number of combinations of n things, taken r at a time.

Binomial Distribution

A binomial random variable is the number of successes x in n repeated trials of

a binomial experiment. The probability distribution of a binomial random variable is called

a binomial distribution.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Suppose we flip a coin two times and count the number of heads (successes). The

binomial random variable is the number of heads, which can take on values of 0, 1, or 2.

The binomial distribution is presented below.

Number of Heads Probability

0 0.25

1 0.50

2 0.25

The binomial distribution has the following properties:

 The mean of the distribution (μx) is equal to n * P.

 The variance (σ2x) is n * P * (1 - P).

 The standard deviation (σx) is sqrt [n * P * (1 - P)].

Binomial Formula and Binomial Probability

The binomial probability refers to the probability that a binomial experiment

results in exactly x successes. For example, in the above table, we see that the binomial

probability of getting exactly one head in two-coin flips is 0.50.

Given x, n, and P, we can compute the binomial probability based on the binomial

formula.

Binomial Formula. Suppose a binomial experiment consists of n trials and results

in x successes. If the probability of success on an individual trial is P, then the binomial

probability is:
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

b (x; n, P) = nCx * Px * (1 - P) n - x

or

b (x; n, P) = {n! / [ x! (n - x)!]} * Px * (1 - P) n - x

Example 1.Suppose a die is tossed 5 times. What is the probability of getting exactly 2

fours?

Solution:

This is a binomial experiment in which the number of trials is equal to 5, the number

of successes is equal to 2, and the probability of success on a single trial is 1/6 or about

0.167. Therefore, the binomial probability is:

b (2; 5, 0.167) = 5C2 * (0.167)2 * (0.833)3

b (2; 5, 0.167) = 0.161

Cumulative Binomial Probability

A cumulative binomial probability refers to the probability that the binomial

random variable falls within a specified range (e.g., is greater than or equal to a stated

lower limit and less than or equal to a stated upper limit).

For example, we might be interested in the cumulative binomial probability of obtaining

45 or fewer heads in 100 tosses of a coin. This would be the sum of all these individual

binomial probabilities.

b (x < 45; 100, 0.5) =

b (x = 0; 100, 0.5) + b (x = 1; 100, 0.5) + ... + b (x = 44; 100, 0.5) + b (x = 45; 100, 0.5)
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 1. What is the probability of obtaining 45 or fewer heads in 100 tosses of a

coin?

Solution:

To solve this problem, we compute 46 individual probabilities, using the binomial

formula. The sum of all these probabilities is the answer we seek. Thus,

b (x < 45; 100, 0.5) = b (x = 0; 100, 0.5) + b (x = 1; 100, 0.5) + . . . + b (x = 45; 100, 0.5)

b (x < 45; 100, 0.5) = 0.184

Example 3. The probability that a student is accepted to a prestigious college is 0.3. If 5

students from the same school apply, what is the probability that at most 2 are

accepted?

Solution:

To solve this problem, we compute 3 individual probabilities, using the binomial

formula. The sum of all these probabilities is the answer we seek. Thus,

b (x < 2; 5, 0.3) = b(x = 0; 5, 0.3) + b(x = 1; 5, 0.3) + b(x = 2; 5, 0.3)

b(x < 2; 5, 0.3) = 0.1681 + 0.3601 + 0.3087

b(x < 2; 5, 0.3) = 0.8369


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

3.5 The Poisson Distribution

A Poisson distribution is the probability distribution that results from a Poisson

experiment.

Attributes of a Poisson Experiment

A Poisson experiment is a statistical experiment that has the following properties:

 The experiment results in outcomes that can be classified as successes or

failures.

 The average number of successes (μ) that occurs in a specified region is known.

 The probability that a success will occur is proportional to the size of the region.

 The probability that a success will occur in an extremely small region is virtually

zero.

Note that the specified region could take many forms. For instance, it could be a length,

an area, a volume, a period of time, etc.

Notation

The following notation is helpful, when we talk about the Poisson distribution.

 e: A constant equal to approximately 2.71828. (Actually, e is the base of the natural

logarithm system.)

 μ: The mean number of successes that occur in a specified region.

 x: The actual number of successes that occur in a specified region.

 P (x; μ): The Poisson probability that exactly x successes occur in a Poisson

experiment, when the mean number of successes is μ.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Poisson Distribution

A Poisson random variable is the number of successes that result from a

Poisson experiment. The probability distribution of a Poisson random variable is called

a Poisson distribution.

Given the mean number of successes (μ) that occur in a specified region, we can

compute the Poisson probability based on the following Poisson formula.

Poisson Formula. Suppose we conduct a Poisson experiment, in which the average

number of successes within a given region is μ. Then, the Poisson probability is:

P (x; μ) = (e-μ) (μx) / x!

where x is the actual number of successes that result from the experiment, and e is

approximately equal to 2.71828.

The Poisson distribution has the following properties:

 The mean of the distribution is equal to μ.

 The variance is also equal to μ.

Example 1. The average number of homes sold by the Acme Realty company is 2

homes per day. What is the probability that exactly 3 homes will be sold tomorrow?

Solution:

This is a Poisson experiment in which we know the following:

 μ = 2; since 2 homes are sold per day, on average.

 x = 3; since we want to find the likelihood that 3 homes will be sold tomorrow.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

 e = 2.71828; since e is a constant equal to approximately 2.71828.

We plug these values into the Poisson formula as follows:

P (x; μ) = (e-μ) (μx) / x!

P (3; 2) = (2.71828-2) (23) / 3!

P (3; 2) = (0.13534) (8) / 6

P (3; 2) = 0.180

Thus, the probability of selling 3 homes tomorrow is 0.180.

Cumulative Poisson Probability

A cumulative Poisson probability refers to the probability that the Poisson

random variable is greater than some specified lower limit and less than some specified

upper limit.

Example. Suppose the average number of lions seen on a 1-day safari is 5. What is the

probability that tourists will see fewer than four lions on the next 1-day safari?

Solution: This is a Poisson experiment in which we know the following:

 μ = 5; since 5 lions are seen per safari, on average.

 x = 0, 1, 2, or 3; since we want to find the likelihood that tourists will see fewer

than 4 lions; that is, we want the probability that they will see 0, 1, 2, or 3 lions.

 e = 2.71828; since e is a constant equal to approximately 2.71828.

To solve this problem, we need to find the probability that tourists will see 0, 1, 2, or 3

lions. Thus, we need to calculate the sum of four probabilities: P (0; 5) + P (1; 5) + P (2;

5) + P (3; 5).
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

To compute this sum, we use the Poisson formula:

P (x < 3, 5) = P (0; 5) + P (1; 5) + P (2; 5) + P (3; 5)

P (x < 3, 5) = [ (e-5) (50) / 0!] + [ (e-5) (51) / 1!] + [(e-5) (52) / 2!] + [(e-5) (53) / 3!]

P (x < 3, 5) = [(0.006738) (1) / 1] + [(0.006738) (5) / 1] + [(0.006738) (25) / 2] +

[(0.006738) (125) / 6]

P (x < 3, 5) = [0.0067] + [0.03369] + [0.084224] + [0.140375]

P (x < 3, 5) = 0.2650

Thus, the probability of seeing at no more than 3 lions is 0.2650.

REFERENCES:

Montgomery, D. C. et al. (2003). Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers 3rd Edition. USA.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Walpole, R. E. et al. (2016). Probability & Statistics for Engineers & Scientists 9th Edition. England.
Pearson Education Limited

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-statistics/chapter/discrete-random-variables/

https://newonlinecourses.science.psu.edu/stat414/node/98/

https://stattrek.com/probability-distributions/binomial.aspx

https://stattrek.com/probability-distributions/poisson.aspx
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. The sample space of a random experiment is {a, b, c, d, e, f}, and each outcome

is equally likely. A random variable is defined as follows:

Outcome a b c d e f

x 0 0 1.5 1.5 2 3

Determine the probability mass function of X.

2. Marketing estimates that a new instrument for the analysis of soil samples will be

very successful, moderately successful, or unsuccessful, with probabilities 0.3,

0.6, and 0.1, respectively. The yearly revenue associated with a very successful,

moderately successful, or unsuccessful product is $10 million, $5 million, and $1

million, respectively. Let the random variable X denote the yearly revenue of the

product. Determine the probability mass function of X.

3. An assembly consists of three mechanical components. Suppose that the

probabilities that the first, second, and third components meet specifications are

0.95, 0.98, and 0.99. Assume that the components are independent. Determine

the probability mass function of the number of components in the assembly that

meet specifications.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

4. Marketing estimates that a new instrument for the analysis of soil samples will be

very successful, moderately successful, or unsuccessful, with probabilities 0.3,

0.6, and 0.1, respectively. The yearly revenue associated with a very successful,

moderately successful, or unsuccessful product is $10 million, $5 million, and $1

million, respectively. Let the random variable X denote the yearly revenue of the

product. Determine the probability mass function of X.

5. Given:

Find: a. P(X  3) b. P(X  2) c. P(1  X  2) d. P(X > 2)


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 4
CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTIONS

Introduction

The previous chapter discussed probability distributions for discrete random

variables. Now we will be extending that to continuous random variables. In experiments

where continuous variables are of interests (like length measurements), it is reasonable

to model the range of possible values of the random variable by an interval (finite or

infinite) of real numbers. Since the range is any value in the interval, the number of

possible values of the random variable X is uncountably infinite and would have a different

distribution from the discrete random variables previously discussed.

In this chapter, the distributions, probability computations, means and variances

for continuous random variables would be discussed.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Determine the probabilities from probability density functions

2. Determine the probabilities from cumulative distribution functions

3. Calculate means and variances for continuous random variables

4. Standardize normal random variables


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

5. Use the table for cumulative distribution function of a standard normal distribution

to calculate probabilities

6. Approximate probabilities for some binomial and Poisson distributions

7. Use continuity corrections to improve the normal approximations to those binomial

and Poisson distributions.

4.1 Continuous Random Variables and their Probability Distribution

A continuous random variable has a probability of zero of assuming exactly any of

its values. Consequently, its probability distribution cannot be given in tabular form. At

first this may seem startling, but it, becomes more plausible when we consider a particular

example. Let us discuss a random variable whose values are the heights of all people

over 21 years of age. Between any two values, say 163.5 and 164.5 centimeters, or even

163.99 and 164.01 centimeters, there are an infinite number of heights, one of which is

164 centimeters. The probability of selecting a person at random who is exactly 164

centimeters tall and not one of the infinitely large set of heights so close to 164

centimeters that you cannot humanly measure the difference is remote, and thus we

assign a probability of zero to the event. This is not the case, however, if we talk about

the probability of selecting a person who is at least 163 centimeters but not more than

165 centimeters tall. Now we are dealing with an interval rather than a point value of our

random variable.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

We shall concern ourselves with computing probabilities for various intervals of

continuous random variables such as P (a < X < b), P (W > c), and so forth. Note that

when X is continuous,

P (a < X < b) = P (a < X < b) + P(X = b) = P (a < X < b).

That is, it does not matter whether we include an endpoint of the interval or not.

This is not true, though, when X is discrete. Although the probability distribution of a

continuous random variable cannot be presented in tabular form, it can be stated as a

formula. Such a formula would necessarily be a function of the numerical values of the

continuous random variable X and as such will be represented by the functional notation

f(x). In dealing with continuous variables, f(x) is usually called the probability density

function, or

Figure 4.1 Typical Density Functions

simply the density function of A'. Since X is defined over a continuous sample space, it is

possible for f(x) to have a finite number of discontinuities. However, most density

functions that have practical applications in the analysis of statistical data are continuous

and their graphs may take any of several forms, some of which are shown in Figure 4.1.

Because areas will be used to represent probabilities and probabilities arc positive

numerical values, the density function must lie entirely above the x axis. A probability
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

density function is constructed so that the area under its curve bounded by the x axis is

equal to 1 when computed over the range of X for which f(x) is defined. Should this range

of X be a finite interval, it is always possible to extend the interval to include the entire sot

of real numbers by defining f(x) to be zero at all points in the extended portions of the

interval. In Figure 4.2, the probability that X assumes a value between a and /; is equal to

the shaded area under the density function between the ordinates at. x = a and x = b, and

from integral calculus is given by

𝒃
P (a < X < b) = ∫𝒂 𝐟(𝐱) 𝐝𝐱

Figure 4.2 P (a < X < b)

𝑥2
, −1 < 𝑥 < 2,
Example 1. For the density function 𝑓(𝑥) = {3 , find f(x), and use it to
(0), 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒

evaluate P (0 < X ≤ 1).


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Solution:

For –1 < x < 2,


𝑥
𝑥 𝑥 𝑡2 𝑡3 𝑥3+ 1
F(x) = ∫−∞ 𝑓(𝑡)𝑑𝑡 = ∫−1 𝑑𝑡 = | =
3 9 −1 9

Therefore,

0, 𝑥 < −1
𝑥3+ 1
F(x) = { , − 1 ≤ 𝑥 < 2,
9
1, 𝑥 ≥ 2.

The cumulative distribution function F(x) is expressed graphically in Figure 4.3.

Now,
2 1 1
P (0 < X ≤ 1) = F (1) – F (0) = 9 − 9 = 9

Figure 4.3 Continuous cumulative distribution function


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

4.2 Expected Values of Continuous Random Variables

Let X be a continuous random variable with range [a, b] and probability density

function f(x). The expected value of X is defined by

𝑏
𝐸(𝑋) = ∫ 𝑥𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥
𝑎

Let’s see how this compares with the formula for a discrete random variable:
𝑛

𝐸(𝑋) = ∑ 𝑥𝑖 𝑝(𝑥𝑖 )
𝑖=1

The discrete formula says to take a weighted sum of the values xi of X, where the weights

are the probabilities p (xi). Recall that f(x) is a probability density. Its units are prob/ (unit

of X)

So f(x) dx represents the probability that X is in an infinitesimal range of width dx around

x. Thus we can interpret the formula for E(X) as a weighted integral of the values x of X,

where the weights are the probabilities f(x) dx.

As before, the expected value is also called the mean or average.

The variance of X, V(X) or 2, is


∞ ∞
𝜎 2 = 𝑉(𝑋) = ∫ (𝑥 − 𝜇)2 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = ∫ 𝑥 2 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 − 𝜇 2
−∞ −∞

The standard deviation of X is 𝜎 = √𝜎 2


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 1. Let X ∼ uniform (0, 1). Find E(X).

Solution:

Since X has a range of [0, 1] and a density of f(x) = 1:

1 1
𝑥2 𝟏
𝐸(𝑋) = ∫ 𝑥𝑑𝑥 = | =
0 2 0 𝟐

Not surprisingly, the mean is at the midpoint of the range.

3
Example 2. Let X have range [0, 2] and density 𝑥 2 . Find E(X).
8

2
2 2 3 3𝑥 4 3
𝐸(𝑋) = ∫0 𝑥𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = ∫0 𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥 = | =2
8 32 0

Does it make sense that this X has mean is in the right half of its range?

Yes. Since the probability density increases as x increases over the range, the average

value of x should be in the right half of the range.

µ is “pulled” to the right of the midpoint 1 because there is more mass to the right.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Properties of E(X)

The properties of E(X) for continuous random variables are the same as for

discrete ones:

1. If X and Y are random variables on a sample space Ω then

E(X = Y) = E(X) + E(Y)

2. If a and b are constants then

E (aX + b) = aE(X) + b

Expectation of Functions of X

This works exactly the same as the discrete case. If h(x) is a function then Y = h(X) is a

random variable and



𝐸(𝑌) = 𝐸(ℎ(𝑋)) = ∫ ℎ(𝑥)𝑓𝑥(𝑥)𝑑𝑥
−∞

Example 1. Let X ∼ exp (λ). Find E(X2).


2𝑥 −λx 2 ∞ 𝟐
𝐸(𝑋 2 ) = ∫ 𝑥 2 λ𝑒 −λx 𝑑𝑥 = [−𝑥 2 𝑒 −λx − 𝑒 − 2 𝑒 −λx ] = 𝟐
0 λ λ 0 𝛌
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

4.3 Continuous Uniform Distribution

This is the simplest continuous distribution as it is analogous to its discrete

counterpart. A continuous random variable X with probability density function

1
𝑓(𝑥) = , 𝑎≤𝑥≤𝑏
𝑏−𝑎

Is a continuous uniform random variable.

The probability density function of a continuous uniform random variable is shown below

and the formula for computing its mean and variance.

𝑎+𝑏 2
(𝑏 − 𝑎)2
𝜇 = 𝐸(𝑋) = 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎 = 𝑉(𝑋) =
2 12

4.4 Normal Distribution

The Normal Distribution is the most important and most widely used continuous

probability distribution. It is the cornerstone of the application of statistical inference in


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

analysis of data because the distributions of several important sample statistics tend

towards a Normal distribution as the sample size increases.

Empirical studies have indicated that the Normal distribution provides an adequate

approximation to the distributions of many physical variables. Specific examples include

meteorological data, such as temperature and rainfall, measurements on living

organisms, scores on aptitude tests, physical measurements of manufactured parts,

weights of contents of food packages, volumes of liquids in bottles/cans, instrumentation

errors and other deviations from established norms, and so on.

The graphical appearance of the Normal distribution is a symmetrical bell-shaped curve

that extends without bound in both positive and negative directions.

The probability density function is given by

1 (𝑥 − 𝜇)2 −∞ < 𝑥 < ∞;


𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑒𝑥𝑝 [− ],
𝜎√2𝜋 2𝜎 2 −∞ < 𝜇 < ∞, 𝜎 > 0

where μ and σ are parameters. These turn out to be the mean and standard deviation,

respectively, of the distribution. As a shorthand notation, we write X ~ N (μ, σ2).

The curve never actually reaches the horizontal axis buts gets close to it beyond about 3

standard deviations each side of the mean.

For any Normally distributed variable:

68.3% of all values will lie between μ −σ and μ + σ (i.e. μ ± σ)

95.45% of all values will lie within μ ± 2 σ

99.73% of all values will lie within μ ± 3 σ


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The graphs below illustrate the effect of changing the values of μ and σ on the shape of

the probability density function. Low variability (σ = 0.71) with respect to the mean gives

a pointed bell-shaped curve with little spread. Variability of σ = 1.41 produces a flatter

bell-shaped curve with a greater spread.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 1. The volume of water in commercially supplied fresh drinking water containers

is approximately Normally distributed with mean 70 litres and standard deviation 0.75

litres. Estimate the proportion of containers likely to contain

(i) in excess of 70.9 litres, (ii) at most 68.2 litres, (iii) less than 70.5 litres.

Solution:

Let X denote the volume of water in a container, in litres. Then X ~ N (70, 0.752 ), i.e.

μ = 70, σ = 0.75 and Z = (X − 70)/0.75

(i) X = 70.9 ; Z = (70.9 − 70)/0.75 = 1.20

P(X > 70.9) = P (Z > 1.20) = 0.1151 or 11.51%

(ii) X = 68.2 ; Z = −2.40

P(X < 68.2) = P (Z < −2.40) = 0.0082 or 0.82%

(iii) X = 70.5 ; Z = 0.67

P(X > 70.5) = 0.2514; P(X < 70.5) = 0.7486 or 74.86%


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

4.5 Normal Approximation to Binomial and Poisson Distribution

Binomial Approximation

The normal distribution can be used as an approximation to the binomial distribution if X

is a binomial random variable,

𝑋 − 𝑛𝑝
𝑍=
√𝑛𝑝(1 − 𝑝)

The above equation is the formula for standardizing the random variable X. Probabilities

involving X can be approximated by using a standard distribution. The approximation is

good when n is large relative to p and when np > 5 and n (1 – P) > 5.

In some cases, working out a problem using the Normal distribution may be easier than

using a Binomial.

Poisson Approximation

Poisson distribution was developed as the limit of a binomial distribution as the number

of trials increased to infinity therefore the normal distribution can also be used to

approximate probabilities of a Poisson random variable.

If X is a Poisson random variable with E(X) =  and V(X) = , then

𝑋−𝜆
𝑍=
√𝜆

is approximately a standard normal random variable and this approximation is good for 

> 5.

Continuity Correction

The binomial and Poisson distributions are discrete random variables, whereas the

normal distribution is continuous. We need to take this into account when we are using
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

the normal distribution to approximate a binomial or Poisson using a continuity

correction.

In the discrete distribution, each probability is represented by a rectangle (right hand

diagram):

When working out probabilities, we want to include whole rectangles, which is what

continuity correction is all about.

Example 1. Suppose we toss a fair coin 20 times. What is the probability of getting

between 9 and 11 heads?

Solution:

Let X be the random variable representing the number of heads thrown.

X ~ Bin (20, ½)

Since p is close to ½ (it equals ½!), we can use the normal approximation to the binomial.

X ~ N (20 × ½, 20 × ½ × ½) so X ~ N (10, 5) .

In this diagram, the rectangles represent the binomial distribution and the curve is the

normal distribution:
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

We want P (9 ≤ X ≤ 11), which is the red shaded area. Notice that the first rectangle starts

at 8.5 and the last rectangle ends at 11.5. Using a continuity correction, therefore, our

probability becomes P (8.5 < X < 11.5) in the normal distribution.

4.6 Exponential Distribution

The exponential distribution obtains its name from the exponential function in the

probability density function. Plots of the exponential distribution for selected values of are

shown in Fig. 4.4. For any value of, the exponential distribution is quite skewed.

Figure 4.4 Probability density function of exponential random variables for selected

values of λ
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

If the random variable X has an exponential distribution with parameter λ,


1 1
𝜇 = 𝐸(𝑋) = and 𝜎 2 = 𝑉(𝑋) =
λ λ2

It is important to use consistent units in the calculation of probabilities, means, and

variances involving exponential random variables. The following example illustrates unit

conversions.

Example 1. In a large corporate computer network, user log-ons to the system can be

modeled as a Poisson process with a mean of 25 log-ons per hour. What is the probability

that there are no logons in an interval of 6 minutes?

Solution:

Let X denote the time in hours from the start of the interval until the first log-on.

Then, X has an exponential distribution with log-ons per hour. We are interested in the

probability that X exceeds 6 minutes. Because is given in log-ons per hour, we express

all time units in hours. That is, 6 minutes 0.1 hour. The probability requested is shown as

the shaded area under the probability density function in Fig. 4.4. Therefore,

𝑃(𝑋 > 0.1) = ∫ 25𝑒 −25𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑒 −25(0.1) = 0.082
0.1

Figure 4.4 Probability for the exponential distribution


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

In the previous example, the probability that there are no log-ons in a 6-minute

interval is 0.082 regardless of the starting time of the interval. A Poisson process assumes

that events occur uniformly throughout the interval of observation; that is, there is no

clustering of events. If the log-ons are well modeled by a Poisson process, the probability

that the first log-on after noon occurs after 12:06 P.M. is the same as the probability that

the first log-on after 3:00 P.M. occurs after 3:06 P.M. And if someone logs on at 2:22

P.M., the probability the next log-on occurs after 2:28 P.M. is still 0.082.

Our starting point for observing the system does not matter. However, if there are

high-use periods during the day, such as right after 8:00 A.M., followed by a period of low

use, a Poisson process is not an appropriate model for log-ons and the distribution is not

appropriate for computing probabilities. It might be reasonable to model each of the high

and low-use periods by a separate Poisson process, employing a larger value for during

the high-use periods and a smaller value otherwise. Then, an exponential distribution with

the corresponding value of can be used to calculate log-on probabilities for the high- and

low-use periods.

REFERENCES:

Montgomery, D. C. et al. (2003). Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers 3rd Edition. USA.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Walpole, R. E. et al. (2016). Probability & Statistics for Engineers & Scientists 9th Edition.
England. Pearson Education Limited

Jeremy Orloff, and Jonathan Bloom. 18.05 Introduction to Probability and Statistics. Spring 2014.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT Open Courseware, https://ocw.mit.edu. License:
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. Suppose that 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑒 −𝑥 for 0 < x. Determine the following probabilities:

a. P(1 < X) b. P(1 < X < 2.5) c. P(X = 3) d. P(X < 4)

e. P (3  X)

2. The probability density function of the length of a metal rod is f(x) = 2 for 2.3 < x

< 2.8 meters.

b. If the specifications for this process are from 2.25 to 2.75 meters, what

proportion of the bars fail to meet the specifications?

c. Assume that the probability density function is f(x) = 2 for an interval of

length 0.5 meters. Over what value the density should be centered to

achieve the greatest proportion of bars within specifications?

3. Suppose f(x) = 0.125x for 0 < x < 4. Find the mean and variance of X.

4. Suppose the time it takes a data collection operator to fill out an electronic form

for a database is usually between 1.5 and 2.2 minutes.

d. What is the mean and variance of the time it takes the operator to fill out the

form?

e. What is the probability that it will take less than two minutes to fill out the

form?

f. Determine the cumulative distribution function of the time it takes to fill out

the form.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

5. Suppose that X is a binomial random variable with n = 200 and p = 0.4

g. Approximate the probability that X is less than or equal to 70

h. Approximate that the probability of X is greater than 70 and less than 90.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 5
JOINT PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

Introduction

The study of random variables and their probability distributions in the preceding

sections is restricted to one dimensional sample spaces, in that we recorded outcomes

of an experiment as values assumed by a single random variable. However, it is often

useful to have more than one random variable defined in a random experiment. In general,

if X and Y are two random variables, the probability distribution that defines their

simultaneous behaviour is called a joint probability distribution. In this chapter, we will

investigate some important properties of these joint probability distributions.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Understand and use joint probability mass functions and joint probability density

functions to calculate probabilities and calculate marginal probability distributions.

2. Understand and calculate conditional probability distributions from joint probability

distributions and assess independence of random variables.

3. Calculate means and variances for linear functions of random variables and

calculate probabilities for linear functions of normally distributed random variables.

4. Determine the distribution of general function of a random variable.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

5.1 JOINT PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR TWO RANDOM VARIABLES

In the previous section, we studied probability distributions for a single random

variable. There will be situations, however, where we may find it desirable to record the

simultaneous outcomes of several random variables. For example, we might measure the

amount of precipitate P and volume V of gas released from a controlled chemical

experiment, giving rise to a two dimensional sample space consisting of the outcomes (p,

v), or we might be interested in the hardness H and tensile strength T of cold-drawn

copper, resulting in the outcomes (h, t). In a study to determine the likelihood of success

in college based on high school data, we might use a three dimensional sample space

and record for each individual his or her aptitude test score, high school rank, and grade-

point average at the end of freshman year in college.

If X and Y are two discrete random variables, the probability distribution for their

simultaneous occurrence can be represented by a function with values f(x, y) for any pair

of values (x, y) within the range of the random variables X and Y. It is customary to refer

to this function as the joint probability distribution of X and Y.

Hence, in the discrete case,

f (x, y) = P (X = x, Y = y)

that is, the values (x, y) give the probability that outcomes x and y occur at the same time.

For example, if an 18 wheeler is to have its tires serviced and X represents the number

of miles these tires have been driven and Y represents the number of tires that need to

be replaced, then f(30000,5) is the probability that the tires are used over 30,000 miles

and the truck needs 5 new tires.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Discrete case. The function f ( x, y) is a joint probability distribution or probability

mass function of the discrete random variables X and Y if

1. 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) ≥ 0 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 (𝑥, 𝑦)

2. ∑𝑥 ∑𝑦 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 1

3. 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥, 𝑌 = 𝑦) = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)

For any region A in the xy plane, 𝑃[(𝑋, 𝑌) ∈ 𝐴] = ∑ ∑𝐴 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦).

Just as the probability mass function of a single random variable X is assumed to be zero

at all values outside the range of X, so the joint probability mass function of X and Y is

assumed to be zero for which a probability is not specified.

Example 1. Two ballpoint pens are selected at random from a box that contains 3 blue

pens, 2 red pens, and 3 green pens. If X is the number of blue pens selected and Y is

the number of red pens selected, find

a.) the joint probability function f(x, y).

b.) 𝑃[(𝑋, 𝑌) ∈ 𝐴] where A is the region{(𝑥, 𝑦)|𝑥 + 𝑦 ≤ 1}.

Solution:

The possible pairs of values (x, y) are (0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 0), (1, 1), (0, 2), and (2, 0).

Now, f (0, 1), for example, represents the probability that a red and a green pens are

selected. The total number of equally likely ways of selecting any 2 pens from the 8 is

(82) = 28. The number of ways of selecting 1 red from 2 red pens and 1 green from 3

green pens is (21)(31) = 6. Hence, 𝑓(0.1) = 6⁄28 = 3⁄14 .


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Similar calculations will yield the probabilities for the other cases, which are presented in

Table 1. Note that the probabilities sum to 1. It will become clear that the joint probability

distribution of Table 1. can be represented by the formula

(3x) (2y) (2-x-y


3
)
f(x, y)=
(82)

for x = 0, 1, 2; y = 0, 1, 2; and 0 ≤ x + y ≤ 2.

(b) The probability that (X, Y) fall in the region A is

𝑃[(𝑋, 𝑌) ∈ 𝐴] = 𝑃(𝑋 + 𝑌 ≤ 1) = 𝑓(0,0) + 𝑓(0,1) + 𝑓(1,0)

3 3 9 9
= + + =
28 14 28 14

Table 1. Joint Probability Distribution for Example 1

x
f(x,y) Row Totals
0 1 2

3 9 3 15
0
28 28 28 25

3 3 3
y 1 0
14 14 7

1 1
2 0 0
28 28

5 15 3
Column Totals 1
14 28 28
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example2. Suppose we toss a pair of fair, four-sided dice, in which one of the dice is

RED and the other is BLACK. Let,

X = the outcome on the RED die = {1, 2, 3, 4}

Y = the outcome on the black die = {1, 2, 3, 4}

Find the following:

a) What is the probability that X takes on a particular value x, and Y takes on a particular

value y?

b) What is P(X = x, Y = y)?

Solution:

Just as we have to in the case with one discrete random variable, in order to find

the “joint probability distribution” of X and Y, we first need to define the support of X and

Y. Well the support of X is,

S1 = {1, 2, 3, 4}

and the support of Y is:

S2 = {1, 2, 3, 4}

Now, that if we let (x, y) denote one of the possible outcomes of one toss of the

pair of dice, then certainly (1, 1) is a possible outcome, as is (1, 2), (1, 3) and (1, 4).

If we continue to enumerate all of the possible outcomes, we soon see that the joint

support S has 16 possible outcomes:

S = {(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(1,4),(2,1),(2,2),(2,3),(3,1), (3,2),(3,3),(3,4), (4,1), (4,2),(4,3), (4,4)}


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Now, because the dice are fair, we should expect each of 16 possible outcomes to be

equally likely. Therefore, using the classical approach to assigning probability, the
1
probability that X equals any particular x value, and Y equals any particular y value, is 16.

That is, for all (x, y) in the support S:

1
𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥, 𝑌 = 𝑦) =
16

Because we have identified the probability for each (x, y), we have found what we call the

joint probability mass function. Perhaps, it is not too surprising that the joint probability

mass function, which is typically denoted as f(x, y), can be defined as a formula (as we

have above), or as a table. Here’s what our joint probability mass function would like in

tabular form:

Black(Y)
f(x, y) fX (x)
1 2 3 4

1 1 1 1 4
1 16 16 16 16 16

1 1 1 1 4
2 16 16 16 16 16
Red(X)
1 1 1 1 4
3 16 16 16 16 16

1 1 1 1 4
4 16 16 16 16 16

4 4 4 4
fY(y) 16 16 16 16
1
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

When X and Y are continuous random variables, the joint density function f(x, y) is a

surface lying above the xy plane, and 𝑃[(𝑋, 𝑌) ∈ 𝐴], where A is any region in the xy

plane, is equal to the volume of the right cylinder bounded by the base A and the

surface.

Continuous case. The case where both variables are continuous is obtained easily by

analogy with discrete case on replacing sums by integrals. Thus, the joint probability

function for the random variables X and Y (or, as it is more commonly called, the joint

density function of X and Y). The function f(x, y) is a joint density function of the

continuous random variables X and Y if

1. 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) ≥ 0 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 (𝑥, 𝑦)

∞ ∞
2. ∫−∞ ∫−∞ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 = 1

3.𝑃[(𝑋, 𝑌) ∈ 𝐴] = ∬𝐴 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦, for any region A in the xy plane.

Example 1. A privately owned business operates both a drive-in facility and a walk-in

facility. On a randomly selected day, let X and Y, respectively, be the proportions of the

time that the drive-in and the walk-in facilities are in use, and suppose that the joint density

function of these random variables is

2
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = { 5 (2𝑥 + 3𝑦), 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1,0 ≤ 𝑦 ≤ 1,
0,

Find the following:


∞ ∞
(a) Verify condition of joint density function, ∫−∞ ∫−∞ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 = 1
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

1 1 1
(b) Find 𝑃[(𝑋, 𝑌) ∈ 𝐴] 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐴 = {(𝑥, 𝑦)|0 < 𝑥 2 , 4 < 𝑦 < 2}

Solution:

(a) The integration of f(x, y) over the whole region is

∞ ∞ 1 1
2
∫ ∫ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ ∫ (2𝑥 + 3𝑦)𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦
−∞ −∞ 0 0 5

1
2𝑥 2 6𝑥𝑦 𝑥 = 1
= ∫ ( + )| 𝑑𝑦
0 5 5 𝑥=0

1
2 6𝑦 2𝑦 3𝑦 2 1 2 3
= ∫ ( + ) 𝑑𝑦 = ( + )| = + = 1
0 5 5 5 5 0 5 5

(b) To calculate the probability, we use

1 1 1
𝑃[(𝑋, 𝑌) ∈ 𝐴] = 𝑃 (0 < 𝑋 < , <𝑌< )
2 4 2

1⁄2 1⁄2
2
=∫ ∫ (2𝑥 + 3𝑦)𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
1⁄4 0 5

1⁄2 1⁄2
2𝑥 2 6𝑥𝑦 𝑥 = 1⁄2 1 3𝑦
=∫ ( + )| 𝑑𝑦 = ∫ ( + ) 𝑑𝑦
1⁄4 5 5 𝑥=0 1⁄4 10 5

𝑦 3𝑦 2 1⁄2
=( + )|
10 10 1⁄4

1 1 3 1 3 13
= [( + ) − ( + )] =
10 2 4 4 16 160
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Practice Problem:

1. From a sack of fruit containing 3 oranges, 2 apples, and 3 bananas, a random sample

of 4 pieces of fruit is selected. If X is the number of oranges and Y is the number of apples

in the sample, find

(a) The joint probability distribution of X and Y;

(b) P [(X, Y) ∈ A], where A is the region that is given by {(x, y) | x + y ≤ 2}

2. Determine the values of c so that the following functions represent joint probability

distributions of the random variables X and Y:

(a) f (x, y) = cxy, for x = 1, 2, 3; y = 1, 2, 3;

(b) f (x, y) = c|x − y|, for x = −2, 0, 2; y = −2, 3.

3. If the joint probability distribution of X and Y is given by


𝑥+𝑦
f (x, y) = , for x = 0, 1, 2, 3; y = 0, 1, 2,
30

(a) P(X ≤ 2, Y = 1);

(b) P(X > 2, Y ≤ 1);

(c) P(X>Y );

(d) P(X + Y = 4)
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Marginal Probability Distributions. If more than one random variable is defined in a

random experiment, it is important to distinguish between the joint probability distribution

of X and Y and the probability distribution of each variable individually. The individual

probability distribution of a random variable is referred to as its marginal probability

distribution. The marginal probability distribution of X can be determined from the joint

probability distribution of X and other random variables. For example, consider discrete

random variables X and Y. To determine P(X = x), we sum P(X = x, Y =y) over all points

in the range of (X, Y) for which X = x. Subscripts on the probability mass functions

distinguish between the random variables.

For continuous random variables, an analogous approach is used to determine

marginal ability distributions. In the continuous case, an integral replaces the sum.

The marginal distributions of X alone and of Y alone are

𝑔(𝑥) = ∑ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ∑ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)


𝑦 𝑥

for the discrete case,

∞ ∞
𝑔(𝑥) = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ(𝑦) = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑥
−∞ −∞

for the continuous case.

The term marginal is used here because, in the discrete case, the values of g(x) and h(y)

are just the marginal totals of the respective columns and rows when the values of f(x, y)

are displayed in a rectangular table.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 1. Show that the column and row totals of Table 1. give the marginal distribution

of X alone and of Y alone.

Solution:

For the random variable X, we see that

3 3 1 5
𝑔(0) = 𝑓(0,0) + 𝑓(0,1) + 𝑓(0,2) = + + = ,
28 14 28 14

9 3 15
𝑔(1) = 𝑓(1,0) + 𝑓(1,1) + 𝑓(1,2) = + +0= ,
28 14 28

3 3
𝑔(2) = 𝑓(2,0) + 𝑓(2,1) + 𝑓(2,2) = +0+0=
28 28

which are just the column totals of Table 1. In a similar manner we could show that the

values of h(y) are given by the row totals. In tabular form, these marginal distributions

may be written as follows:

x 0 1 2 y 0 1 2

5 15 3 15 3 1
g(x) 14 28 28 h(y)
28 7 28

Example 2. Find g(x) and h(y) for the joint density function of Example 3.

Solution:

By definition, we have
∞ 1
2 4𝑥𝑦 6𝑦 2 𝑦 = 1 4𝑥 + 3
𝑔(𝑥) = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = ∫ (2𝑥 + 3𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = ( + )| =
−∞ 0 5 5 10 𝑦 = 0 5

for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, and g(x) = 0 elsewhere.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Similarly, we have

∞ 1
2 2(1 + 3𝑦)
ℎ(𝑦) = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = ∫ (2𝑥 + 3𝑦)𝑑𝑥 =
−∞ 0 5 5

for 0 ≤ y ≤ 1, and h(y) = 0 elsewhere.

Practice Problem

1. A fast-food restaurant operates both a drive through facility and a walk-in facility. On a

randomly selected day, let X and Y, respectively, be the proportions of the time that the

drive-through and walk-in facilities are in use, and suppose that the joint density function

of these random variables is


2
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = { 3 (𝑥 + 2𝑦), 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1, 0 ≤ 𝑦 ≤ 1
0,

(a) Find the marginal density of X.

(b) Find the marginal density of Y.

(c) Find the probability that the drive-through facility is busy less than one-half of the

time.

Conditional Probability Distribution. A special type of distribution in the form of

f(x, y) / g(x) in order to be able to effectively compute conditional probabilities. Let X and

Y be two random variables, discrete or continuous. The conditional distribution of the

random variable Y given that X = x is

𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)
𝑓(𝑦|𝑥) = , 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑔(𝑥) > 0
𝑔(𝑥)
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Similarly, the conditional distribution of X given that Y = y is shown below

𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)
𝑓(𝑥|𝑦) = , 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 ℎ(𝑦) > 0
ℎ(𝑦)

If we wish to find the probability that the discrete random variable X falls between

a and b when it is known that the discrete variable Y = y, we evaluate

𝑃(𝑎 < 𝑋 < 𝑏|𝑌 = 𝑦) = ∑ 𝑓(𝑥|𝑦)


𝑎<𝑥<𝑏

where the summation extends over all values of X between a and b. When X and Y

are continuous, we evaluate

𝑏
𝑃(𝑎 < 𝑋 < 𝑏|𝑌 = 𝑦) = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥|𝑦) 𝑑𝑥
𝑎

Example 1. Referring to Example1, find the conditional distribution of X, given that

Y= 1, and use it to determine P(X = 0 | Y = 1).

Solution:

We need to find f (x|y), where y = 1. First, we find that

2
3 3 3
ℎ(1) = ∑ 𝑓(𝑥, 1) = + +0=
14 14 7
𝑥=𝑜

Now

𝑓(𝑥, 1) 7
𝑓(𝑥|1) = = ( ) 𝑓(𝑥, 1), 𝑥 = 0,1,2
ℎ(1) 3
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Therefore,

7 7 3 1
𝑓(0|1) = ( ) 𝑓(0,1) = ( ) ( ) = ,
3 3 14 2

7 7 3 1
𝑓(1|1) = ( ) 𝑓(1,1) = ( ) ( ) = ,
3 3 14 2

7 7
𝑓(2|1) = ( ) 𝑓(2,1) = ( ) (0) = 0
3 3

and the conditional distribution of X, given that Y = 1, is shown below

x 0 1 2

1 1
𝑓(𝑥|1) 0
2 2

Finally,

1
𝑃(𝑋 = 0|𝑌 = 1) = 𝑓(0|1) =
2

Therefore, if it is known that 1 of the 2 pen refills selected is red, we have a probability

equal to 1/2 that the other refill is not blue.

Statistical Independence. If f (x|y) does not depend on y, then f (x|y) = g(x) and

f(x, y) = g(x) h(y). The proof follows by substituting the equation below into the marginal

distribution of X.

𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑓(𝑥|𝑦)ℎ(𝑦)
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

That is

∞ ∞
𝑔(𝑥) = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥|𝑦)ℎ(𝑦)𝑑𝑦
−∞ −∞

If f (x|y) does not depend on y, we may write


𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑓(𝑥|𝑦) ∫ ℎ(𝑦)𝑑𝑦
−∞

Now


∫ ℎ(𝑦)𝑑𝑦 = 1
−∞

since h(y) is the probability density function of Y. Therefore

𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑓(𝑥|𝑦) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑔(𝑥)ℎ(𝑦)

It should make sense to the reader that if f (x|y) does not depend on y, then of

course the outcome of the random variable Y has no impact on the outcome of the random

variable X. In other words, we say that X and Y are independent random variables. We

now offer the following formal definition of statistical independence.

Let X and Y be two random variables, discrete or continuous, with joint probability

distribution f(x, y) and marginal distributions g(x) and h(y), respectively. The random

variables X and Y are said to be statistically independent if and only if

𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑔(𝑥)ℎ(𝑦)

for all (x, y) within their range.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Checking for statistical independence of discrete random variables requires a more

thorough investigation, since it is possible to have the product of the marginal distributions

equal to the joint probability distribution for some but not all combinations of (x, y). If you

can find any point (x, y) for which f(x, y) is defined such that f(x, y) ≠ g(x) h(y), the discrete

variables X and Y are not statistically independent.

Example 1. Show that the random variables of Example1 are not statistically independent.

Solution:

Let us consider the point (0, 1). From Table1. We find the three probabilities

f (0, 1), g (0), and h (1) to be

3
𝑓(0,1) =
14

2
3 3 1 5
𝑔(0) = ∑ 𝑓(0, 𝑦) = + + =
28 14 28 14
𝑦=0

2
3 3 3
ℎ(1) = ∑ 𝑓(𝑥, 1) = + +0=
14 14 7
𝑥=0

Clearly,

𝑓(0,1) ≠ 𝑔(0)ℎ(1)

and therefore X and Y are not statistically independent.

All the preceding definitions concerning two random variables can be generalized to the

case of n random variables. Let 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) be the joint probability function of the

random variables𝑥1 ,𝑥2 ,..., 𝑥𝑛 .


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The marginal distribution of 𝑥1 , for example, is

𝑔(𝑥1 ) = ∑ … ∑ 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 )
𝑥2 𝑥𝑛

for the discrete case, and

∞ ∞
𝑔(𝑥1 ) = ∫ … ∫ 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) 𝑑𝑥2 𝑑𝑥3 … 𝑑𝑥𝑛
−∞ −∞

for the continuous case. We can now obtain joint marginal distributions such as 𝑔(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 ) ,

shown below:

∑ … ∑ 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) (𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒),


𝑥3 𝑥𝑛
𝑔(𝑥1 ) = ∞ ∞
∫ … ∫ 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) 𝑑𝑥3 𝑑𝑥4 … 𝑑𝑥𝑛 (𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒)
{ −∞ −∞

We could consider numerous conditional distributions. For example, the joint conditional

distribution of𝑋1,𝑋2 and𝑋3, given that 𝑋4 =𝑥4 , 𝑋5 =𝑥5 …... 𝑋𝑛 = 𝑋𝑛 , is written

𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 )
𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 |𝑥4 , 𝑥5 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) =
𝑔(𝑥4 , 𝑥5 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 )

where 𝑔(𝑥4 , 𝑥5 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) is the joint marginal distribution of the random variables

𝑥4 , 𝑥5 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 .

It leads to the following definition for the mutual statistical independence of the

variables 𝑋1 , 𝑋2 , … . , 𝑋𝑛 .

Let𝑋1 , 𝑋2 , … . , 𝑋𝑛 be n random variables, discrete or continuous, with joint probability

distribution 𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) and marginal distribution 𝑓1 (𝑥1 ), 𝑓2 (𝑥2 )... 𝑓𝑛 (𝑥𝑛 ), respectively.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The random variables 𝑋1 , 𝑋2 , … . , 𝑋𝑛 are said to be mutually statistically independent if

and only if

𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) = 𝑓1 (𝑥1 ), 𝑓2 (𝑥2 ),... 𝑓𝑛 (𝑥𝑛 )

for all (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , … . , 𝑥𝑛 ) within their range.

For example, Suppose that the shelf life, in years, of a certain perishable food product

packaged in cardboard containers is a random variable whose probability density

function is given by

𝑒 −𝑥 , 𝑥>0
𝑓(𝑥) = {
0, 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒

Let 𝑋1,𝑋2 and 𝑋3 represent the shelf lives for three of these containers selected

independently and find P (𝑋1 < 2, 1 < 𝑋2 < 3, 𝑋3 < 2).

Since the containers were selected independently, we can assume that the random

variables 𝑋1, 𝑋2, and 𝑋3 are statistically independent, having the joint probability density

𝑓(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 ) = 𝑓(𝑥1 )𝑓(𝑥2 )𝑓(𝑥3 ) = 𝑒 −𝑥1 𝑒 −𝑥2 𝑒 −𝑥3 = 𝑒 −𝑥1 −𝑥2 −𝑥3

for 𝑥1 > 0, 𝑥2 > 0 , 𝑥3 > 0, and f (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 ) = 0 elsewhere. Hence

∞ 3 2
P (𝑋1 < 2, 1 < 𝑋2 < 3, 𝑋3 < 2) = ∫2 ∫1 ∫0 𝑒 −𝑥1 −𝑥2 −𝑥3 𝑑𝑥1 𝑑𝑥2 𝑑𝑥3

= (1 − 𝑒 −2 )(𝑒 −1 − 𝑒 −3 )𝑒 −2 = 0.0372
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Practice Problem:

1. The amount of kerosene, in thousands of liters, in a tank at the beginning of any day is

a random amount Y from which a random amount X is sold during that day. Suppose that

the tank is not resupplied during the day so that x ≤ y, and assume that the joint density

function of these variables is

2
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = { 0<𝑥≤𝑦<1
0

(a) Determine if X and Y are independent.

2. Let the random variable X denote the time until a computer server connects to your

machine (in milliseconds), and let Y denote the time until the server authorizes you as a

valid user (in milliseconds). Each of these random variables measures the wait from a

common starting time and X < Y. Assume that the joint probability density function for X

and Y is in the equation below, determine the conditional probability density function for

Y given that X = x.

fXY (x, y) = (6𝑥10−6 )(−0.001𝑥 − 0.002𝑦) for x < y

Joint Probability Distributions for More Than Two Random Variables

More than two random variables can be defined in a random experiment. Results for

multiple random variables are straightforward extensions of those for two random

variables.

The joint probability distribution of random variables 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 … . , 𝑥𝑝 can be specified

with a method to calculate the probability that 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 … . , 𝑥𝑝 assume a value in any

region A of of p-dimensional space.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

For continues random variables, a joint probability density function

𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ) is used to determine that (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 … . , 𝑥𝑝 ) ∈ A by the multiple

integral of 𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ) over the region A.

 A joint probability density function for the continuous random variables X1, X2 ,

X3....Xp, denoted as 𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ), satisfies the following properties:

1. 𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ) ≥ 0 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑙 (𝑥, 𝑦)


∞ ∞ ∞
2. ∫−∞ ∫−∞ … ∫−∞ 𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ) 𝑑𝑥1 𝑑𝑥2 … 𝑑𝑥𝑝 = 1

3.𝑃[(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ) ∈ 𝐴] = ∬𝐴 𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ) 𝑑𝑥1 𝑑𝑥2 … 𝑑𝑥𝑝

for any region A in the xy plane.

 If the joint probability density function of continuous random variables X1, X2 , ....Xp,

is 𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ),the marginal probability distribution of Xi

𝑓𝑥1 (𝑥𝑖 ) = ∬ 𝑓𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . . , 𝑥𝑝 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , . . , 𝑥𝑝 ) 𝑑𝑥1 𝑑𝑥2 … 𝑑𝑥𝑖−1 𝑑𝑥𝑖+1 … . . 𝑑𝑥𝑝

where the integral is over all points in the range of X1, X2 , ....Xp, for which Xi= xi

 Conditional probability distributions can be developed for multiple random

variables by an extension of the ideas used for two random random variables.

For example, the joint conditional probability distribution of X1, X2 ,and X3 given

(X4= x4 , X5= x5 ) is

𝑓𝑋1 , 𝑋2 , 𝑋3 , 𝑋4 , 𝑋5 (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 , 𝑥4 , 𝑥5 )
𝑓(𝑋1 , 𝑋2 , 𝑋3 , | 𝑥4 , 𝑥5 )(𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 ) = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑥4 𝑥5 (𝑥4 , 𝑥5 ) > 0
𝑓𝑥4 𝑥5 (𝑥4 , 𝑥5 )

The concept of independence can be extended to multiple random variables.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

 Random variables X1, X2 , ....Xp are independent if and only if

𝑓(𝑋1 , 𝑋2 , … 𝑋𝑝 ( 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 …….𝑥𝑝 ) = 𝑓𝑋1 ( 𝑥1 ), 𝑓𝑋2 ( 𝑥2 ) … … . 𝑓𝑋𝑝 ( 𝑥𝑝 ) for all 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 …….𝑥𝑝

5.2 Linear Functions of Random Variables

A random variable is sometimes defined as a function of one or more random

variables. Results for linear functions are important, for example, if the random variables

of X1, and X2 denote the length and width, respectively, of a manufactured part, Y = 2

X1 + X2 is a random variable that represents the perimeter of the part. In this section, we

develop results for random variables that are linear functions of random variables.

Given random variables X1, X2 , ....Xp and constants C0, C1, C2, ....Cp, the equation below is

is a linear function of X1, X2, ....Xp.

Y = C0 + C0 X1 + C2 X2, +………+ Cp Xp

 Mean of a Linear Function

If Y = C0 + C0 X1 + C2 X2, +………+ Cp Xp, then

E(Y) = C0 + C0 E(X1) + C2 E(X2), +………+ Cp E (Xp)

 Variance of Linear Function

If X1, X2 , ....Xp are random variables, and Y = C0 + C0 X1 + C2 X2, +………+ Cp Xp,

then in general,

𝑉(𝑌) = 𝐶12 𝑉(𝑋1 ) + 𝐶22 𝑉(𝑋1 ) + ⋯ … … 𝐶𝑝2 𝑉(𝑋𝑝) + 2 ∑ ∑ 𝐶𝑖 𝐶𝑗 𝑐𝑜𝑣(𝑋𝑖 𝑋𝑗 )


𝑖<𝑗
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

If X1, X2, ....Xp are independent,

𝑉(𝑌) = 𝐶12 𝑉(𝑋1 ) + 𝐶22 𝑉(𝑋2 ) + ⋯ … … 𝐶𝑝2 𝑉(𝑋𝑝 )

Example 1. A semiconductor product consists of three layers. Suppose that the variances

in thickness of the first, second, and third layers are 25, 40, and 30 square nanometers,

respectively, and the layer thicknesses are independent. What is the variance of the

thickness of the final product?

Solution:

Let X1, X2, X3, and X be random variables that denote the thicknesses of the respective

layers and the final product. Then,

X = X1+ X2 + X3

The variance of X is:

V(X) = V(X1) + V(X2) + V(X3) = 25 + 40 + 30 = 95 𝑛𝑚2

Consequently, the standard deviation of thickness of the final product is 951/2 = 9.75 nm,

and this shows how the variation in each layer is propagated to the final product.

Practice Problem:

1. The expected value of a probability distribution of the random variable X is 10.

E(X) = 10. Find E (3X + 4).

2. Given the following probability function of the random variable X, find E(X), VAR(X),

E(3X + 4) and VAR(3X + 4).

x 5 10 15

P(X=x) 0.2 0.5 0.3


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

3. A lot containing 7 components is sampled by a quality inspector; the lot contains 4

good components and 3 defective components. A sample of 3 is taken by the inspector.

Find the expected value of the number of good components in this sample.

5.3 General Functions of Random Variables

Suppose that X is a discrete random variable with probability distribution fX(x). Let

Y = h(X) be a function of X that defines a one-to-one transformation between the values

of X and Y and that we wish to find the probability distribution of Y. By a one-to-one

transformation, we mean that each value x is related to one and only one value of y = h(x)

and that each value of y is related to one and only one value of x, say, x = u(y) where u(y)

is found by solving y = h(x) for x in terms of y.

Now the random variable Y takes on the value y when X takes on the value u(y).

Therefore, the probability distribution of Y is

fY (y) = P(Y = y) = P[X = u(y)] = fX [u(y)]

 General Function of a Discrete Random Variable

Suppose that X is a discrete random variable with probability distribution fX (x). Let

Y = h(X) define a one-to-one transformation between the values of X and Y so that

the equation y = h(x) can be solved uniquely for x in terms of y. Let this solution be

x = u(y). Then the probability mass function of the random variable Y is

fY (y) = fX [u(y)]

Example 1. Let X be a geometric random variable with probability distribution

fX (x) = p (1 − p) x−1, x = 1, 2,…


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Find the probability distribution of Y = X 2.

Solution:

Because X ≥ 0, the transformation is one to one; that is, y = x2 and x =√𝑦 . Therefore,

the distribution of the random variable Y is

fY (y) = f (√𝑦) = p (1 − 𝑝)√𝑦−1 , y = 1, 4, 9, 16,…

 General Function of a Continuous Random Variable

Suppose that X is a continuous random variable with probability distribution fX (x).

The function Y = h(X) is a one-to-one transformation between the values of Y and

X, so that the equation y = h(x) can be uniquely solved for x in terms of y. Let the

solution be x = u(y). The probability distribution of Y is

fY (y) = fX [u(y)] |J |

where J = u′(y) is called the Jacobian of the transformation and the absolute

value of J is used.

REFERENCES:

Walpole, Ronald E., et al., Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, 9th ed.,
Pearson Education Inc., 2016

Montgomery, Douglas C., et al., Applied Statistics and Probabiliy for Engineers, 7th ed., John
Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2018

Murray, Spiegel R., et al., Probability and Statistics, 4th ed., McGraw Hill Companies Inc., 2013

https://online.stat.psu.edu/stat414/lesson/17/17.1

http://bestmaths.net/online/index.php/year-levels/year-12/year-12-topic-list/functions-random-
variables/
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. A candy company distributes boxes of chocolates with a mixture of creams,

toffees, and cordials. Suppose that the weight of each box is 1 kilogram, but the

individual weights of the creams, toffees, and cordials vary from box to box. For a

randomly selected box, let X and Y represent the weights of the creams and the

toffees, respectively, and suppose that the joint density function of these variables

is

24 𝑥𝑦
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = { 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1, 0 ≤ 𝑦 ≤ 1, 𝑥 + 𝑦 ≤ 1
0,

(a) Find the probability that in a given box the cordials account for more than 1/2

of the weight.

(b) Find the marginal density for the weight of the creams.

(c) Find the probability that the weight of the toffees in a box is less than 1/8 of a

kilogram if it is known that creams constitute 3/4 of the weight.

2. Given the joint density function below, find P (1 <Y < 3 | X = 1).

6−𝑥−𝑦
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = { 8 0 < 𝑥 < 2, 2 < 𝑦 < 4,
0,

3. An industrial process manufactures items that can be classified as either

defective or not defective. The probability that an item is defective is 0.1. An

experiment is conducted in which 5 items are drawn randomly from the process.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Let the random variable X be the number of defectives in this sample of 5. What is

the probability mass function of X?

4. Consider the random variables X and Y that represent the number of vehicles

that arrive at two separate street corners during a certain 2-minute period.

These street corners are fairly close together so it is important that traffic engineers

deal with them jointly if necessary. The joint distribution of X and Y is known to be

9 1
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 16 . 4(𝑥+𝑦) for x = 0, 1, 2,... and y = 0, 1, 2,...

(a) Are the two random variables X and Y independent? Explain why or why not.

(b) What is the probability that during the time period in question less than 4

vehicles arrive at the two street corners?

5. Three cards are drawn without replacement from the 12 face cards (jacks,

queens, and kings) of an ordinary deck of 52 playing cards. Let X be the number

of kings selected and Y the number of jacks. Find the following:

(a) The joint probability distribution of X and Y;

(b) P [(X, Y) ∈ A], where A is the region given by {(x, y) | x + y ≥ 2}.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 6
Sampling Distributions and Point Estimation of Parameters

Introduction

Statistical methods are used to make decisions and draw conclusions about

populations. This aspect of statistics is generally called statistical inference. These

techniques utilize the information in a sample for drawing conclusions. This chapter

covers the study of the statistical methods used in decision making.

Statistical inference has one major areas which is the parameter estimation. In

practice, the engineer will use sample data to compute a number that is in some sense a

reasonable value (a good guess) of the true population mean. This number is called a

point estimate. In this chapter, we will see that procedures are available for developing

point estimates of parameters that have good statistical properties.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Explain and understand the general concepts of estimating the parameters of a

population or a probability distribution.

2. Calculate and explain the important rule of the normal distribution as a sampling

distribution and the central limit theorem.

3. Solve and explain important properties of point estimators, including bias, variance,

standard error and mean square error.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

6.1 Point Estimation

Statistical inference always focuses on drawing conclusions about one or more

parameters of a population. An important part of this process is obtaining estimates of the

parameters. Suppose that we want to obtain a point estimate (a reasonable value) of a

population parameter. We know that before the data are collected, the observations are

considered to be random variables, say, X1, X2, …, Xn. Therefore, any function of the

observations, or any statistic, is also a random variable.

For example, the sample mean X and the sample variance 𝑆 2 are statistics and

random variables. A simple way to visualize this is as follows. Suppose we take a sample

of n = 10 observations from a population and compute the sample average, getting the

result x = 10.2. Now we repeat this process, taking a second sample of n = 10

observations from the same population and the resulting sample average is 10.4. The

sample average depends on the observations in the sample, which differ from sample to

sample because they are random variables. Consequently, the sample average (or any

other function of the sample data) is a random variable.

Because a statistic is a random variable, it has a probability distribution. We call the

probability distribution of a statistic a sampling distribution. The notion of a sampling

distribution is very important and is discussed and illustrated later in the chapter.

When discussing inference problems, it is convenient to have a general symbol to

represent the parameter of interest. We use the Greek symbol θ (theta) to represent the

parameter. The symbol θ can represent the mean μ, the variance σ2, or any parameter of

interest to us. The objective of point estimation is to select a single number based on

sample data that is the most plausible value for θ. The numerical value of a sample
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

statistic is used as the point estimate. In general, if X is a random variable with probability

distribution f(x), characterized by the unknown parameter θ, and if X1, X2, …, Xn is a

random sample of size n from X, the statistic = h(X1, X2,…, Xn) is called a point estimator

of θ. Note that is a random variable because it is a function of random variables. After

the sample has been selected, Θ̂ takes on a particular numerical value θ̂ called the point

estimate of θ.

 A point estimate of some population parameter θ is a single numerical

value of a statistic . The statistic is called the point estimator.

Point estimation is the process of using the data available to estimate the unknown value

of a parameter, when some representative statistical model has been proposed for the

variation observed in some chance phenomenon.

As an example, suppose that the random variable X is normally distributed with an

unknown mean μ. Sample mean is a point estimator of the unknown population mean μ.

That is, .After the sample has been selected, the numerical value is the point

estimate of μ. Thus, if x1 = 25, x2 = 30, x3 = 29, and x4 = 31, the point estimate of μ is

25 + 30 + 29 + 31
= 4
= 28.75

Similarly, if the population variance σ2 is also unknown, a point estimator for σ 2 is the

sample variance S2, and the numerical value s2 = 6.9 calculated from the sample data is

called the point estimate of σ2.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Estimation problems occur frequently in engineering. We often need to estimate

• The mean μ of a single population

• The variance σ 2(or standard deviation σ) of a single population

• The proportion p of items in a population that belong to a class of interest

• The difference in means of two populations, μ1 − μ2

• The difference in two population proportions, p1 − p2

Practice Problem:

1. Let X be the height of a randomly chosen individual from a population. In order to

estimate the mean and variance of X, we observe a random sample X1, X2,⋯⋯, X7. We

obtain the following values (in centimeters):

166.8,171.4,169.1,178.5,168.0,157.9,170.1166.8,171.4,169.1,178.5,168.0,157.9,170.1

Find the values of the sample mean, the sample variance, and the sample standard

deviation for the observed sample.

6.2 Sampling Distributions and the Central Limit Theorem

The field of statistical inference is basically concerned with generalizations and

predictions. For example, we might claim, based on the opinions of several people

interviewed on the street, that in a forthcoming election 60% of the eligible voters in the

city of Detroit favor a certain candidate. In this case, we are dealing with a random sample

of opinions from a very large finite population. As a second illustration we might state that

the average cost to build a residence in Charleston, South Carolina, is between $330,000

and $335,000, based on the estimates of 3 contractors selected at random from the 30
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

now building in this city. The population being sampled here is again finite but very small.

Finally, let us consider a soft-drink machine designed to dispense, on average, 240

millilitres per drink. A company official who computes the mean of 40 drinks obtains =

236 millilitres and, on the basis of this value, decides that the machine is still dispensing

drinks with an average content of μ = 240 millilitres. The 40 drinks represent a sample

from the infinite population of possible drinks that will be dispensed by this machine.

 Random Sample

The random variables are usually assumed to be independent and identically

distributed. These random variables are known as a random sample. The random

variables X1, X2, … , Xn are a random sample of size n if (a) the Xi ’s are independent

random variables and (b) every Xi has the same probability distribution.

 Statistic

Such a random variable is called statistic. A statistic is any function of the

observations in a random sample. We have encountered statistics before. For example,

if X1, X2, … , Xn is a random sample of size n, the sample mean ,the sample variance

S2, and the sample standard deviation S are statistics. Because a statistic is a random

variable, it has a probability distribution.

 Sampling distribution

The probability distribution of a statistic is called a sampling distribution. The

sampling distribution of a statistic depends on the distribution of the population, the size

of the samples, and the method of choosing the samples. The probability distribution of

is called the sampling distribution of the mean.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Consider determining the sampling distribution of the sample mean . Suppose

that a random sample of size n is taken from a normal population with mean μ and

variance σ2. Now each observation in this sample, say, X1, X2, … , Xn, is a normally and

independently distributed random variable with mean μ and variance σ2. Then because

linear functions of independent, normally distributed random variables are also normally

distributed as discussed in the previous chapters, we conclude that the sample mean

𝑋1 +𝑋2 ……𝑋𝑛
=
n

has a normal distribution with mean

μ+μ+μ……μ
μ = = μ
n

and variance

σ2 +σ2 +σ2 ……σ2 σ2


σ2 = =
𝑛2 𝑛

Central Limit Theorem

If we are sampling from a population that has an unknown probability distribution,

the sampling distribution of the sample mean will still be approximately normal with mean

μ and variance σ2/n if the sample n is large. This is one of the most useful theorems in

statistics, called the central limit theorem.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

If X1, X2, … , Xn is a random sample of size n taken from a population (either

finite or infinite) with mean μ and finite variance σ2 and if is the sample mean,

the limiting form of the distribution of

−μ
𝑍= σ
√𝑛

as n → ∞ is the standard normal distribution

.
Figure1. Illustration of the Central Limit Theorem (distribution of for n =1,

moderate n, and large n)

Figure1 illustrates how the theorem works. It shows how the distribution of

becomes closer to normal as n grows larger, beginning with the clearly nonsymmetric

distribution of an individual observation (n = 1). It also illustrates that the mean of

remains μ for any sample size and the variance of gets smaller as n increases.

Example 1. An electrical firm manufactures light bulbs that have a length of life that is

approximately normally distributed, with mean equal to 800 hours and a standard

deviation of 40 hours. Find the probability that a random sample of 16 bulbs will have an

average life of less than 775 hours.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Solution:

The sampling distribution of will be approximately normal, with = 800 and

= 40/√16 = 10. The desired probability is given by the area of the shaded region

shown in the figure.

Figure 2. Area for Example1

Corresponding to = 775, we find that

755 − 800
𝑍= = −2.5
10

and therefore

P ( < 775) = P (Z < −2.5) = 0.0062.

Practice Problem:

1. An electronics company manufactures resistors that have a mean resistance of 100

ohms and a standard deviation of 10 ohms. The distribution of resistance is normal. Find

the probability that a random sample of n = 25 resistors will have an average resistance

of fewer than 95 ohms.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Approximate Sampling Distribution of a Difference in Sample Means

If we have two independent populations with means μ 1 and μ2 and variances σ21

and σ22 and if 1 and 2 are the sample means of two independent random samples of

sizes n1 and n2 from these populations, then the sampling distribution of the equation

below is approximately standard normal if the conditions of the central limit theorem

apply. If the two populations are normal, the sampling distribution of Z is exactly standard

normal.

1 − 2 − (μ1 − μ2 )
𝑍=
√σ21 /𝑛1 + σ22 /𝑛2

Example 1. Two independent experiments are run in which two different types of paint

are compared. Eighteen specimens are painted using type A, and the drying time, in

hours, is recorded for each. The same is done with type B. The population standard

deviations are both known to be 1.0.

Assuming that the mean drying time is equal for the two types of paint, find

P( 𝐴 − 𝐵 > 1.0), where 𝐴 and 𝐵 are average drying times for samples of size

nA = nB = 18.

Solution:

From the sampling distribution of 𝐴 − 𝐵, we know that the distribution is

approximately normal with mean

μ = μ𝐴 − μ𝐴 = 0
𝐴− 𝐵

and variance

σ2𝐴 σ2𝐵 1 1 1
σ2 = + = 18 + 18 = 9
𝐴− 𝐵 n𝐴 n𝐵
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Figure 3. Area for Example2

The desired probability is given by the shaded region in Figure 3. Corresponding


to the value 𝐴 − 𝐵, = 1.0, we have

1 − 2 − (μ1 − μ2 )
𝑍=
√σ21 /𝑛1 + σ22 /𝑛2

1 − (μ𝐴 − μ𝐵 ) 1−0
𝑍= =𝑍= =3
√1 √1
9 9

Therefore, P (Z > 3.0) = 1 – P (Z < 3.0) = 1 − 0.9987 = 0.0013.

Practice Problem:

1. The television picture tubes of manufacturer A have a mean lifetime of 6.5 years and

a standard deviation of 0.9 year, while those of manufacturer B have a mean lifetime of

6.0 years and a standard deviation of 0.8 year. What is the probability that a random

sample of 36 tubes from manufacturer A will have a mean lifetime that is at least 1 year

more than the mean lifetime of a sample of 49 tubes from manufacturer B? Given the

following information.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

6.3 General Concepts of Point Estimation

A point estimate of some population parameter θ is a single value of a statistic

. For example, the value of the statistic , computed from a sample of size n, is a point

estimate of the population parameter μ. Similarly, = x/n is a point estimate of the true

proportion p for a binomial experiment.

6.3.1 Unbiased Estimator

An estimator should be “close” in some sense to the true value of the unknown

parameter. Formally, we say that is an unbiased estimator of θ if the expected value of

is equal to θ. This is equivalent to saying that the mean of the probability distribution of

(or the mean of the sampling distribution of ) is equal to θ.

Bias of an Estimator

The point estimator is an unbiased estimator for the parameter θ if

E( )=θ

If the estimator is not unbiased, then the difference

E( )−θ

is called the bias of the estimator .

When an estimator is unbiased, the bias is zero; that is, E ( ) - θ = 0

Example 1. Let X1, X2, X3, ......, Xn be a random sample. Show that the sample mean

below is an unbiased estimator of θ = EXi


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Solution:

B( )=E( )=θ

=E( )–θ

= EXi – θ

=0

Note that is an estimator is unbiased, it is not necessarily a good estimator. In the

above example 1 = 𝑋1 .

B( 1) =E( 1) –θ

= EX1 – θ

=0

Practice Problem:

1. Suppose that X is a random variable with mean μ and variance σ 2. Let X1, X2, … , Xn

be a random sample of size n from the population represented by X. Show that the sample

mean and sample variance S2 are unbiased estimators of μ and σ2, respectively.

6.3.2 Variance of Point Estimator

Suppose that 1 and 2 are unbiased estimators of θ. This indicates that the

distribution of each estimator is centered at the true value of zero. However, the variance

of these distributions may be different. Figure 4 illustrates the situation. Because 1 has

a smaller variance than 2, the estimator 1 is more likely to produce an estimate close
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

to the true value of θ. A logical principle of estimation when selecting among several

unbiased estimators is to choose the estimator that has minimum variance.

Figure 4 Sampling Distributions of Two Unbiased Estimators 1 and 2

Minimum Variance Unbiased Estimator

If we consider all unbiased estimators of θ, the one with the smallest variance is

called the minimum variance unbiased estimator (MVUE).

If X1, X2, … , Xn is a random sample of size n from a normal distribution with mean μ

and variance σ2, the sample mean X is the MVUE for μ.

When we do not know whether an MVUE exists, we could still use a minimum

variance principle to choose among competing estimators. Suppose, for example, we

wish to estimate the mean of a population (not necessarily a normal population). We

have a random sample of n observations X1, X2, … , Xn, and we wish to compare two

possible estimators for μ: the sample mean and a single observation from the sample,

say, Xi . Note that both and Xi are unbiased estimators of μ; for the sample mean, we

have V ( ) =σ2 ∕ n from previous Chapters and the variance of any observation is V (Xi)

= σ2. Because V ( ) < V (Xi) for sample sizes n ≥ 2, we would conclude that the sample

mean is a better estimator of μ than a single observation Xi.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

6.3.3 Standard Error

When the numerical value or point estimate of a parameter is reported, it is usually

desirable to give some idea of the precision of estimation. The measure of precision

usually employed is the standard error of the estimator that has been used.

 Standard Error of an Estimator

The standard error of an estimator is its standard deviation given by σ =√𝑉( ). If

the standard error involves unknown parameters that can be estimated, substitution

of those values into σ produces an estimated standard error, denoted by

Sometimes the estimated standard error is denoted by S or SE ( ).

Suppose that we are sampling from a normal distribution with mean μ and variance

σ2. Now the distribution of is normal with mean μ and variance σ2/n, so the standard

error of is
σ
σ =
√𝑛

If we did not know σ but substituted the sample standard deviation S into the

preceding equation, the estimated standard error of would be

S
SE ( ) = =
√𝑛

Table 1. present’s standard errors for some sample statistics with its standard

error formula. Sampling distributions for these statistics, or at least their means and

standard deviations (standard errors), can often be found. Some of these, together with

ones already given, are shown in Table 1.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Table1. Standard Errors for Some Sample Statistics

Example 1. An article in the Journal of Heat Transfer (Trans. ASME, Sec. C, 96, 1974,

p. 59) described a new method of measuring the thermal conductivity of Armco iron. Using

a temperature of 100°F and a power input of 550 watts, the following 10 measurements

of thermal conductivity (in Btu/hr-ft-°F) were obtained:

41.60, 41.48, 42.34, 41.95, 41.86,

42.18, 41.72, 42.26, 41.81, 42.04


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

A point estimate of the mean thermal conductivity at 100 °F and 550 watts is the sample

mean or

= 41.924 Btu ∕ hr-ft-°F

The standard error of the sample mean is = σ ∕ √𝑛, and because σ is unknown, we

may replace it by the sample standard deviation s = 0.284 to obtain the estimated

standard error of as

S 0.284
SE ( ) = = = √10 = 0.0898
√𝑛

6.3.4 Mean Square Error of an Estimator

Sometimes it is necessary to use a biased estimator. In such cases, the mean

squared error of the estimator can be important. The mean squared error of an estimator

is the expected squared difference between and θ.

Figure 5 A biased estimator 1 that has smaller variance than the unbiased estimator 2

 Mean Squared Error of an Estimator

The mean squared error of an estimator of the parameter θ is defined as

MSE ( ) = E ( − θ) 2
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The mean squared error can be rewritten as follows:

MSE ( ) = E [ −E ( )] 2 + [θ – E ( )] 2

= V ( ) + (bias) 2

That is, the mean squared error of is equal to the variance of the estimator

plus the squared bias. If is an unbiased estimator of θ, the mean squared error

of is equal to the variance of .

The mean squared error is an important criterion for comparing two

estimators. Let 1 and 2 be two estimators of the parameter θ, and let MSE ( 1)

and MSE ( 2) be the mean squared errors of 1 and 2. Then the relative

efficiency of 2 to 1 is defined as

MSE( 1 )
MSE( 2 )

If this relative efficiency is less than 1, we would conclude that 1 is a more efficient

estimator of θ than 2.

REFERENCES:

Walpole, Ronald E., et al., Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, 9th ed.,

Pearson Education Inc., 2016

Montgomery, Douglas C., et al., Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers, 7th ed.,

John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2018

Murray, Spiegel R., et al., Probability and Statistics, 4th ed., McGraw Hill Companies Inc.,

2013 https://www.probabilitycourse.com/chapter8/8_2_5_solved_probs.php
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. A population consists of the four numbers 3, 7, 11, 15. Consider all possible

samples of size two that can be drawn with replacement from this population.

Find

(a) The population mean, (b) the population standard deviation, (c) the mean of

the sampling distribution of means, (d) the standard deviation of the sampling

distribution of means. Verify (c) and (d) directly from (a) and (b) by use of suitable

formulas.

2. The mean score of students on an aptitude test is 72 points with a standard

deviation of 8 points. What is the probability that two groups of students,

consisting of 28 and 36 students, respectively, will differ in their mean scores by

(a) 3 or more points, (b) 6 or more points, (c) between 2 and 5 points?

3. A normal population has a variance of 15. If samples of size 5 are drawn from

this population, what percentage can be expected to have variances (a) less

than 10, (b) more than 20, (c) between 5 and 10?

4. Measurements of a sample of weights were determined as 8.3, 10.6, 9.7, 8.8,

10.2, and 9.4 lb, respectively. Determine unbiased estimates of (a) the population

mean, and (b) the population variance


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

5. X has a continuous distribution:

Find the distribution of the sample mean of a random sample of size n=40?
1
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = { 2 (2𝑥 + 3𝑦), 4 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 6
0,

Figure 5. The distributions of X and in problem 5.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 7
STATISTICAL INTERVALS

Introduction

Engineers are often involved in estimating parameters. Statistical intervals

represent an uncertainty that exists in the data because we work with samples that are

obtained from a larger population or process. Statistical intervals are staples of the quality

and validation practitioner’s statistical tool box. Statistical intervals can manifest as plus-

or-minus limits on test data, represent a margin of error in a scientific poll, or indicate the

level of confidence associated with a predicted value. This chapter will discussed a three-

part series written to help validation and understand the three most common intervals;

namely, the confidence interval, the prediction interval, and the tolerance interval. In this

part, confidence intervals are discussed.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Construct confidence intervals using single sample and multiple sample

2. Construct a prediction for a future observation

3. Construct a tolerance interval for a normal distribution

4. Explain the three types of interval estimates; confidence intervals, prediction

intervals and tolerance intervals


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

7.1 Single Sample: Estimating the Mean

A way to avoid this is to report the estimate in terms of a range of plausible values

called a confidence interval. A confidence interval always specifies a confidence level,

usually 90%, 95%, or 99%, which is a measure of the reliability of the procedure. An

interval estimate for a population parameter is called a confidence interval. Information

about the precision of estimation is conveyed by the length of the interval. A short interval

implies precise estimation. We cannot be certain that the interval contains the true,

unknown population parameter—we use only a sample from the full population to

compute the point estimate and the interval. However, the confidence interval is

constructed so that we have high confidence that it does contain the unknown population

parameter. Confidence intervals are widely used in engineering and the sciences.

The basic ideas of a confidence interval (CI) are most easily understood by initially

considering a simple situation. Suppose that we have a normal population with unknown

mean μ and known variance σ2.This is a somewhat unrealistic scenario because typically

both the mean and variance are unknown. However, in subsequent sections, we present

confidence intervals for more general situations.

 Confidence Interval on the Mean of a Normal Distribution, Variance Known

If is the sample mean of a random sample of size n from a normal population

with known variance σ2, a 100(1 − α) % confidence interval on μ is given by


𝜎 𝜎
- 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )≤μ≤ + 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )
√𝑛 √𝑛

where 𝑍𝛼/2 is the upper 100α/2 percentage point of the standard normal distribution.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

For small samples selected from non-normal populations, we cannot expect our

degree of confidence to be accurate. However, for samples of size n ≥ 30, with the shape

of the distributions not too skewed, sampling theory guarantees good results.

Example 1.ASTM Standard E23 defines standard test methods for notched bar impact

testing of metallic materials. The Charpy V-notch (CVN) technique measures impact

energy and is often used to determine whether or not a material experiences a ductile-to-

brittle transition with decreasing temperature. Ten measurements of impact energy (J) on

specimens of A238 steel cut at 60∘C are as follows: 64.1, 64.7, 64.5, 64.6, 64.5, 64.3,

64.6, 64.8, 64.2, and 64.3. Assume that impact energy is normally distributed with σ = 1

J. We want to find a 95% CI for μ, the mean impact energy. The required quantities are

𝑍𝛼/2 = 𝑍0.025 = 1.96, n = 10, σ = 1, and = 64.46.

Solution:

Using the equation above the resulting 95% CI is as follows:

𝜎 𝜎
- 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )≤μ≤ + 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )
√𝑛 √𝑛

1 1
64.46 -1.96( ) ≤ μ ≤ 64.46 + 1.96( )
√10 √10

63.84 ≤ μ ≤ 65.08

Based on the sample data, a range of highly plausible values for mean impact

energy for A238 steel at 60∘C is 63.84 J ≤ μ ≤ 65.08 J.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Practice Problem:

1. The average zinc concentration recovered from a sample of measurements taken

in 36 different locations in a river is found to be 2.6 grams per milliliter. Find the 95% and

99% confidence intervals for the mean zinc concentration in the river. Assume that the

population standard deviation is 0.3 gram per milliliter. Ans. 2.47 <μ< 2.73.

 Choice of Sample Size


𝜎
The precision of the confidence interval in the equation above is 2𝑍𝛼/2 ( ).
√𝑛

This means that in using to estimate μ, the error E = | − μ| is less than or equal
𝜎
to 𝑍𝛼/2 ( ) with confidence 100(1 − α). This is shown graphically in Figure 1.
√𝑛

Figure1. Error in Estimating μ with

In situations whose sample size can be controlled, we can choose n so that we are

100(1 − α) % confident that the error in estimating μ is less than a specified bound on
𝜎
the error E. The appropriate sample size is found by choosing n such that 𝑍𝛼 ( )=E
2 √𝑛

If is used as an estimate of μ, we can be 100(1 − α) % confident that the error |x–

μ| will not exceed a specified amount E when the sample size is

𝑍𝛼
𝜎
n =( 2
)2
𝐸
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 1.Consider the CVN test described in Example1 and suppose that we want to

determine how many specimens must be tested to ensure that the 95% CI on μ for

A238 steel cut at 60°C has a length of at most 1.0 J. Because the bound on error in

estimation E is one-half of the length of the CI.

Solution:

E = 0.5, σ = 1, and 𝑍𝛼/2 = 1.96.

The required sample size is

𝑍𝛼
𝜎
n=( 2
)2
𝐸

(1.96)(1)
n=( )2 = 15. 37
0.5

and because n must be an integer, the required sample size is n = 16.

 One-Sided Confidence Bounds on Mean of a Normal Distribution, Variance

Known

The confidence interval in Equation 8.5 gives both a lower confidence bound and

an upper confidence bound for μ. Thus, it provides a two-sided CI. It is also possible

to obtain one-sided confidence bounds for μ by setting either the lower bound l= −∞

or the upper bound u = ∞ and replacing 𝑍𝛼/2 by 𝑍𝛼 .

A 100(1 − α) % upper-confidence bound for μ is

𝜎
+ 𝑍𝛼 ( )
√𝑛
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

and a 100(1 − α) % lower-confidence bound for μ is

𝜎
- 𝑍𝛼 ( )≤μ
√𝑛

Example 1.The same data for impact testing from Example 1 are used to construct a

lower, one-sided 95% confidence interval for the mean impact energy. Recall that x =

64.46, σ = 1J, and n = 10. What is the interval?

Solution:

𝜎
- 𝑍𝛼 ( )≤μ
√𝑛

1
64. 46 – 1.64 ( )≤μ
√10

63.94 ≤ μ

The lower limit for the two sided interval in Example1 was 63.84. Because 𝑍𝛼 <

𝑍𝛼/2, the lower limit of a one-sided interval is always greater than the lower limit of a two-

sided interval of equal confidence. The one-sided interval does not bound μ from above

so that it still achieves 95% confidence with a slightly larger lower limit. If our interest is

only in the lower limit for μ, then the one-sided interval is preferred because it provides

equal confidence with a greater limit. Similarly, a one-sided upper limit is always less than

a two-sided upper limit of equal confidence.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Practice Problem:

1. In a psychological testing experiment, 25 subjects are selected randomly and their

reaction time, in seconds, to a particular stimulus is measured. Past experience suggests

that the variance in reaction times to these types of stimuli is 4 sec2 and that the

distribution of reaction times is approximately normal. The average time for the subjects

is 6.2 seconds. Give an upper 95% bound for the mean reaction time. Ans: 6.858

seconds.

 Large-Sample Confidence Interval on the Mean

When n is large, the quantity

−μ
S
√𝑛

has an approximate standard normal distribution. Consequently,

𝑆 𝑆
- 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )≤μ≤ + 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )
√𝑛 √𝑛

is a large-sample confidence interval for μ, with confidence level of approximately

100(1 − α) %.

Example 1. An article in the 1993 volume of the Transactions of the American Fisheries

Society reports the results of a study to investigate the mercury contamination in

largemouth bass.

A sample of fish was selected from 53 Florida lakes, and mercury concentration in

the muscle tissue was measured (ppm). Find an approximate 95% CI on μ.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The mercury concentration values were

Solution:

The summary statistics for these data are as follows:

The required quantities are n = 53, x = 0.5250,s = 0.3486, and 𝑍0.025 = 1.96. The

approximate 95% CI on μ is

𝑆 𝑆
- 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )≤μ≤ + 𝑍𝛼/2 ( )
√𝑛 √𝑛

𝑆 𝑆
- 𝑍0.025 ( )≤μ≤ + 𝑍0.025 ( )
√𝑛 √𝑛

0.3486 0.3486
0.5250 - 1.96 ( ) ≤ μ ≤ 0.05250 + 1.96 ( )
√53 √53

0.4311 ≤ μ ≤0.6189
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

This interval is fairly wide because there is substantial variability in the mercury

concentration measurements. A larger sample size would have produced a shorter

interval.

7.2 Confidence Interval on the Mean of a Normal Distribution, Variance Unknown

If and S are the mean and standard deviation of a random sample from a normal

distribution with unknown variance σ2, a 100(1 − α) % confidence interval on μ is given

by

𝑆 𝑆
- 𝑡𝛼,𝑛−1 ( )≤μ≤ + 𝑡𝛼,𝑛−1 ( )
2 √𝑛 2 √𝑛

where 𝑡𝛼,𝑛−1 is the upper 100α/2 percentage point of the t distribution with n − 1 degrees
2

of freedom.

Example 1. An article in the Journal of Materials Engineering [“Instrumented Tensile

Adhesion Tests on Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings” (1989, Vol. 11(4), pp.

275–282)] describes the results of tensile adhesion tests on 22 U-700 alloy specimens.

Find the confidence interval (CI).

The load at specimen failure is as follows (in mega pascals):


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Solution:

The sample mean is = 13.71, and the sample standard deviation is s = 3.55.

Figures 8.6 and 8.7 show a box plot and a normal probability plot of the tensile adhesion

test data, respectively. These displays provide good support for the assumption that the

population is normally distributed. We want to find a 95% CI on μ. Since n = 22, we have

n − 1 = 21 degrees of freedom for t, so 𝑡0.025,21 = 2.080. The resulting confidence interval

(CI) is

𝑆 𝑆
- 𝑡𝛼,𝑛−1 ( )≤μ≤ + 𝑡𝛼,𝑛−1 ( )
2 √𝑛 2 √𝑛

3.55 3.55
13.71 - 2.080 ( ) ≤ μ ≤ 13.71 + 2.080 ( )
√22 √22

13.71 -1.57 ≤ μ ≤ 13.71 +1.57

12.14 ≤ μ ≤ 15.28

The CI is fairly wide because there is a lot of variability in the tensile adhesion test

measurements. A larger sample size would have led to a shorter interval.

 t - distribution

Let X1, X2,…, Xn be a random sample from a normal distribution with

unknown mean μ and unknown variance μ2. The random variable

−μ
𝑇=
S
√𝑛

has a t distribution with n − 1 degrees of freedom.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

7.3 Confidence Interval on the Variance and Standard Deviation of a Normal

Distribution

Sometimes confidence intervals on the population variance or standard deviation

are needed. When the population is modelled by a normal distribution, the tests and

intervals described in this section are applicable. The following result provides the basis

of constructing these confidence intervals.

 X2 Distribution

Let X1, X2,…, Xn be a random sample from a normal distribution with mean μ

and variance σ2, and let S2 be the sample variance.

Then the random variable

(n − 1)𝑆 2
𝑋2 =
σ2

has a chi-square (χ2) distribution with n − 1 degrees of freedom.

 Confidence Interval on the Variance

If s2 is the sample variance from a random sample of n observations from a

normal distribution with unknown variance σ2, then a 100(1 − α) % confidence interval

on σ2 is

(n−1)𝑆 2 (n−1)𝑆 2
( ) ≤ σ2 ≤ ( )
𝑋2𝛼 𝑋 2 1−𝛼
,𝑛−1 ,𝑛−1
2 2

where 𝑋 2 𝛼,𝑛−1 and 𝑋 2 1−𝛼,𝑛−1 are the upper and lower 100α/2 percentage points of the
2 2

chi-square distribution with n − 1 degrees of freedom, respectively. A confidence


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

interval for σ has lower and upper limits that are the square roots of the

corresponding limits in the above equation.

 One-Sided Confidence Bounds on the Variance

The 100(1 − α) % lower and upper confidence bounds on σ2 are

respectively

(n−1)𝑆 2 (n−1)𝑆 2
( ) ≤ σ2 and σ2 ≤ ( )
𝑋 2 𝛼,𝑛−1 𝑋 2 1−𝛼,𝑛−1

Example 1. An automatic filling machine is used to fill bottles with liquid detergent. A

random sample of 20 bottles results in a sample variance of fill volume of s2 = 0.01532

(fluid ounce). If the variance of fill volume is too large, an unacceptable proportion of

bottles will be under- or overfilled. We will assume that the fill volume is approximately

normally distributed. Find the confidence bound.

Solution:

A 95% upper confidence bound is found.

(n−1)𝑆 2
σ2 ≤ ( )
𝑋 2 1−𝛼,𝑛−1

(20−1)0.0153
σ2≤( ) = 0.0287(fluid ounce)2
𝑋 2 0.95,19

This last expression may be converted into a confidence interval on the standard

deviation σ by taking the square root of both sides, resulting in

σ =0.17

Therefore, at the 95% level of confidence, the data indicate that the process

standard deviation could be as large as 0.17 fluid ounce. The process engineer or
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

manager now needs to determine whether a standard deviation this large could lead to

an operational problem with under- or over-filled bottles.

7.4 Two Samples: Estimating the Difference between Two Means

If we have two populations with means μ1 and μ2 and variances σ21 and σ22 ,

respectively, a point estimator of the difference between μ1 and μ2 is given by the statistic

1 − 2. Therefore, to obtain a point estimate of μ1 − μ2, we shall select two independent

random samples, one from each population, of sizes n1 and n2, and compute 1 − 2, the

difference of the sample means. Clearly, we must consider the sampling distribution

of 1 − 2.

 Confidence Interval for Difference between Two Means, Variances Known

If 1 and 2 are means of independent random samples of sizes n1 and n2

from populations with known variances σ21 andσ22 , respectively, a 100(l − α) %

confidence interval for μ1 -μ2 is given by

σ2 σ22 σ2 σ22
( 1 − 2 )- 𝑍𝛼 ( √ 𝑛 1 + ) < 𝜇1 -𝜇2 < ( 1 − 2) + 𝑍𝛼 ( √ 𝑛 1 + )
2 1 𝑛2 2 1 𝑛2

where 𝑍𝛼 is the z-value leaving an area of α/2 to the right.


2
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

7.5 Large-Sample Confidence Interval for a Population Proportion

It is often necessary to construct confidence intervals on a population proportion.

 Normal Approximation for a Binomial Proportion

If n is large, the distribution of

𝑋−𝑛𝑝 −𝑝
𝑍= =
√𝑛𝑝−(1−𝑝) √𝑛𝑝−(1−𝑝)

is approximately standard normal.

 Approximate Confidence Interval on a Binomial Proportion

If is the proportion of observations in a random sample of size n that

belongs to a class of interest, an approximate 100(1 − α) % confidence interval on

the proportion p of the population that belongs to this class is

(1− ) (1− )
- 𝑍𝛼 (√ )≤ p ≤ + 𝑍𝛼 (√ )
2 𝑛 2 𝑛

where 𝑍𝛼 is the upper α/2 percentage point of the standard normal distribution.
2

 Sample Size for a Specified Error on a Binomial Proportion

In situations when the sample size can be selected, we may choose n to be

100(1− α) % confident that the error is less than some specified value E. If we set

𝑝(1 − 𝑝)
E = 𝑍𝛼 √ and solve for n, the appropriate sample size is
2 𝑛

𝑍𝛼
𝜎
n=(
2
)2 p (1-p)
𝐸
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

 Approximate One-Sided Confidence Bounds on a Binomial Proportion

The approximate 100(1 − α) % lower and upper confidence bounds are

respectively.

(1− ) (1− )
- 𝑍𝛼 (√ )≤ p and + 𝑍𝛼 (√ )
𝑛 𝑛

7.6 Prediction Interval for Future Observation

In some problem situations, we may be interested in predicting a future observation

of a variable. This is a different problem than estimating the mean of that variable, so a

confidence interval is not appropriate. In this section, we show how to obtain a 100(1 − α)

% prediction interval on a future value of a normal random variable.

A prediction interval provides bounds on one (or more) future observations from

the population. For example, a prediction interval could be used to bound a single, new

measurement of viscosity—another useful interval.

For a normal distribution of measurements with unknown mean μ and known

variance σ2, a 100(1 − α) % prediction interval of a future observation 𝑋0 is

1 1
- 𝑍𝛼 𝜎 ( √1 + ) < 𝑋0 ≤ + 𝑍𝛼 𝜎 ( √1 + )
2 𝑛 2 𝑛

where 𝑍𝛼 is the z-value leaving an area of α/2 to the right.


2

For a normal distribution of measurements with unknown mean μ and unknown

variance σ2, a 100(1 − α) % prediction interval of a future observation 𝑋0 is


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

1 1
- 𝑡𝛼 𝑆 ( √1 + ) < 𝑋0 ≤ + 𝑡𝛼 𝑆 (√1 + )
2 𝑛 2 𝑛

where 𝑡𝛼 is the t-value with v = n − 1 degrees of freedom, leaving an area of α/2 to the
2

right.

Example 1. A meat inspector has randomly selected 30 packs of 95% lean beef. The

sample resulted in a mean of 96.2% with a sample standard deviation of 0.8%. Find a

99% prediction interval for the leanness of a new pack. Assume normality.

Solution:

1 1
- 𝑡𝛼 𝑆 ( √1 + ) < 𝑋0 ≤ + 𝑡𝛼 𝑆 (√1 + )
2 𝑛 2 𝑛

1 1
96.2 - (2.756)(0.8) √1 + ) < 𝑋0 ≤ 96.2 + ( 2.756) (0.8) √1 + )
30 30

Notice that the prediction interval is considerably longer than the CI. This is because the

CI is an estimate of a parameter, but the PI is an interval estimate of a single future

observation.

Practice Problem:

Due to the decrease in interest rates, the First Citizens Bank received a lot of

mortgage applications. A recent sample of 50 mortgage loans resulted in an average loan

amount of $257,300. Assume a population standard deviation of $25,000. For the next

customer who fills out a mortgage application, find a 95% prediction interval for the loan

amount.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

7.7 Tolerance Interval

A tolerance interval is another important type of interval estimate. For example,

the chemical product viscosity data might be assumed to be normally distributed. We

might like to calculate limits that bound 95% of the viscosity values.

A tolerance interval for capturing at least γ% of the values in a normal distribution

with confidence level 100(1 − α) % is

-ks , + ks or ± ks

where k is a tolerance interval factor found in Table I. Values are given for

γ = 90%, 95%, and 99%, and for 90%, 95%, and 99% confidence.

This interval is very sensitive to the normality assumption. One-sided tolerance

bounds can also be computed. The tolerance factors for these bounds are also given in

Table I.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Table1. Tolerance Factors for Normal Distributions


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example 1. Consider Example 7. With the information given, find a tolerance interval that

gives two-sided 95% bounds on 90% of the distribution of packages of 95% lean

beef. Assume the data came from an approximately normal distribution.

Recall from Example 7 that n = 30, the sample mean is 96.2%, and the sample

standard deviation is 0.8%. From Table I., k = 2.14. Using

Solution:

± ks

96.2 ± (2.14 )(0.8)

we find that the lower and upper bounds are 94.5 and 97.9. We are 95% confident that

the above range covers the central 90% of the distribution of 95% lean beef packages.

REFERRENCES:

Walpole, Ronald E., et al., Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists,9th ed., Pearson
Education Inc., 2016

Montgomery, Douglas C., et al., Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers, 7th ed., John
Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2018

Murray, Spiegel R., et al., Probability and Statistics, 4th ed., McGraw Hill Companies Inc., 2013
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. A random sample of size n1 = 25, taken from a normal population with a standard

deviation σ1 = 5, has a mean 1 = 80. A second random sample of size n2 = 36,

taken from a different normal population with a standard deviation σ2 = 3, has a

mean 2 = 75. Find a 94% confidence interval for μ1 − μ2.

2. An electrical firm manufactures light bulbs that have a length of life that is

approximately normally distributed with a standard deviation of 40 hours. If a

sample of 30 bulbs has an average life of 780 hours, find a 96% confidence interval

for the population mean of all bulbs produced by this firm.

3. A machine produces metal pieces that are cylindrical in shape. A sample of

pieces is taken, and the diameters are found to be 1.01, 0.97, 1.03, 1.04, 0.99,

0.98, 0.99, 1.01, and 1.03 centimeters. Find a 99% confidence interval for the

mean diameter of pieces from this machine, assuming an approximately normal

distribution.

4. A machine produces metal pieces that are cylindrical in shape. A sample of

these pieces is taken and the diameters are found to be 1.01, 0.97, 1.03, 1.04,

0.99, 0.98, 0.99, 1.01, and 1.03 centimeters. Use these data to calculate three

interval types and draw interpretations that illustrate the distinction between them

in the context of the system. For all computations, assume an approximately


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

normal distribution. The sample mean and standard deviation for the given data

are = 1.0056 and s = 0.0246.

(a) Find a 99% confidence interval on the mean diameter.

(b) Compute a 99% prediction interval on a measured diameter of a single metal

piece taken from the machine.

(c) Find the 99% tolerance limits that will contain 95% of the metal pieces produced

by this machine.

5. A random sample of 20 students yielded a mean of = 72 and a variance of

s2 = 16 for scores on a college placement test in mathematics. Assuming the

scores to be normally distributed, construct a 98% confidence interval for σ2.

.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 8
TEST ON HYPOTHESIS FOR A SINGLE
SAMPLE

Introduction

In the previous chapters, how a parameter of a population can be estimated from

sample data using a point estimate or confidence interval was discussed. In many

situations there are two competing claims about the value of a parameter, and whichever

claim is correct must be determined. This can be done by statistical inference. Inferential

statistics is the other branch of statistics which deals with the estimates of population

values called parameters and to make statements about computed statistics acceptable

to some degree of confidence. Statistical inference is the method concerned with making

estimates of population value. This method called hypothesis testing is a help in

determining how accurate the generalizations are. This chapter focuses on the basic

principles of hypothesis testing of means, variance and proportion involving a single

sample of data.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Test hypotheses on the mean of a normal distribution using either a Z-test or a

t-test.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

2. Test hypotheses on the variance or standard deviation of a normal distribution.

3. Test hypotheses on a population proportion.

4. Use the P-value approach for making decisions in hypothesis tests.

8.1. Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is a decision-making process for evaluating the claims about a

population. The goal of this process is to make judgment about the difference between

the sample statistics and a hypothesized population parameter. In this process, the

researcher must define the population under study, state the hypothesis to be

investigated, give the significance level, select a sample, collect data, perform the

required test and reach a conclusion. The z test and t test are statistical tests for

hypothesis testing on means while chi-square test is used for testing the standard

deviation.

Null and Alternative Hypothesis

The null hypothesis, denoted as Ho is the statement of equality indicating no

existence of relationship between the variables under study. This statement is tested for

the purpose of being accepted or rejected.

The alternative hypothesis, denoted as Ha is also termed as research hypothesis. It is

a statement of the expectation derived from the theory under the study.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Type I and Type II Error

In hypothesis testing, there are four possible outcomes.

Reject Ho Do no reject Ho

Ho is true Type I error Correct decision

Ho is false Correct decision Type II error

A type I error occurs if one rejects the null hypothesis when it is true. It is also

referred to as significance level and denoted by the Greek symbol alpha (). The

common values of  are 1%, 5% and 10%. A type II error occurs if one does not reject

the null hypothesis when it is false. It is denoted by a Greek symbol beta ().

Significance Level and Confidence Interval

The level of significance is the maximum probability of committing a type I error. That

is, P (type I error) = . Generally, statisticians agree on using three arbitrary significance

levels: 0.10, 0.05 and 0.01 level. That is, if the null hypothesis is rejected, the probability

of a type I error will be 10%, 5% or 1% and the probability of correct decision will be 90%,

95% or 99%, depending on which level of significance is used. The values of correct

decision is the confidence interval which represents the chance of accepting the null

hypothesis when in fact it is true.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

8.1.1. One-sided and Two-sided Hypothesis

In order to state the hypothesis correctly, the researcher must translate correctly

the claim into mathematical symbols. There are three possible sets of statistical

hypotheses.

1. Ho : parameter = specific value This is a two-tailed test

H1 : parameter  specific value

2. Ho : parameter = specific value This is a left-tailed test

H1 : parameter < specific value

3. Ho : parameter = specific value This is a right-tailed test

H1 : parameter > specific value

8.1.2. P-value in Hypothesis Tests

In hypotheses testing of a discrete test statistic, the critical region may be arbitrarily

chosen. If α is too large, it can be reduced by making an adjustment in the critical value.

It may be necessary to increase the sample size to offset the decrease that occurs

automatically in the power of the test. In statistical analysis, it had become customary to

choose a significance level of 0.10, 0.05 or 0.01 and the critical region is selected

accordingly in which the rejection or non-rejection of the null hypothesis H0 would depend

on. For example, if the test is two tailed and 𝛼 is set at the 0.05 level of significance and

the test statistic involves, say, the standard normal distribution, then a z-value is observed

from the data and the critical region is z > 1.96 or z < −1.96 where the value 1.96 is found

as z0.025 in the table of Areas Under the Normal Curve. A value of z in the critical region

prompts the statement “The value of the test statistic is significant,” which we can then
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

translate into the user’s language. For example, if the hypothesis is given by H 0: μ = 12,

H1: μ  12, one might say, “The mean differs significantly from the value 12.”

The philosophy that the maximum risk of making a type I error should be controlled

is he root of the pre-selection of a significance level. However, this approach does not

account for values of test statistics that are “close” to the critical region. Suppose, for

example, in the illustration with H0: μ = 12 versus H1: μ  12, a value of z = 1.84 is

observed; strictly speaking, with  = 0.05, the value is not significant. But the risk of

committing a type I error if one rejects H0 in this case could hardly be considered severe.

In fact, in a two-tailed scenario, one can quantify this risk as P = 2P (Z > 1.84 when μ =

12) = 2(0.0329) = 0.0658. As a result, 0.0658 is the probability of obtaining a value of z

as large as or larger in magnitude than 1.84 when in fact μ = 12. It is an important

information to the user although the evidence against H 0 is not as strong as that which

would result from rejection at an  = 0.05 level. As a result, the P-value approach has

been extensively used in applied statistics. It is designed to have an alternative, in terms

of a probability, to a mere “reject” or “do not reject” conclusion. The P-value also gives an

important information when the z-value falls well into the ordinary critical region. For

example, if z is 2.75, it is informative for the user to observe that P = 2(0.0030) = 0.0060,

and thus the z-value is significant at a level considerably less than 0.05. It is important to

know that under the condition of H0, a value of z = 2.75 is an extremely rare event. That

is, a value at least that large in magnitude would only occur 60 times in 10,000

experiments.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

A P-value is the lowest level of significance at which the observed value of the test

statistic is significant. It is the smallest level of  that would lead to rejection of the Ho with

the given data.

8.1.3. General Procedure for Test of Hypothesis

The following are the steps in hypothesis testing using the fixed probability of Type I

Error approach.

1. State the null and alternative hypothesis.

2. Determine the level of significance and the direction of test. The direction of test

will be based on whether the alternative hypothesis is stated as left or right tailed

test or as two-tailed test.

3. Determine the appropriate statistical test based on the level of measurement of

the data gathered.

4. Write the decision rule expressing on how to accept or reject the null hypothesis.

5. Compute the test statistic and compare with the critical value. The test statistic

plays a vital role in rejecting or accepting the null hypothesis.

6. State the decision based on the resulting computed value when compared to the

critical value.

7. Draw scientific or engineering conclusion for the given problem.

If you will be testing the hypothesis using Significant Testing or the P-value approach,

follow these steps:

1. State the null and alternative hypothesis.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

2. Determine the appropriate statistical test based on the level of measurement of

the data gathered.

3. Compute the test statistic.

4. Compute the P-value based on the computed value of the test statistic.

5. State the decision based on the resulting P-value and knowledge of the scientific

system.

6. Draw scientific or engineering conclusion for the given problem.

8.2. Test on the Mean of a Normal Distribution Variance Known

Following the steps in hypothesis testing for only single mean, the hypothesized

value referred to as the hypothesized mean (µo).

The null hypothesis is stated as:

Ho: µ = µo

The alternative hypothesis can be written as:

H1 : µ  µo

H1 : µ > µo

H1: µ < µo

The decision rule is stated as follows: reject the null hypothesis if the absolute value of

the test statistic exceeds the critical value. Otherwise, do not reject the null hypothesis.

In order to draw inference on a mean in one-population case assuming that the entries

are normally distributed and the variance is known, Z-test is used. It can be used when

the sample size is equal or greater than 30 (n  30). The Z-statistic, Zc, is the test statistic
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

used in order to lead for the rejection of null hypothesis in favor of the alternative

hypothesis. This is computed as:

𝑋̅ − 𝜇𝑜
𝑧𝑐 =
𝜎/√𝑛

Where 𝑋̅ the computed mean is in the gathered data, 𝜇𝑜 is the hypothesized mean, 𝜎 is

the population standard deviation which is known or given and n is the sample size. The

critical value is obtained using the z-tabular value. For a two-tailed test, the value of 1-/2

written symbolically as z/2 is considered. Otherwise, for one-tailed test the value of 1-

written as z is written.

Figure 1. The Normal Distribution or Z- Distribution for Testing the Hypothesis Ho:  = o
with critical values for (a) H1:   o, (b)  > o, (c)  < o

Example 1. A random sample of 100 students enrolled in Statistics course under

Professor X shows that the average grade in the midterm examination is 85%. Professor

X claims that the average grade of the students in the midterm is at least 80% with a

standard deviation of 16%. Is there an evidence to say that the claim is correct at 5% level

of significance?

Solution:

1. H0 : µ = 80%

H1 : µ > 80%
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

2.  = 0.05, right-tailed test

𝑋̅ −𝜇𝑜
3. 𝑧𝑐 = 𝜎/√𝑛

4. Critical region: z > 1.645. Reject H0 if zc is greater than 1.645

5. Computing for z-statistic:

𝑋̅ − 𝜇𝑜
𝑧𝑐 = 𝜎
√𝑛
85 − 80
=
16
√100
= 3.125
6. Reject H0 since 3.125 is greater than 1.645

7. Therefore, the Professor claim is correct is 5% level of significance.

Using the P-value approach, the P-value corresponding to z = 3.125 is 0.0009 using the

table for Areas Under the Normal Curve. This results to an evidence stronger than the

0.05 level of significance in favor of the alternative hypothesis, H1.

Example 2. A manufacturer of solar lamp claims that the mean useful life of their new

product is 8 months with a standard deviation of 0.5 month. To test this clam, a random

sample of 50 solar lamps were tested and found to have a mean life of 7.8 months. Test

the hypothesis that  = 8 months against the alternative hypothesis that   8 months

using 1% level of significance.

Solution:

1. H0 : µ = 8 months

H1 : µ  8 months

2.  = 0.01, two-tailed test


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

𝑋̅ −𝜇𝑜
3. 𝑧𝑐 = 𝜎/√𝑛

4. Critical region: z < -2.575 and z > 2.575. Reject H0 if -2.575 > zc > 2.575

5. Computing for z-statistic:

𝑋̅ − 𝜇𝑜
𝑧𝑐 = 𝜎
√𝑛

7.8 − 8
=
0.5
√50

= −2.8284, 𝑠𝑎𝑦 2.83

6. Reject H0 since -2.83 is less than -2.575

7. Therefore, the mean useful life of the new product is not equal to 8 months. In fact

it is less than 8 months at 1% level of significance.

Using the P-value approach and considering that this is a two-tailed test, the P-value is

twice as the area to the left of z = -2.83. Using the table for Areas Under the Normal Curve,

𝑃 = 𝑃(|𝑧| > 2.83) = 2𝑃(𝑧 < −2.83) = 0.0046

This results to rejection of Ho at  less than 1%.

8.3. Test on the Mean of a Normal Distribution Variance Unknown

To draw an inference on a mean in one-population case assuming normally

distributed but the variance is unknown and the sample size is less than 30, t-test is used.

The test statistic used is the t-statistic, tc, which is computed as follows:

𝑋̅ − 𝜇𝑜
𝑡𝑐 =
𝑠/√𝑛
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

where 𝑋̅ the computed mean is in the gathered data, 𝜇𝑜 is the hypothesized mean, s is

the sample standard deviation and n is the sample size. The critical value is obtained

using the t-tabular value. For a two-sided test, critical value is obtained at /2 and at a

degree of freedom (d.f.) equals to (n-1), written as t/2 (n-1). Otherwise, for one-sided test,

the value is obtained at  and at a degree of freedom (n-1) written as t (n-1).

Figure 2. T- Distribution for Testing the Hypothesis Ho:  = o with critical values for
(a) H1:   o, (b)  > o, (c)  < o

Example1. The College of Engineering of a State University gives an entrance exam to

incoming freshmen. Those who got scores equal or higher than the set passing are

accepted in the College. The average score of the incoming freshmen was 80% before

the implementation of K to 12 education system. Due to this implementation, the entrance

exam was suspended for two years and it is thought that the quality of the first year

students had diminished. However, with the vision, mission, goals and objectives of the

University and the College towards quality education, the Dean wants to determine if the

quality of freshmen students has changed. He wants to know if it has improved or

diminished so a small random sample of 15 freshmen students and administers the same

entrance exam. The average score is found to be 83% with a standard deviation of 5%.

Determine whether the quality has changed using 1% level of significance.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Solution:

1. H0 : µ = 80%

H1 : µ  80%

2.  = 0.01, two-tailed test

𝑋̅ −𝜇𝑜
3. 𝑡𝑐 = 𝑠/√𝑛

4. Critical region: t =  2.977. Reject H0 if tc is less than -2.977 or greater than 2.977

This is obtained from the table for Critical Values of the t-distribution using /2 = 0.005

and degree of freedom,  = 15 -1 = 14.

5. Computing for t-statistic:

𝑋̅ − 𝜇𝑜
𝑡𝑐 = 𝑠
√𝑛

83 − 80
=
5
√15

= 2.32

6. Do not reject H0 since 2.32 is less than 2.977 but greater than -2.977

7. Therefore, the quality of freshmen students has not changed at 1% level of

significance.

The P-value corresponding to 2.32 is 0.036 or 3.6%. Since this is a two-tailed test, then

𝑃 = 𝑃(|𝑡| > 2.977) = 2𝑃(𝑡 < −2.977) = 0.036


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

8.4. Test on Variance and Statistical Deviation of a Normal Distribution

The chi-square distribution will be used to test a claim about a single variance or

standard deviation. The formula for the Chi-square test for a single variance is given by:

(𝑛 − 1)𝑠 2
𝜒2 =
𝜎2

where n is the sample size, 𝑠 2 is the sample variance and 𝜎 2 is the population variance

with the degrees of freedom equal to (n -1). There are three assumptions for the Chi-

square test: the sample must be randomly selected from the population, the population

must be normally distributed for the variable under study, and the observations must be

independent of each other.

Figure 3. Chi-Squared Distribution for Testing the Hypothesis Ho: 2 = o2 with critical values for
(a) H1: 2  o2, (b) 2 > o2, (c) 2 < o2

Example1. A company claims that the variance of the sugar content of its ice cream is

equal to 25 mg/oz. A sample of 20 servings is selected, and the sugar contents is

measured. The variance of the sample is found to be 36. At 10% level of significance, is

there enough evidence to reject the claim?

Solution:

1. H0 : 2 = 25 mg/oz
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

H1 : 2  25 mg/oz

2.  = 0.10, two-tailed test

(𝑛−1)𝑠2
3. 𝜒 2 = 𝜎2

4. Critical region: 𝜒 2 < 10.117 and 𝜒 2 > 30.144 . Reject H0 if 𝜒 2 is less than 10.117

or greater than 30.144. This is obtained from the table for Critical Values of the

Chi-Squared distribution using /2 = 0.05 and degree of freedom,  = 20 -1 = 19.

5. Computing for 𝜒 2 - statistic:

2
(𝑛 − 1)𝑠 2
𝜒 =
𝜎2

(19)(36)
=
25

= 27.36

6. Do not reject H0 since 10.117 < 27.36 < 30.144.

7. Therefore, the company claim that the sugar content is equal to 25 mg/oz is correct

at 10% level of significance.

8.5. Test on a Population Proportion

The problem of testing the hypothesis considers the proportion of successes in a

binomial experiment equals some specified value. That is, the null hypothesis H o that p =

po, where p is the parameter of the binomial distribution is tested. The alternative

hypothesis may be one of the usual one-sided or two-sided alternatives:

𝑝 < 𝑝𝑜 , 𝑝 > 𝑝𝑜 or 𝑝 ≠ 𝑝𝑜
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The following are the steps in testing a proportion of small samples:

1. H0: p = po

H1: Alternatives are: 𝑝 < 𝑝𝑜 , 𝑝 > 𝑝𝑜 or 𝑝 ≠ 𝑝𝑜

2. Choose a level of significance equal to .

3. Test statistic: Binomial variable X with p = po.

4. Computations: Find x, the number of successes, and compute the appropriate P-

value

5. Decision: Draw appropriate conclusion based on the P-value.

Example1. A home developer claims that solar panels are installed in 65% of all homes

being constructed today in a certain subdivision. Would you agree with this claim if a

random survey of new homes in this subdivision shows that 8 out of 15 had solar panels

installed? Use a 0.10 level of significance.

Solution:

1. H0 : p = 0.65

H1 : p  0.65

2.  = 0.05, two-tailed test

3. Test statistic: Binomial variable X with p = 0.65 and n = 15

4. Computations: x = 8 and npo = (15) (0.65) = 9.75. Using the table for Binomial

Probability Sums, the computed P-value is shown below


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

𝑃 = 2𝑃(𝑋 ≤ 8 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑝 = 0.65)


8

= 2 ∑ 𝑏(𝑥; 15,0.65)
𝑥=0

= 0.5213

5. Do not reject H0 and conclude that there is no enough evidence to doubt the claim

of the home developer.

For large n, approximation is required. When the hypothesized value po is very close to 0

or 1, the Poisson distribution with parameter µ = npo may be used. However, the normal-

curve approximation, with parameters µ = npo and 2 = npoqo, is usually preferred for large

n and is very accurate as long as po is not extremely close to 0 or 1. Using the normal

approximation, the z-value for testing p = po is given by

𝑥 − 𝑛𝑝𝑜
𝑧=
√𝑛𝑝𝑜 𝑞𝑜

which is a value of the standard normal variable Z. Hence, for a two-tailed test at the -

level of significance, the critical region is z < -z/2 and z > z/2. For one-sided alternative

p < po, the critical region is z < -z and for the alternative p > po, the critical region is z >

z.

Example1. A semiconductor company produces microcontrollers for robotic applications.

The company is said to demonstrate capability to the customers if the process produces

defective items not exceeding to 5%. To determine this, a random sample of 200

microcontrollers were tested and found out that there are four defective items. Will you

agree that the company demonstrate process capability at 0.05 level of significance? Use

P-value approach.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Solution:

1. H0 : p = 0.05

H1: p < 0.05


𝑥−𝑛𝑝𝑜
2. 𝑧 =
√𝑛𝑝𝑜 𝑞𝑜

3. Computing for 𝑧 - statistic:

𝑥 − 𝑛𝑝𝑜
𝑧=
√𝑛𝑝𝑜 𝑞𝑜

4 − 200(0.05)
=
√200(0.05)(0.95)

= −1.95

4. The P-value from the Table for Areas Under the Normal Curve, P(z < -1.95) =

0.0256.

5. Since the P-value is less than 0.05, then reject Ho.

6. Therefore at 5% level of significance, the company demonstrates process

capability for the customers.

REFERENCES:

Garcia, George A. Fundamental Concepts and Methods in Statistics, Manila: University of Sto.
Tomas Publishing House, 2004

Montgomery, Douglas C., et al., Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers, 7th ed., John
Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2018

Walpole, Ronald E., et al., Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, 9th ed.,
Pearson Education Inc., 2016
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. A company producing lubricating oil claims that the average content of the

containers is 20 liters. Test this claim if a random sample of ten containers are 20.4,

19.4, 20.2, 20.6, 20.2, 19.6, 19.8, 20.8, 20.6 and 19.6 liters. Assume normal

distribution and use 1% level of significance.

2. It is claimed that personal vehicle is driven 25,000 kilometers per year. Would

you agree with this claim if a random sample of 100 vehicle owners were asked to

keep the records of their travel and showed that an average of 28,500 kilometers

with a standard deviation of 3,950 kilometers? Use P-value in your conclusion.

3. A marketing expert for mobile operating system believes that 40% of the users

prefer android. If 9 out of 20 choose android over IOS, what can you conclude about

the marketing expert’s claim? Use 5% level of significance.

4. If the volume of containers of a particular lubricating oil in Problem 1 is known to

normally distributed with a variance of 0.06 liter. Test this hypothesis against the

alternative that the variance is not equal to 0.06 liter. Use 0.01 level of significance.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 9
STATISTICAL INFERENCE OF TWO SAMPLES

Introduction

The previous chapter discussed hypothesis testing of mean, variance and

proportion for single sample. In this chapter, statistical inference of two samples

concerning means, variances and proportions will be discussed.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Test hypotheses on the difference in means of two normal distributions using either a

Z-test or a t-test.

2. Test hypotheses on the difference between variances of normal distributions.

3. Test hypotheses on the difference between population proportions

4. Use the P-value approach for making decisions in hypothesis tests.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

9.1. Inference on the Difference in Means of Two Normal Distributions, Variance

Known

The test of difference of means is used to determine if there is significant difference

between two populations of the same characteristics. For example, if we want to

determine if there is a significant difference between the performance of two classes of

engineering students enrolled in Statistics. To know this, take a sample from each class,

specify the level of significance and test the hypothesis on the differences of the means

and assume that the performance of the two sections is being compared. The null

hypothesis is stated as follows:

There is no significant difference in the performance of the two classes. In

mathematical symbol: Ho: 1 = 2.

The alternative hypothesis is:

There is a significant difference in the performance of the two classes. Writing this in

symbol: H1: 1  2. This is a two-tailed test.

The performance of the first class is better (or poorer) than the second class. This is a

one-tailed test, either right or left-tailed. The inequality statement is, H1: 1 > 2 or H1: 1

< 2.

For large samples (n  30) and when there are two independent random samples

of size n1 and n2, respectively, which are drawn from two populations with means µ1 and

µ2 and variances 12 and 22 and the random variable is normally distributed, the Z-

statistic can be computed using this formula:


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

̅̅̅1 − 𝑋
(𝑋 ̅̅̅2 ) − (𝜇1 − 𝜇2 )
𝑍=
𝜎1 2 𝜎2 2

𝑛1 + 𝑛2

The two-sided hypothesis on two means can be written as

Ho = 𝜇1 − 𝜇2 = do

And the formula is then reduced to:

̅̅̅1 − 𝑋
(𝑋 ̅̅̅2 ) − 𝑑𝑜
𝑍=
𝜎1 2 𝜎2 2

𝑛1 + 𝑛2

If the population variances are not known, the sample standard deviations (s 1 and s2)

are used in the above formula.

Example1. The Bureau of Agricultural Research is studying two varieties of high

yielding corn. Based on past studies, the difference in yield is significant. To know if

there is really significant difference, the Director of the Bureau decided to conduct an

experiment. Forty hectares of the first variety and thirty hectares of the second variety

are planted and are grown in the same laboratory conditions. After harvesting, yield are

250 sacks for 1st variety with a standard deviation of 20 sacks and 240 for the 2 nd

variety with a standard deviation of 15 sacks. Is there a significant difference in the yield

of the two varieties of corn? Use 1% level of significance.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Solution:

1. Ho: 1 = 2

H1: 1  2.

2.  = 0.01, two-tailed test

̅̅̅̅
(𝑋 ̅̅̅̅
1 −𝑋 2)
3. 𝑍 = , since known are sample variances
𝑠 2 𝑠 2
√ 1 + 2
𝑛1 𝑛2

4. Critical region: Z = 2.575. Reject Ho if Z is less than -2.575 or greater than 2.575.

5. Computing for Z:

̅̅̅1 − 𝑋
(𝑋 ̅̅̅2 )
𝑍=
𝑠1 2 𝑠2 2

𝑛1 + 𝑛2

250 − 240
=
2 2
√(20) + (15)
40 30

= 2.39

6. Do not reject Ho since -2.575 < 2.39 < 2.575

7. Therefore, there is no significant difference in the yield of the two varieties of

corn.

Using the P-value approach

𝑃 = 𝑃(|𝑧| > 2.39) = 2𝑃(𝑧 < −2.83) = 2(0.0084) = 0.0168


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

9.2. Inference on the Difference in Means of Two Normal Distributions, Variance

Unknown

For small samples ( n < 30): If the variance is unknown and they are assumed to be equal,

the test statistic for the pooled t-test (often called the two-sample t-test) is used. It is given

by:

(𝑥
̅̅̅1 − 𝑥
̅̅̅)
2 − 𝑑𝑜
𝑡=
1 1
𝑠𝑝 √𝑛 + 𝑛
1 2

where sp is computed from the pooled variance given by this equation:

2
𝑠1 2 (𝑛1 − 1) + 𝑠2 2 (𝑛2 − 1)
𝑠𝑝 =
𝑛1 + 𝑛2 − 2

When the variance of the two normal population are unknown and are not equal, the

test statistic is given by:

̅̅̅1 − 𝑋
(𝑋 ̅̅̅2 ) − 𝑑𝑜
𝑡′ =
𝑠1 2 𝑠2 2

𝑛1 + 𝑛2

has an approximate t-distribution with approximate degrees of freedom

𝑠 2 𝑠 2
( 𝑛1 + 𝑛2 )2
1 2
𝑣= 2 2
𝑠 2 𝑠 2
[( 𝑛1 ) /(𝑛1 − 1)] + [( 𝑛2 ) /(𝑛2 − 1)]
1 2
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Example1. An experiment was performed to compare the hardness of two different

materials. Twelve pieces of material A were tested by exposing each piece to a Brinell

Hardness Tester. Ten pieces of material B were also tested in the same machine. In each

case the harness was determined and recorded. The samples of material A gave an

average hardness of 85 with a sample standard deviation of 4, while the samples of

material B gave an average of 81 and standard deviation of 5. Will we agree at 5% level

of significance that the hardness of material A exceeds that of material B by more than 2

BHN?

Solution:

Let 1 and 2 be the population means of the hardness of Material A and Material B,

respectively. The population variances are unknown and let us first assume that they are

equal. Since n < 30, t-test will be used.

8. H0 : 1 - 2 = 2

H1 : 1 - 2 > 2

9.  = 0.05, right-tailed test

(𝑥
̅̅̅1̅−𝑥
̅̅̅2̅)−𝑑𝑜
10. 𝑡 = 1 1
𝑠𝑝 √ +
𝑛1 𝑛2

11. Critical region: t > 1.725. Reject H0 if zc is greater than 1.725. (This is obtained from

the Table for the Critical Values of the t-Distribution at degrees of freedom of  =

12 + 10 – 2 = 20 and at and  = 0.05.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

12. Computing for t-statistic:

(𝑥
̅̅̅1 − 𝑥
̅̅̅)
2 − 𝑑𝑜
𝑡𝑐 =
1 1
𝑠𝑝 √𝑛 + 𝑛
1 2

Computing first for sp:

2
𝑠1 2 (𝑛1 − 1) + 𝑠2 2 (𝑛2 − 1)
𝑠𝑝 =
𝑛1 + 𝑛2 − 2

(11)(16) + (9)(25)
𝑠𝑝 = √
12 + 10 − 2

= 4.478

(85 − 81) − 2
𝑡𝑐 =
1 1
4.478√12 + 10

= 1.04

13. Do not reject H0 since 1.04 is less than 1.725.

14. Therefore, we are unable to agree that the hardness of material A exceeds that of

material B by more than 2 units at 5% level of significance.

Using the P-value approach, the P-value corresponding to t > 1.04 is 0.16 which is higher

than 0.05.

9.3. Inference on the Variance of Two Normal Distributions

Now, consider the problem of testing the equality of the variances 12 = 22 of two

populations. The null hypothesis Ho that 12 = 22 against one of the usual alternatives
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

12 < 22, 12 > 22 or 12  22. For independent random samples of size n1 and n2,

respectively, from the two populations, the f-value for testing 12 = 22 is the ratio

𝑠1 2
𝑓= 2
𝑠2

where 𝑠1 2 and 𝑠2 2 are the variances computed from the two samples. If the two

populations are approximately normally distributed and the null hypothesis is true, the

ratio f is the F-distribution with 𝑣1 = 𝑛1 − 1 and 𝑣2 = 𝑛2 − 1 degrees of freedom.

Therefore, the critical regions corresponding to the one-sided alternatives 12 < 22 ad 12

> 22 are, respectively, f < f1- (𝑣1 , 𝑣2 ) and f > f1- (𝑣1 , 𝑣2 ). For the two-sided alternative 12

 22, the critical region is < f1-/2 (𝑣1 , 𝑣2 ) and < f/2 (𝑣1 , 𝑣2 ).

Example1. In testing for the difference in the hardness of the two materials in the previous

example, the variances of the two unknown population are assumed to be equal. Is this

assumption justified? Use a 0.10 level of significance.

Solution:

Let 12 and 12 be the population variances for the hardness of material A and B,

respectively.

1. H0 : 12 = 12

H1 : 12  12

2.  = 0.10, two-tailed test

𝑠 2
3. 𝑓 = 𝑠1 2
2
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

4. Critical region: 0.34 > f > 3.11. Reject H0 if fc is less than 0.34 or greater than 3.11.

(This is obtained from the Table for the Critical Values of the F-Distribution). Take

note that f0.95 which is 0.34 is obtained from:

1
𝑓1−𝛼 (𝜐1 , 𝜐2 ) =
𝑓𝛼 (𝜐2 , 𝜐1 )

1
𝑓0.95 (11,9) =
𝑓0.05 (9,11)

1
=
2.90

= 0.34

5. Computing for f-statistic:

𝑠1 2
𝑓=
𝑠2 2

16
=
25

= 0.64

6. Do not reject Ho since 0.34 < 0.64 < 3.11

7. Thefore the assumption of equal variances is justified at 10% level of significance.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

9.4. Inference on Two Population Proportions

In testing the null hypothesis that the two proportions, or binomial parameters, are

equal, the hypothesis p1 = p2 against the alternatives p1 < p2, p1 > p2 or p1  p2 are tested.

The statistic on which the decision is based is the random variable𝑃̂1 − 𝑃


̂2 . Independent

samples of size n1 and n2 are selected at random from two binomial populations and the

proportion of successes 𝑃̂1 and 𝑃


̂2 for the two samples is computed.

In the construction of confidence intervals for p1 and p2, for n1 and n2 sufficiently large,

that the point estimator 𝑃̂1 and 𝑃


̂2 was approximately normally distributed with mean

𝜇𝑃̂1 −𝑃̂2 = 𝑝1 − 𝑝2

and variance

𝑝1 𝑞1 𝑝2 𝑞2
𝜎 2 𝑃̂1 −𝑃̂2 = +
𝑛1 𝑛2

Therefore, acceptance and critical regions can be established by using the standard

normal variable

(𝑃̂1 − 𝑃
̂2 )– (𝑝1 − 𝑝2 )
𝑍=
𝑝1 𝑞1 𝑝2 𝑞2
√ 𝑛 + 𝑛
1 2

When Ho is true, 𝑝1 = 𝑝2 = 𝑝 and 𝑞1 = 𝑞2 = 𝑞 and the formula for Z becomes

(𝑃̂1 − 𝑃
̂2 )
𝑍=
1 1
√𝑝𝑞 [(
𝑛1 ) + (𝑛2 )]

where the pooled estimate of the proportion p is


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

𝑥1 + 𝑥2
𝑝̂ =
𝑛1 + 𝑛2

Where 𝑥1 and 𝑥2 are the number of successes in each of the two samples. Substituting 𝑝̂

for p and 𝑞̂ = 1 − 𝑝̂ , for the z-value for testing 𝑝1 = 𝑝2 is determined from the formula

(𝑝 ̂2 )
̂1 − 𝑝
𝑧=
1 1
√𝑝̂ 𝑞̂ [( ) + (
𝑛1 𝑛2 )]

Hence, for the alternative 𝑝1 ≠ 𝑝2 at the -level of significance, the critical region is z < -

z/2 and z > z/2. For one-sided alternative 𝑝1 < 𝑝2 , the critical region is z < -z and for the

alternative 𝑝1 > 𝑝2 , the critical region is z > z.

Example1. A telecommunication company proposed construction of a cell site tower in a

certain city. To determine whether this is to be constructed, a vote is to be taken among

the residents of a city and the surrounding barangays. Many residents in the barangays

feel that the proposal will pass because of the large proportion of city voters who favor

the construction. A poll is taken to determine if there is a significant difference in the

proportion of city voters and barangay voters favoring the proposal. If 180 of 300 city

voters favor the proposal and 280 of 500 barangay residents favor it, would you agree

that the proportion of city voters favoring the proposal is higher than the proportion of

barangay voters? Use a 0.025 level of significance.

Solution:

1. H0 : 𝑝1 = 𝑝2

H1:  𝑝1 > 𝑝2

2.  = 0.025, right-tailed test


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

(𝑝
̂−𝑝
1 ̂2)
3. 𝑧 = 1 1
√𝑝̂𝑞̂[(𝑛 )+(𝑛 )]
1 2

4. Critical region: z > 1.96. Reject H0 if z is greater than 1.96.

5. Computing for z-statistic

(𝑝 ̂2 )
̂1 − 𝑝
𝑧=
1 1
√𝑝̂ 𝑞̂ [( ) + ( )]
𝑛1 𝑛2

𝑥1 180
̂
𝑝1 = = = 0.60
𝑛1 300

𝑥2 280
𝑝
̂2 = = = 0.56
𝑛2 500

180 + 280 46
𝑝̂ = = = 0.575
300 + 500 80

𝑞̂ = 1 − 0.5725 = 0.425

(0.60 − 0.56 )
𝑧=
√(0.575)(0.425) [( 1 ) + ( 1 )]
300 500

𝑧 = 1.108

6. Do not reject Ho since 1.108 < 1.96.

7. Therefore, do not agree that the proportion of the city voters in favor of the

construction of the cell site tower is higher that the proportion of the barangay

voters.

REFERENCES:

Garcia, George A. Fundamental Concepts and Methods in Statistics, Manila: University of Sto.
Tomas Publishing House, 2004

Montgomery, Douglas C., et al., Applied Statistics and Probability for Engineers, 7th ed., John
Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2018

Walpole, Ronald E., et al., Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, 9th ed.,
Pearson Education Inc., 2016
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

1. Professor X teaches the course Engineering Data Analysis (EDA) using the

conventional method in one of his classes. He then began to teach the course

using computers and statistical software in the second class. Professor X gives the

same examinations to these two classes. It was observed that the students who

are taught using computers and statistical software tend to get higher scores but

this is not true everytime. He decides to test this hypothesis at 1% level of

significance. From the final exam results, he takes a random sample for 15

students from the first class and 10 from the second class. He gets the following

results: for the class using conventional method: mean of 84 and standard

deviation of 8, while for the second class using computer and statistical software:

mean of 92 and standard deviation of 5. As a student of EDA will you agree with

Professor X?

2. A wire and cable company claims that the average tensile strength of cable A

exceeds that of cable B by at least 15 kilograms. To test his claim, 100 pieces of

each type of cable are tested under similar conditions. Cable A has an average

tensile strength of 87.6 kilograms with a standard deviation of 6.82 kilograms, while

cable B has an average tensile strength of 78.8 kilograms with a standard deviation

of 5.66 kilograms. Test the manufacturer’s claim using a 0.01 level of significance.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

3. A cosmetic company would like to determine the level of acceptance of their

customers who are normally the young ladies (teenagers) and women to its new

product. There are 300 teenagers and 250 women who are randomly selected.

Among the teenagers, 100 affirms that they will buy the product while 65 women

said that they will buy the new product. With these information, is there a significant

difference in the level of acceptance of the new product between the teenagers

and women. Use 5% level of significance.

the same problem about the hardness of two materials, conduct hypothesis testing

but this time assuming that the variances are not equal.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Chapter 10
SIMPLE LINEAR REGRESSION AND
CORRELATION

Introduction

Another area of statistics is regression and correlation which involves determining

whether a relationship between two or more numerical or quantitative variable exists

describe the nature of the relationship, regression is to be used. There are two types of

relationships: simple, when there are two variables under study, and multiple, when there

are many variables under study. Simple relationships can be further classified as positive

or negative. A positive relationship exists when both variables increase or decrease at

the same time. A negative relationship exists when one variable increases while the other

decreases, or vice versa.

The fundamental principles of linear regression and correlational analysis will be

discussed in this chapter. In includes empirical models using linear regression, its

estimation using the least-square approach, hypothesis testing t-test and analysis of

variance (ANOVA), prediction of future observation using the model, determination of the

adequacy of the model using residual analysis and coefficient determination and the

correlation model.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Construct empirical models using simple liner regression.

2. Estimate the parameters in a linear regression model using the Least-Square

Approach.

3. Test hypothesis on simple linear regression

4. Predict future observation using the regression model

5. Determine the adequacy of the regression model using residual analysis and

coefficient determination.

6. Apply the correlation model.

10.1. Empirical Models

Many in engineering and the sciences problems involve analysis of the relationship

between variables. The pressure and temperature of a gas in a container, the velocity

and the area of the channel, and the displacement and velocity are related to each other.

In case of the displacement and velocity relationship, if do be the displacement of the

particle at time t = 0 and v be the velocity, then the displacement at any time t is

dt = do + vt. This is an example of a deterministic linear relationship because the model

predicts displacement perfectly. However, in many situations, the relationship between

variables is not deterministic. For example, the fuel usage of a car (y) and its weight x, or

the electrical energy consumption of a house (y) and the size of the house x, in square
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

feet, y and x are related but the relationships are not deterministic. This means that the

value of y (fuel usage, energy consumption) cannot be predicted perfectly from the

corresponding value of x. It is possible for different cars to have different fuel usage even

if they have the same weight, and it is possible for different houses to consume different

electrical energy even if of the same sizes of the house.

Regression analysis is the collection of statistical tools that are used to model and

explore relationships between variables that are of nondeterministic relationship. It is the

most widely used statistical tools because these types of problems occur so frequently in

many fields of engineering and science.

In this chapter, only one independent variable x will be considered and the

relationship with the response y is assumed to be linear. This may seem to be a simple

scenario, but many practical problems fall into this assumption. For example, in a

chemical process, suppose that the yield of the product is related to the operating

temperature. To build a model to predict yield at a given temperature regression analysis

can be used. It can also be used for process optimization or for process control purposes.

To illustrate, consider the data presented in the table below. This shows the purity

of oxygen (y) produced in a chemical distillation process and the percentage of

hydrocarbons (x) present in the main condenser unit.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Table 1. Purity of Oxygen and Percentage of Hydrocarbons

Observation Percentage of Purity of Observation Percentage of Purity of


Number Hydrocarbons Oxygen Number Hydrocarbons Oxygen

1 0.99 90.01 11 1.02 89.05

2 1.15 91.43 12 1.29 93.74

3 1.46 96.73 13 1.36 94.45

4 0.87 87.59 14 1.23 91.77

5 1.55 99.42 15 1.40 93.65

6 1.19 93.54 16 1.15 92.52

7 0.98 90.56 17 1.01 89.54


8 1.11 89.85 18 1.20 90.39

9 1.26 93.25 19 1.32 93.41

10 1.43 94.98 20 0.95 87.33

A scatter plot diagram of the data in the table above is presented in the next figure.

A scatter plot is a graph of the ordered pair (x, y) of numbers consisting of the independent

variable x, and the dependent variable y. The independent variable, the variable that can

be controlled or manipulated, is plotted on the horizontal axis. The dependent variable,

plotted on the vertical axis, is the variable that cannot be controlled or manipulated. The

purpose of this graph is to determine the nature of the relationship between the variables

which may be positive linear, negative linear, curvilinear, or no relationship.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Figure 4. Scatter plot diagram showing the purity of oxygen and percentage of
hydrocarbon in a distillation unit

It can be seen from the scatter plot diagram that there is no simple curve that will

pass exactly through all the given data points. But there is a strong indication that these

data points lie scattered randomly around a straight line. Therefore, it is probably

reasonable to assume that a straight-line relationship exist between the mean of the purity

of oxygen (y) and the percentage of hydrocarbon present (x). That is𝐸(𝑦|𝑥) = 𝜇𝑦|𝑥 = 𝑎 +

𝑏𝑥, where a and b are the intercept and slope, respectively. They are called regression

coefficients. Although the mean of y is a linear function of x, the actual observed value y

does not fall exactly on a straight line. In order to generalize this to a probabilistic linear

model, it is necessary to assume that the expected value of y is a linear function of x but

for a fixed value of x, the actual value of y is determined by the mean value function of

the linear model with the addition of a random error term. That is: 𝑦 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝜀, where 𝜀

is the random error term. The equation has only one independent variable or regressor
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

and the model is called the simple linear regression model. There are times that a model

like this arises from a theoretical relationship. There is no theoretical knowledge of the

relationship between x and y and the choice of the model will be based on inspection of

a scatter plot diagram, such as the example above. The regression model is then thought

of as an empirical model. Figure 2 shows the scatter plot diagram with added trend line

with an equation of 𝑦 = 75 + 15𝑥. This is obtained by using Excel sheet, plotting the data

points in scatter diagram and add a trend line displaying the equation. The slope and y-

intercept are rounded off to integers. With this model we can determine the value of y for

any given value of x.

Figure 5. Linear regression model showing the relationship of y and x


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

10.2. Regression: Modeling Linear Relationships - The Least Squares Approach

A simple linear regression has only one dependent or response variable (y) and one

independent, regressor or predictor variable (x). Suppose that the value of y at each value

of x is a random variable and that the true relationship between them is a straight line. As

mentioned above, the expected value of y for each value of x is 𝐸(𝑦|𝑥) = 𝜇𝑦|𝑥 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥

where a and b are the intercept and slope, respectively, called regression coefficients.

This assumes that y can be described by this model:

𝒚 = 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒙 + 𝜺

where 𝜀 is the random error term with mean zero and unknown variance. It is also

assumed that the random errors corresponding to different observations are uncorrelated

random variables. Suppose that we have n pairs of observations ( x 1, y1), (x2, y2) ... , (xn,

yn) as in the data presented in Table 1 and in the scatter plot in Figure 1. These data are

to be used for the estimated regression line. The estimates of a and b should result to a

line that is the “best fit” to the given data. Karl Gauss (1777–1855), a German scientist,

proposed estimating the parameters a and b to minimize the sum of the squares of the

vertical deviations as shown in the figure.

Figure 6. Deviations of the data from the estimated regression model


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

This criterion for estimating the regression coefficients is called the method of least

squares. Using this equation, 𝑦 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝜀, the n observations in the sample may be

expressed as 𝑦𝑖 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥𝑖 + 𝜀𝑖 , where 𝑖 = 1,2, … , 𝑛

The least square estimates of the intercept and slope of the linear regression model

are:

𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦
𝑏̂ =
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥

𝑎̂ = 𝑦̅ − 𝑏̂𝑥̅

where:
𝑛 2
(∑𝑛𝑖 𝑥𝑖 )
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥 = ∑ 𝑥𝑖2 −
𝑛
𝑖

𝑛
(∑𝑛𝑖 𝑥𝑖 )(∑𝑛𝑖 𝑦𝑖 )
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦 = ∑ 𝑥𝑖 𝑦𝑖 −
𝑛
𝑖

∑𝑛𝑖 𝑦𝑖
𝑦̅ =
𝑛
𝑛
∑𝑖 𝑥𝑖
𝑥̅ =
𝑛

The “best fit” or estimated regression line is therefore:

𝑦̂ = 𝑎̂ + 𝑏̂ 𝑥

Note that each pair of observations satisfies the relationship

𝑦𝑖 = 𝑎̂ + 𝑏̂𝑥𝑖 + 𝑒𝑖 𝑖 = 1,2, … , 𝑛

where 𝑒𝑖 is called the residual and computed as 𝑒𝑖 = 𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦̂𝑖 . This describes the error in

the fit of the model and the 𝑖 𝑡ℎ observation𝑦𝑖 . In section 10.6 the residuals will be used to

determine the adequacy of the regression or fitted model.

Example1.
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Using the data in Table 1:

n 20

∑ 𝒙𝒊 23.92

̅
𝒙 1.1960

∑ 𝒚𝒊 1,843.21

̅
𝒚 92.1605

∑ 𝒙𝟐𝒊 29.2892

∑ 𝒚𝟐𝒊 170,044.5321

∑ 𝒙 𝒊 𝒚𝒊 2,214.6566

Solution:
𝑛 2
(∑𝑛𝑖 𝑥𝑖 )
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥 = ∑ 𝑥𝑖2 −
𝑛
𝑖

(23.92)2
= 29.2892 −
20
= 0.68088
𝑛
(∑𝑛𝑖 𝑥𝑖 )(∑𝑛𝑖 𝑦𝑖 )
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦 = ∑ 𝑥𝑖 𝑦𝑖 −
𝑛
𝑖

(23.92)(1,843.21)
= 2,214.6566 −
20
= 10.17744
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦
𝑏̂ =
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥
10.17744
=
0.68088
= 14.94748

𝑎̂ = 𝑦̅ − 𝑏̂𝑥̅
= 92.1605 − (14.94748)(1.196)
= 74.28331

Therefore:

𝑦̂ = 𝑎̂ + 𝑏̂ 𝑥

𝑦̂ = 74.283 + 14.947𝑥

The residuals 𝑒𝑖 = 𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦̂𝑖 are used to obtain an estimate of the variance of the error term,

𝜎 2 . The sum of the squares of the residuals is called the error sum of squares is
𝑛 𝑛

𝑆𝑆𝐸 = ∑ 𝑒𝑖2 = ∑(𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦̂𝑖 )2


𝑖=1 𝑖=1

The expected value of the error sum of squares is 𝐸(𝑆𝑆𝐸) = (𝑛 − 2)𝜎 2 . Therefore the

unbiased estimator of variance is

𝑆𝑆𝐸
𝜎̂ 2 =
𝑛−2

Computing for 𝑆𝑆𝐸 and 𝜎 2 using the above data:

𝑆𝑆𝐸 = 21.2498

𝜎 2 = 1.1805
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

10.3. Correlation: Estimating the Strength of Linear Relation

Correlation is a statistical method used to determine if there is a relationship

between variables and the strength of the relationship. Statisticians use a measure called

correlation coefficient. This correlation coefficient measures how closely the points in a

scatter diagram are spread around a line. The symbol for the sample correlation

coefficient is r. The symbol for the population coefficient is the Greek letter, rho ().

Correlation Coefficient can be calculated using the following equation:

𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦
𝑟=
√𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥 𝑆𝑆𝑦𝑦

where

2
(∑ 𝑥)
2
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥 = ∑𝑥 −
𝑛

(∑ 𝑦)2
𝑆𝑆𝑦𝑦 = ∑ 𝑦 2 −
𝑛

(∑ 𝑥)(∑ 𝑦)
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦 = ∑ 𝑥𝑦 −
𝑛

where n is the number of data pairs, SS is the sum of squares.

Example1. Determine the correlation coeffient of the previous example.

𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦
𝑟=
√𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥 𝑆𝑆𝑦𝑦

2
(∑ 𝑥)
2
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑥 = ∑𝑥 − = 0.68088
𝑛

(∑ 𝑦)2
2
𝑆𝑆𝑦𝑦 = ∑𝑦 − = 173.3769
𝑛
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

(∑ 𝑥)(∑ 𝑦)
𝑆𝑆𝑥𝑦 = ∑ 𝑥𝑦 − = 10.17744
𝑛

10.17744
𝑟=
√(0.68088)(173.3769)

= 0.9367

A correlation coefficient of 0.9367 indicates good positive linear relationship between the

two variables. Taking 𝑟 2 = 0.8774, this means that approximately 88% of the variation in

y values is accounted for by a linear relationship with x.

10.4. Hypothesis Tests in Simple Linear Regression

Testing statistical hypotheses about the model parameters and constructing

certain confidence intervals is an important part of assessing the adequacy of a linear

regression model. To test hypotheses about the slope and intercept of the regression

model, the error component in the model, ε, is assumed to be normally and independently

distributed with mean zero and variance 2, abbreviated NID (0, 2).

10.4.1. Use of t-tests

Suppose that we wish to test the hypothesis that the slope equals a constant, say,

β1, 0. Assuming two-sided alternative, the appropriate hypotheses are

H0: 𝑏 = 𝑏0 , H1: 𝑏 ≠ 𝑏0

Because the errors i are NID (0, 2), it follows directly that the observations 𝑦𝑖 are NID

(𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥𝑖 , 𝜎 2 ). Now 𝑏̂ is a linear combination of independent normal random variables and,

consequently, 𝑏̂ is𝑁(𝑏, 𝜎 2 /𝑆𝑥𝑥 ), using the bias and variance properties of the slope. In
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

addition, (𝑛 − 2)𝜎̂ 2 /𝜎 2 has a chi-square distribution with 𝑛 − 2 degrees of freedom, and

𝑏̂ is independent of𝜎̂ 2 . As a result of those properties, the statistic for the slope

𝑏̂ − 𝑏0
𝑡0 =
√𝜎̂ 2 /𝑆𝑥𝑥

where √𝜎̂ 2 /𝑆𝑥𝑥 is the standard error of the slope, 𝑠𝑒(𝑏̂). The same procedure can be

used to test the hypotheses about the y-intercept. The hypotheses are:

H0: 𝑎 = 𝑎0 , H1: 𝑎 ≠ 𝑎0

The test statistic is:

𝑎̂ − 𝑎0
𝑡0 =
1 𝑥̅ 2
√𝜎̂ 2 [ +
𝑛 𝑆𝑥𝑥 ]

1 𝑥̅ 2
where √𝜎̂ 2 [𝑛 + 𝑆 ] is the standard error of the slope, 𝑠𝑒(𝑎̂)
𝑥𝑥

𝑎̂ − 𝑎0
𝑡0 =
𝑠𝑒(𝑎̂)

In both cases, the null hypothesis is to be rejected if the computed value of the test

statistic, 𝑡0 , is such that |𝑡0 | > 𝑡∝/2,𝑛−2

A very important case of the hypotheses H0: 𝑏 = 𝑏0 , H1: 𝑏 ≠ 𝑏0 is H0: 𝑏 = 0 , H1: 𝑏 ≠ 0.

These relate to the significance of regression. Failure to reject the null hypothesis H0:

𝑏 = 0 is equivalent to concluding that there is no linear relationship between the

dependent and the independent variables or that the true relationship between the two

variables in not linear. If the null hypothesis H0: 𝑏 = 0 is rejected, it could mean that the

straight-line model is adequate or there is a linear effect of the independent variable.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

10.4.2. Analysis of Variance Approach to Test Significance of Regression

The Analysis-of-Variance (ANOVA) approach is used in analyzing the quality of the

estimated regression line. It is a procedure where the total variation in the dependent

variable is subdivided into meaningful components that are then observed and treated

systematically. Suppose that we have 𝑛 experimental data points in the usual form (𝑥𝑖 , 𝑦𝑖 )

and that the regression line is estimated. In the previous section, in the estimation of𝜎 2 ,

this identity was established:

𝑆𝑦𝑦 = 𝑏𝑆𝑥𝑦 + 𝑆𝑆𝐸

An alternative and more informative formulation is partitioning of the total corrected sum

of squares of 𝑦 into these two components:


𝑛 𝑛 𝑛

∑(𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦̅) = ∑(𝑦̂𝑖 − 𝑦̅) + ∑(𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦̂𝑖 )2


2 2

𝑖=1 𝑖=1 𝑖=1

Symbolically, 𝑆𝑆𝑇 = 𝑆𝑆𝑅 + 𝑆𝑆𝐸

where SSR is the regression sum of squares which reflects the amount of variation in

the 𝑦 − values explained by the straight line model and SSE is the error sum of squares

which reflects variation about the regression line.

If we are to test the hypothesis, 𝐻0 : 𝛽 = 0 and 𝐻1 : 𝛽 ≠ 0 where the null hypothesis

says that the model is𝜇𝑦|𝑥 = 𝛼. This means that the variation in 𝑌 results from random

chances or fluctuations that are independent of𝑥. In order to this the hypothesis, the f-

statistic is to be used. It is given by this equation:

𝑆𝑆𝑅/1 𝑆𝑆𝑅
𝑓= = 2
𝑆𝑆𝐸/(𝑛 − 2) 𝑠
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

The null hypothesis is to be rejected if 𝑓 > 𝑓𝛼 (1, 𝑛 − 2). A analysis-of-variance table

showing the summary on how to compute for the f-statistic is presented below

Table 2. Analysis of Variance for Testing 𝜷 = 𝟎

Source of Sum of Degrees of Mean square Computed f


Variation Squares freedom

Regression SSR 1 SSR 𝑆𝑆𝑅/𝑠 2

Error SSE n-2 𝑆𝑆𝐸


𝑠2 =
𝑛−2
Total SST n-1

10.5. Prediction of New Observations

One of the reasons for building a linear regression is to predict response values at

one or more values of the independent variable. This section focuses on the errors

associated with that prediction. The equation 𝑦̂ = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 may be used to predict or

estimate the mean 𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 at 𝑥 = 𝑥0 . It can also be used to predict a single value when 𝑥 =

𝑥0 . The error of prediction is expected to be higher when predicting a single value than

when a mean value is predicted. It will then affect the width of intervals for the values

being predicted. To construct a confidence interval for𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 , the point estimator 𝑌̂0 = 𝐴 +

𝐵𝑥0 to estimate 𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 = 𝛼 + 𝛽𝑥0 . It can be shown that the sampling distribution of 𝑌̂0 is

normal with mean

𝜇𝑌̂0 = 𝐸(𝑌̂0 ) = 𝐸(𝐴 + 𝐵𝑥0 ) = 𝛼 + 𝛽𝑥0 = 𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 ,


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

and variance

1 (𝑥0 − 𝑥̅ )2
𝜎𝑌2̂0 = 𝜎𝐴+𝐵𝑥
2
= 𝜎 2
𝑌̅+𝐵(𝑥0 −𝑥̅ ) = 𝜎 2
[ + ]
0
𝑛 𝑆𝑥𝑥

Thus, the (1 − 𝛼) 100% confidence interval on the mean response 𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 can now be

constructed from the statistic.

𝑌̂0 − 𝜇𝑌|𝑥0
𝑇=
1 (𝑥 − 𝑥̅ )2
𝑆√(𝑛) + 0𝑆
𝑥𝑥

which has a 𝑡 −distribution with 𝑛 − 2 degrees of freedom. That is

1 (𝑥0 −𝑥̅ )2 1 (𝑥0 −𝑥̅ )2


𝑦̂0 − 𝑡𝛼 𝑠√𝑛 + < 𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 < 𝑦̂0 + 𝑡𝛼 𝑠√𝑛 + ,
2 𝑆𝑥𝑥 2 𝑆𝑥𝑥

where 𝑡𝛼 is a value of the 𝑡 −distribution with 𝑛 − 2 degrees of freedom.


2

Example 1. Using the above example about the level of purity of oxygen, construct a

95% confidence interval about the mean response. In particular, predict the mean

oxygen purity at 1.00%.

Solution:

The fitted model is 𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 = 74.283 + 14.947𝑥0 and the 95% confidence interval is

1 (𝑥0 − 1.1960)2
𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 ± 2.101√1.18[ +
20 0.68088

when𝑥0 = 1.00%, then

𝜇𝑌|𝑥0 = 74.283 + 14.97(1.00) = 89.23

So the confidence interval is computed

1 (1.00 − 1.1960)2
89.23 ± 2.101√1.18[ +
20 0.68088
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

89.23 ± 0.75

Therefore the 95% confidence interval on 𝜇𝑌|1.00 is

88.48 ≤ 𝜇𝑌|1.00 ≤ 89.98

Now consider the prediction interval for a single response. A (1 − 𝛼) 100% prediction

interval for a single response 𝑦0 is given by:

1 (𝑥0 − 𝑥̅ )2 1 (𝑥0 − 𝑥̅ )2
𝑦̂0 − 𝑡𝛼 𝑠√1 + + < 𝑦0 < 𝑦̂0 + 𝑡𝛼 𝑠√1 + +
2 𝑛 𝑆𝑥𝑥 2 𝑛 𝑆𝑥𝑥

where 𝑡𝛼 is a value of the 𝑡 −distribution with 𝑛 − 2 degrees of freedom.


2

Example 2. Using the above example about the level of purity of oxygen, find a 95%

prediction interval on the next observation of the level of purity of oxygen at 𝑥0 = 1.00%.

Recall that 𝑦̂0 = 89.23.

Solution:

1 (1.00 − 1.1960)2
89.23 − 2.101√1.18 [1 + + ≤ 𝑌0
20 0.68088

1 (1.00 − 1.1960)2
≤ 89.23 + 2.101√1.18 [1 + +
20 0.68088

Simplifying

86.83 ≤ 𝑌0 ≤ 91.63
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

10.6. Adequacy of the Regression Model

Several assumptions are required to fit a regression model. To estimate the

parameters of the model will require the assumption that the errors are uncorrelated

random variables with mean zero and constant variance. Tests of hypotheses and interval

estimation require that the errors be normally distributed. In addition, we assume that the

order of the model is correct. If it is a simple linear regression model, the phenomenon

actually behaves in a linear or first-order manner is assumed. It always necessary to

consider the validity of these assumptions. Analyses to examine the adequacy of the

model should be conducted. These can be done through residual analysis and coefficient

determination.

10.6.1. Residual Analysis


The residuals from a regression model are 𝑒𝑖 = 𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦̂𝑖 , 𝑖 = 1,2, … , 𝑛 where 𝑦𝑖 an

actual observation is and 𝑦̂𝑖 is the corresponding fitted value from the regression model.

Residual analysis is frequently helpful to check the assumption that the errors are

approximately normally distributed with constant variance and to determine whether

additional terms in the model would be useful.

A frequency histogram of the residuals or a normal probability plot of residuals can

be constructed and be used to approximately check the normality.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Figure 7. Patterns for residual plots. (a) Satisfactory (b) Funnel (c) Double bow (d) Nonlinear

Example1. Determine the residuals of the previous problem and plot the graph.

Solution:
Hydrocarbon level, Oxgen purity, Predicted value, Residual,
x y 𝑦̂ 𝑒 = 𝑦 − 𝑦̂
0.99 90.01 89.081 0.929
1.15 91.43 91.472 -0.042
1.46 96.73 96.106 0.624
0.87 87.59 87.287 0.303
1.55 99.42 97.451 1.969
1.19 93.54 92.070 1.470
0.98 90.56 88.931 1.629
1.11 89.85 90.874 -1.024
1.26 93.25 93.116 0.134
1.43 94.98 95.657 -0.677
1.02 89.05 89.529 -0.479
1.29 93.74 93.565 0.175
1.36 94.45 94.611 -0.161
1.23 91.77 92.668 -0.898
1.4 93.65 95.209 -1.559
1.15 92.52 91.472 1.048
1.01 89.54 89.379 0.161
1.2 90.39 92.219 -1.829
1.32 93.41 94.013 -0.603
0.95 87.33 88.483 -1.153
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

Figure 8. Normal probability plot of residuals (left). Plot of residuals versus predicted
values (center). Plot of residuals versus hydrocarbon level

10.6.2. Coefficient Determination


The Coefficient of Determination, 𝑅 2 is often used to judge the adequacy of a

regression model. It is the square of the correlation coefficient between jointly distributed

random variables 𝑋 and 𝑌 and has a value 0 ≤ 𝑅 2 ≤ 1 from the analysis of variance

identity. 𝑅 2 is often referred to as the amount of variability in the data explained or

accounted for by the regression model. For the oxygen purity regression model we
𝑆𝑆𝑅 152.13
have𝑅 2 = 𝑆𝑆𝑇 = 173.38 = 0.877; that is, the model accounts for 87.7% of the variability in

the data. It is always possible to make 𝑅 2 unity by adding enough terms to the model and

therefore 𝑅 2 should always be used with caution.

For example, a “perfect” fit can be obtained with a polynomial of degree n − 1. Generally,

𝑅 2 will increase if a variable is added to the model, but this does not necessarily imply

that the new model is superior to the old one. Unless the error sum of squares in the new

model is reduced by an amount equal to the original error mean square, the new model

will have a larger error mean square than the old one because of the loss of 1 error degree

of freedom. Thus, the new model will actually be worse than the old one. The dispersion
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

of the variable x impacted the magnitude of𝑅 2 . The larger the dispersion, the larger the

value of 𝑅 2 will usually be.

There are some misconceptions about𝑅 2 . It does not measure the magnitude of the

slope of the regression line. A large value of𝑅 2 does not imply a steep slope. Also, 𝑅 2

does not measure the appropriateness of the model because it can be artificially inflated

by adding higher-order polynomial terms to the model. Even if y and x are related in a

nonlinear fashion, 𝑅 2 . will often be large. Lastly, even though𝑅 2 . Is large, this does not

necessarily imply that the regression model will provide accurate predictions of future

observations.

10.7. Correlation

Correlation analysis attempts to measure the strength of such relationships

between two variables by means of a single number called a correlation coefficient. This

correlation coefficient measures how closely the points in a scatter diagram are spread

around a line. The symbol for the sample correlation coefficient is 𝑟. The symbol for the

population coefficient is the Greek letter, rho (𝜌). The value of 𝜌 is 0 when β1 = 0, which

results when there essentially is no linear regression; that is, the regression line is

horizontal and any knowledge of X is useless in predicting Y. Since σ Y2 ≥ σ2, we must

have ρ2 ≤ 1 and hence −1≤ 𝜌 ≤1. Values of ρ = ±1 only occur when σ2 = 0, in which case

we have a perfect linear relationship between the two variables. Thus, a value of ρ equal

to +1 implies a perfect linear relationship with a positive slope, while a value of ρ equal to

−1 results from a perfect linear relationship with a negative slope. It might be said, then,
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

that sample estimates of 𝜌 close to unity in magnitude imply good correlation, or linear

association, between X and Y, whereas values near zero indicate little or no correlation.

The measure 𝜌 of linear association between two variables X and Y is estimated by the

sample correlation coefficient𝑟, where

𝑆𝑥𝑥 𝑆𝑥𝑦
𝑟 = 𝑏1 √ =
𝑆𝑦𝑦 √𝑆𝑥𝑥 𝑠𝑦𝑦

REFERENCES:

Montgomery, Douglas C., et al., Applied Statistics and Probabiliy for Engineers, 7th ed., John
Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2018

Walpole, Ronald E., et al., Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, 9th ed.,
Pearson Education Inc., 20
MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER TEST

Solve the following problems completely.

An article in the Journal of Environmental Engineering (1989, Vol. 115(3), reported the

results of a study on the occurrence of sodium and chloride in surface streams in central

Rhode Island. The following data are chloride concentration y (in milligrams per liter) and

roadway area in the watershed x (in percentage).

x y x y x y

0.19 4.4 0.15 6.6 0.57 9.7

0.70 10.6 0.67 10.8 0.63 10.9

0.47 11.8 0.70 12.1 0.60 14.3

0.78 14.7 0.81 15.0 0.78 17.3

0.69 19.2 1.30 23.1 1.05 27.4

1.06 27.7 1.74 31.8 1.62 39.5

1. Draw a scatter diagram of the data.

2. Fit the simple linear regression model using the method of least squares. Find an

estimate of σ2.

3. Estimate the mean chloride concentration for a watershed that has 1% roadway

area.

4. Find the fitted value corresponding to x = 0.47 and the associated residual.

5. Test the hypothesis H0: β1 = 0 versus H1: β1 ≠ 0 using the analysis of variance

procedure with 𝛼 = 0.01.


MATH 403- ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS

6. Find a 99% confidence interval of Mean chloride concentration when roadway area

x = 1.0%

7. Find a 99% prediction interval on chloride concentration when roadway area x =

1.0%.

8. Plot the residuals versus ŷ and versus x. Interpret these plots.

9. Prepare a normal probability plot of the residuals. Does the normality assumption

appear to be satisfied?

10. Determine the correlation coefficient and the coefficient of determination.


OBTAINING DATA
Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will


be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the different methods of


obtaining data.

2. Explain the procedures in planning and conducting


surveys and experiments.
OBTAINING DATA
Data are facts, figures and information collected on some
characteristics of a population or sample. These can be classified as
qualitative or quantitative data.

Statistics science that deals with the collection, organization,


presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data in order to be
able to draw judgement or conclusion that help in the
decision-making process.
Two Main Division of Statistics
1. Descriptive Statistics
2. Inferential Statistics
STATISTICAL TERMS

Population or Universe refers to the totality of objects, persons,


places, things used in a particular study. All members of a particular
group of objects (items) or people (individual), etc. which are
subjects or respondents of a study.
Sample is any subset of population or few members of a population.
STATISTICAL TERMS

Ungrouped (or raw) data are data which are not organized in any
specific way. They are simply the collection of data as they are
gathered.Data are raw data organized into groups or categories with
Grouped
corresponding frequencies. Organized in this manner, the data is
referred to as frequency distribution.
Parameter is the descriptive measure of a characteristic of a
population
Statistic is a measure of a characteristic of sample
Constant is a characteristic or property of a population or sample
which is common to all members of the group.
Variable is a measure or characteristic or property of a population
or sample that may have a number of different values.
Example

We are going to figure out if all Female over 30 years old can
lose weigh in Vegan diet

Data - Age of subject, weight gain/loss, Name or # of


Population -subject
All female over 30 in Batangas City
Sample - Only the female in our study or in Barangay 1
Parameters - Average weight gained/loss of all female over
Statistics - 30
Average weight gained/lost of female in the
Variable - study
Starting weight of each sample
STATISTICS

Descriptive Statistics deals with the procedures that


organize, summarize and describe quantitative data. It
seeks merely to describe data.
Common tools are :
• Measures of Central Tendency ( Mean, Median & Mode)
• Measures of Variability (Range, Variance, Standard Deviation)

Example
In a our Midterm Exam, 25 out of 50 students were able to receive a
passing grade. The average score of the class is 75 out of 100
STATISTICS

Inferential Statistics, deals with making a judgment or a


conclusion about a population based on the findings from
a sample that is taken from the population.
Common tools are :
• Hypothesis Testing
• Regression Analysis

Example
20% living in our subdivision prefer to drive Toyota cars.
Methods of Data Collection
Data Gathering

▪ A systematic method of collecting and measuring data from


different sources of information in order to provide answers
to relevant questions
▪ The first step in conducting statistical inquiry.
PRIMARY DATA vs SECONDARY DATA

According to Wessel, “Data collected in According to M.M. Blair, “Secondary


the process of investigation are known data are those already in existence for
as primary data.” some other purpose than answering the
question in hand.”

collected for the investigator’s use from collected by some other organization
the primary source. for their own use but the investigator
also gets it for his use
3 Basic Methods of Collecting Data
Through Retrospective Study
1

Retrospective Study
❑ would use the population or sample of the historical data which had been
archived over some period of time

❑ may involve a significant amount of data but those data may contain
relatively little useful information about the problem, some of the relevant
data may be missing, recording errors or transcription may be present, or
those other important data may not have been gathered and archived

These result in statistical analysis of historical data which identifies interesting


phenomena but difficulty of obtaining solid and reliable explanations is
encountered.
Through Observational Study
2

Observational Study
❑ process or population is observed and disturbed as little as possible, and
the quantities of interests are recorded
Through Designed Experiment
3

Designed Experiment
❑ deliberate or purposeful changes in the controllable variables of the system
or process is done
❑ needed to establish cause-and-effect relationships
❑ almost always necessary to e conducted to confirm the applicability and
validity of theories
❑ very important in engineering design and development and in the
improvement of manufacturing processes

Five Stages to be carried out for Designed of


Experiment
• Planning
• Screening
• Optimization
• Testing
• Verification
Planning and Conducting Surveys
Survey

▪ A method of asking respondents some well-constructed


questions.
▪ It is an efficient way of collecting information and easy to
administer wherein a wide variety of information can be
collected.
▪ The researcher can be focused and can stick to the
questions that interest him and are necessary in his
statistical inquiry or study.
▪ depends on the respondents honesty, motivation, memory
and his ability to respond
▪ Answers may lead to vague data.
▪ Surveys can be done through face-to-face interviews or
Designing a Survey

1. Determine the objectives of your survey.


2. Identify the target population sample.

3. Choose an interviewing method.


4. Decide what questions you will ask in what order, and how
to phrase them.
5. Conduct the interview and collect the information.

6. Analyze the results by making graphs and drawing


conclusions.
SamplingTechniques

▪ process of selecting units from a population of interest.


▪ Sampling techniques are necessary in choosing the
respondents.
▪ Sample must be a representative of the target population,
the group about which the researcher wishes to draw
conclusions.
2 Ways of Selecting a Sample
1

Non-Probability Sampling – Biased Sampling


❑ also called judgment or subjective sampling

❑ method is convenient and economical but the inferences made based on


the findings are not so reliable

❑ The most common types of non-probability sampling are


• the convenience sampling
• purposive sampling
• quota sampling.
Convenience Sampling
1 The researcher uses a device in obtaining the information from the respondents
which favors the researcher but can cause bias to the respondents.

Purposive Sampling
2 The selection of respondents is predetermined according to the characteristic of
interest made by the researcher.

Quota Sampling
3 1) Proportional
the major characteristics of the population by sampling a proportional
amount of each is represented
2) Non-proportional
a minimum number of sampled units in each category is specified and
not concerned with having numbers that match the proportions in the
population.
2

Probability Sampling – Random/Unbiased


sampling
❑ every member of the population is given an equal chance to be selected as
a part of the sample

❑ There are several probability techniques. Among these are simple random
sampling, stratified sampling and cluster sampling.
Simple Random Sampling - SRS
1 Basic sampling technique where a group of subjects is selected for study from a
larger group. Each member of the population has an equal chance of being
included in the sample.

Stratified Sampling
2 Sampling technique where subjects are obtained by taking samples from each
stratum or sub-group of a population.

Cluster Sampling
3 Sampling technique where the entire population is divided into groups, or
clusters, and a random sample of these clusters are selected.
PROBABILITY
Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Understand and describe sample spaces and events for random


experiments.

2. Explain the concept of probability and its application to different


situations.

3. Define and illustrate the different probability rules.

4. Solve for the probability of different statistical data.


Probability

▪ It is defined as the likelihood of chance of an event occurring. The


likelihood of an outcome is measured by assigning a number from the
interval [0, 1] or as percentage from 0 to 100%.

▪ Zero probability indicates that the outcome is impossible to happen while


a probability of one indicates that the outcome will certainly happen.

 
Definition of Terms

Experiment any process that generates a set of data

Event consists of a set of possible outcomes of a


probability experiment. Can be one outcome or
more than one outcome.

Simple Event event where one experiment happens at a


time and has a single outcome

Compound Event two simple events taken together usually


expressed as A and B.
Sample Space and Relationships among Events

Sample Space
▪ set of all possible outcomes or results of a random experiment
▪ represented by the letter S

Element of the set


▪ each outcome in the sample space

Event E1 = {1, 3, 5}
▪ subset of the sample space
▪ represented by the letter E E2 = {2, 4, 6}
Example
Draw a tree diagram for tossing a coin 3 times and then
answer the following questions.
What is the probability that tossing a coin 3 times will
result in one head and two tails?

SAMPLE SPACE
HHH, HHT, HTH, THH, TTH, THT, HTT, TTT

one head and two tails, are HTT, THT and


TTH
Venn Diagrams

A B
A B

S S

A B

C S
Example

Toss a Coin Thrice

HHH, HHT, HTH, THH, TTH, THT, HTT, and TTT

S = {HHH, HHT
HHT, HTH
HTH, THH
THH, TTH, THT, HTT, TTT}

E = {HHT, HTH, THH}


Sample Space and Events

We can have more than one event for a sample space but there will be
one and only one sample space for an event.

If we have Events E1, E2, E3, …, En as all the possible subset of sample
space then we have,

 
Example

Rolling a Die

S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

E1 = {1, 3, 5}

E2 = {2, 4, 6}

{1, 3, 5} ∪ {2, 4, 6} = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

E1 ∪ E 2 = S
Null Space

▪ subset of the sample space that contains no elements

▪ denoted by the symbol ∅

▪ also called empty space


Operations with Events
Intersection of Events

▪ The intersection of two events A and B is denoted by the symbol


A ∩ B.

▪ It contains all elements that are common to A and B.

A B

S
Example

A = {3, 6, 9, 12, 15} B = {1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 15, 17}

A B

6 12 1 5

12
8
3 9

15 3 15
17

A ∩ B = {3, 12, 15}


Example

X = {q, w, e, r, t} Y = {a, s, d, f}

X Y

q a

w d
e
s
r
t
f

X∩Y=∅
Mutually Exclusive Events
Union of Events

▪ The union of two events A and B is denoted by the symbol A ∪ B.

▪ It contains all elements that belong to A or to B or to both.

▪ A ∪ B = {x | x ∈ A or x ∈ B}

A B

S
Example

A = {a, e, i, o ,u} B = {b, c, d, e, f}

A B

a e b

e
c
u i

o f
d

A ∪ B = {a, b, c d, e, f, i, o, u}
Example

X = {1, 2, 3, 4} Y = {3, 4, 5, 6}

A B

1 5

6
3 2

4 3 4

X ∪ Y = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Complement of an Event
▪ The complement of an event A with respect to S is the set of all
elements of S that are not in A.

▪ It is denoted as A’.
Ex.
Consider the experiment of rolling a single die.
S={1,2,3,4,5,6}

A B Let A be the event that the roll yields a number


greater than 4 .

A={5,6} P(A)=2/6 or 1/3

A’={1,2,3,4} P(A’) = 1-P(A)


C S = 1-1/3
= 2/3
Example

S = {dog, cow bird, snake, pig}

A = {dog, bird, pig}

A’ = {cow, snake}
Probability of an Event

Where,
n(S) represents number of elements in a sample space of an experiment;

n(E) represents a number of elements in the event set; and

P(E) represents the probability of an event


Probability of an Event

▪ Each probability must lie between 0 and 1 inclusive.

▪ Sum of all probabilities assigned must be equal to 1.

0 ≤ P(E) ≤ 1 and P(S) = 1


Example

Getting an Odd Number after Rolling a Die

S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

E = {1, 3, 5}

 
Rules of Probability
Before discussing the rules of probability, we state the following
definitions:
• Two events are mutually exclusive or disjoint if they cannot
occur at the same time.

• The probability that Event A occurs, given that Event B has


occurred, is called a conditional probability. The conditional
probability of Event A, given Event B, is denoted by the symbol P
(A|B).

• The complement of an event is the event not occurring. The


probability that Event A will not occur is denoted by P (A’).
• The probability that Events A and B both occur is the probability of
the intersection of A and B. The probability of the intersection of
Events A and B is denoted by P (A ∩ B). If Events A and B are
mutually exclusive, P(A ∩ B) = 0.

• The probability that Events A or B occur is the probability of the


union of A and B. The probability of the union of Events A and B is
denoted by P(A ∪ B).

• If the occurrence of Event A changes the probability of Event B,


then Events A and B are dependent. On the other hand, if the
occurrence of Event A does not change the probability of Event B,
then Events A and B are independent.
Rule of Addition

Rule 1: If two events A and B are mutually exclusive, then:

P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B)

Rule 2: If events A and B are not mutually exclusive events, then:

P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A ∩ B)


Rule of Addition

P(A or B) P(A or B)

P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A ∩ B) P(A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B)

If two events A and B are not If two events A and B are


mutually exclusive mutually exclusive
Example

A student goes to the library. The probability that she checks out (a) a work
of fiction is 0.40, (b) a work of non-fiction is 0.30, and (c) both fiction and
non-fiction is 0.20. What is the probability that the student checks out a
work of fiction, non-fiction, or both?

P(F ∪ N) = P(F) + P(N) − P(F ∩ N)

 
Rule of Multiplication
 
Example

A day’s production of 850 manufactured parts contains 50 parts that do not


meet customer requirements. Two parts are selected randomly without
replacement from the batch. What is the probability that the second part is
defective given that the first part is defective?
Let A = event that the first
part selected is defective P(A) = 50/850
P(B|A) = ?
Let B = event that the 2nd
 
part selected is defective
 
Example

An urn contains 6 red marbles and 4 black marbles. Two marbles are drawn
without replacement from the urn. What is the probability that both of the
marbles are black?

Let A = event that the first


marble is black P(A ∩ B) = P(A)P(B|A) P(A) = 4/10 = 2/5
Let B = event that the 2nd
  2/5 * 1/3 P(B/A) = 3/9 = 1/3
marble is black
 
Example

Two cards are selected from a pack of cards. What is the probability that
they are both queen?
Let A = event that the first
card is queen
Let B = event that the 2nd
card is queen P(A ∩ B) = P(A)P(B|A) P(A) = 4/52 = 1/13

  1/13 * 3/51 P(B/A) = 3/51


 
Rule of Subtraction

The probability that event A will occur is equal to 1 minus the probability
that event A will not occur.

P(A) = 1 − P(A′)
Example

The probability of Bill not graduating in college is 0.8. What is the probability
that Bill will graduate from college?

P(A) = 1 − P(A′)

 
Counting Rules Useful in Probability
Multiplicative Rule

 If an experiment is performed in two stages, with


m ways to accomplish the first stage and n ways to
accomplish the second stage, then there are mn
ways to accomplish the experiment.

 This rule is easily extended to k stages, with the


number of ways equal to n1 n2 n3 … nk
Example

A developer of a new subdivision offers prospective home buyers a choice


of Tudor, rustic, colonial, and traditional exterior styling in ranch, two-story,
and split-level floor plans. In how many different ways can a buyer order
one of these homes?

 
Example

Suppose, for instance, that a customer wishes to buy a new cell phone
and can choose from n1 = 5 brands, n2 = 5 sets of capability, and n3 = 4
colors. How many possible ways can a costumer order one of these
phones? Rose gold Cellphone brand
1. Apple
Black
2. Samsung
3. Huawei
Plenty of 4. Oppo
storage White 5. Vivo
space
  A
A great Capabilities
long-lasting
camera
battery 1.A long-lasting battery
Crystal-clear 2.Warp-speed processing
Huawei
display
Silver   3.Crystal-clear display
4.A great camera
Warp-speed
apple 5.Plenty of storage space
processing
 
A
start Vivo long-lasting Colors
battery 1.White
2.Black
Oppo
3.Rose gold
4.Silver
samsung
Example

A company puts a code on each different product they sell. The code is
made up of 3 numbers and 2 letters. How many different codes are
possible?

 
Partitions rule

Suppose a single set of n distinctively different elements exists. You wish to


partition them into k sets, with the first set containing n1 elements, the
second containing n2 elements, ..., and the kth set containing nk elements.
The number of different partitions is

Where,

 
Example

Consider the set {a, e, i, o, u}. The possible partitions into two cells
in which the first cell contains 4 elements and the second cell 1
element are
         

 
Example

In how many ways can 7 graduate students be assigned to 1 triple and 2


double hotel rooms during a conference?

 
Example

You have 12 system analysts and you want to assign three to job 1, four to
job 2, and five to job 3. In how many different ways can you make this
assignment?

 
Example

20 rats are randomly selected to participate in 3 experiments with the first


experiment requiring 4 subjects, the second 10 subjects, and the third 6
subjects. How many ways are there to assign rats to experiments if there
are no further restrictions?
 

 
Example

How many different letter arrangements can be made from the letters in the
word STATISTICS?

 
Permutation Rule

 
Permutation Rule

Consider the number of permutations that are possible by taking


two letters at a time from four letters a,b,c,d.

ab, ac, ad, ba, bc, bd, ca, cb, cd, da, db, and dc
   

 
Example

In one year, three awards (research, teaching, and service) will be given to a
class of 25 graduate students in a statistics department. If each student can
receive at most one award, how many possible selections are there?

 
Example

A president and a treasurer are to be chosen from a student club consisting


of 50 people. How many different choices of officers are possible?

 
Example

How many ways can we award a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize among eight
contestants?

 
Combinations Rule

A sample of k elements is to be chosen from a set of n elements. The


number of different samples of k samples that can be selected from n is
equal to

 
Example

A young boy asks his mother to get 5 Game-BoyTM cartridges from his
collection of 10 arcade and 5 sports games. How many ways are there that
his mother can get 3 arcade and 2 sports games?
 

 
Example

Picking a team of 3 people from a group of 10.

 
Example
Example
Example
THANK YOU
DISCRETE PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTIONS
Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Determine probabilities from probability mass functions.


2. Determine probabilities from cumulative functions and cumulative
distribution functions from probability mass functions.
3. Calculate means and variances for discrete random variables.
4. Understand the assumptions for each of the discrete probability
distributions presented.
5. Select an appropriate discrete probability distribution to calculate
probabilities in specific applications.
6. Calculate probabilities, determine means and variances for each of the
discrete probability distributions presented.
Random Variables and Their Probability
Distributions
Random Variables

A random variable is a variable whose value is subject to variations due to


chance. As opposed to other mathematical variables, a random variable
conceptually does not have a single, fixed value; rather, it can take on a set
of possible different values, each with an associated probability.

Two types of Random Variable

1. Discrete Random Variable - is a random variable that has countable


values, such as a list of non-negative integers.

2. Continuous Random Variable – taking any numerical value in an


interval or collection of interval. Can assure an infinite number of
possible values or measurable values.
Discrete Random Variables

Discrete random variables can take on either a finite or at most a


countably infinite set of discrete values (for example, the integers). Their
probability distribution is given by a probability mass function which
directly maps each value of the random variable to a probability.

For example, the value of x1 takes on the probability p1, the value of x2 takes
on the probability p2, and so on. The probabilities pi must satisfy two
requirements: every probability pi is a number between 0 and 1, and the
sum of all the probabilities is 1. (p1+p2+⋯+pk=1)
Discrete Random Variables
Supposed three electronic components are tested, one is naturally
concerned with the number of defectives that occur. Determine the
values of random variable X which is the number of defective items.
Let X be the number of defective item denoted by D
S = {NNN, NND, NDN, DNN, NDD, DND, DDN, DDD}
Number of Defective
Outcomes
Value of X
NNN 0
NND 1
NDN 1
DNN 1
NDD 2
DND 2
DDN 2
DDD 3
Probability Distribution
Supposed three electronic components are tested, one is naturally
concerned with the number of defectives that occur. Determine the
values of random variable X which is the number of defective items.
Let X be the number of defective item denoted by D
S = {NNN, NND, NDN, DNN, NDD, DND, DDN, DDD}
Number of Defective
Outcomes
Value of X
NNN 0 X 0 1 2 3
NND 1 P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8
NDN 1  
DNN 1
NDD 2
DND 2
DDN 2
DDD 3
Probability Mass Function
Supposed three electronic components are tested, one is naturally
concerned with the number of defectives that occur. Determine the
values of random variable X which is the number of defective items.
Let X be the number of defective item denoted by D
S = {NNN, NND, NDN, DNN, NDD, DND, DDN, DDD}
Number of Defective
Outcomes
Value of X
NNN 0 X 0 1 2 3
NND 1 P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8
NDN 1  
DNN 1
NDD 2
  3/8, if X= 1,2
DND 2
f(x) =
1/8, if X=0,3 Probability mass
DDN 2 0, otherwise function
DDD 3
Probability Histogram
Number of
Outcomes Defective X 0 1 2 3
Value of X
NNN 0
P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8
NND 1
NDN 1
DNN 1
NDD 2
DND 2
DDN 2
DDD 3
Necessary Conditions of Discrete Probability Distributions

Necessary Conditions of Discrete Probability


Distributions
 
Discrete Random Variable: Mean, Variance & Standard
Deviation
Mea
  n

Varianc
e
 

Standard
Deviation

 
Discrete Random Variable: Mean, Variance & Standard
Deviation
From our previous example. Determine the mean, variance and standard deviation of the following
probability
mass function
X P(X) X P(X) X-µ (X-µ)2 (X-µ)2P(X)

0 1/8 =0.125

1 3/8=0.375

2 3/8=0.375

3 1/8=0.125

   
Discrete Random Variable: Mean, Variance & Standard
Deviation

X P(X) X P(X) X-µ (X-µ)2 (X-µ)2P(X)

0 1/8 =0.125 0 -1.5 2.25 0.28

1 3/8=0.375 0.375 -0.5 0.25 0.09

2 3/8=0.375 0.75 0.5 0.25 0.09

3 1/8=0.125 0.375 1.5 2.25 0.28

1 1.5 0.75

     
Cumulative Distribution Functions
Cumulative Distribution Functions

F(x) accumulates all of the probability less than or equal to x.

 
Example

1. Consider a coin flip experiment. If we flip a coin two times, we


might ask: What is the probability that the coin flip would result in
ONE OR Fewer heads?
Cumulative Distribution Function

X 0 1 2

P(X) 1/4 1/2 1/4

F(x) 1/4 3/4 1


Binomial Distribution
Binomial Experiment

A binomial experiment is a statistical experiment that has the following


properties:

❑ The experiment consists of n repeated trials.

❑ Each trial can result in just two possible outcomes. We call one of these
outcomes a success and the other, a failure.

❑ The probability of success, denoted by P, is the same on every trial.

❑ The trials are independent; that is, the outcome on one trial does not
affect the outcome on other trials.
Notation

x: The number of successes that result from the binomial experiment.

n: The number of trials in the binomial experiment.

P: The probability of success on an individual trial.

Q: The probability of failure on an individual trial. (This is equal to 1 - P.)

n!: The factorial of n (also known as n factorial).

b (x; n, P): Binomial probability - the probability that an n-trial binomial experiment
results in exactly x successes, when the probability of success on an individual trial is
P.

nCr: The number of combinations of n things, taken r at a time.


Binomial Distribution

 
Binomial Formula and Binomial Probability

The binomial probability refers to the probability that a binomial experiment


results in exactly x successes.

Given x, n, and P, we can compute the binomial probability based on the


binomial formula. Binomial Formula. Suppose a binomial experiment
consists of n trials and results in x successes. If the probability of success
on an individual trial is P, then the binomial probability is:

 
Example

Suppose a die is tossed 5 times. What is the probability of getting exactly 2


fours?

 
Example

If a car agency sells 50% of its inventory of a certain foreign car equipped
with side airbags, find a formula for the probability distribution of the
number of cars with side airbags among the next 4 cars sold by the agency.

 
Example

The probability that a certain kind of component will survive a shock test is
3/4. Find the probability that exactly 2 of the next 4 components tested
survive.

 
Example

It is conjectured that an impurity exists in 30% of all drinking wells in a


certain rural community. In order to gain some insight into the true extent of
the problem, it is determined that some testing is necessary. It is too
expensive to test all of the wells in the area, so 10 are randomly selected for
testing. Using the binomial distribution, what is the probability that exactly 3
wells have the impurity, assuming that the conjecture is correct?
 

 
Example

The probability that a patient recovers from a rare blood disease is 0.4. If 15
people are known to have contracted this disease, what is the probability
that exactly 5 survive.

 
Cumulative Binomial Probability

A cumulative binomial probability refers to the probability that the binomial


random variable falls within a specified range (e.g., is greater than or equal
to a stated lower limit and less than or equal to a stated upper limit).

 
Example

 
 

   

   

   
Example

  X 0 1 2 3 4

4/16= 6/16= 4/16=


P(X) 1/16 1/16
1/4 3/8 1/4
F(x) 1/16 5/16 11/16 15/16 1
Example

What is the probability of obtaining 45 or fewer heads in 100 tosses of a


coin?

 
Example

The probability that a student is accepted to a prestigious college is 0.3. If 5


students from the same school apply, what is the probability that at most 2
are accepted?
 

 
Example

The probability that a patient recovers from a rare blood disease is 0.4. If 15
people are known to have contracted this disease, what is the probability
that at least 10 survive.

 
Example

The probability that a patient recovers from a rare blood disease is 0.4. If 15
people are known to have contracted this disease, what is the probability
that from 3 to 8 survive.

 
Poisson Distribution
Poisson Experiment

A Poisson experiment is a statistical experiment that has the following


properties:

❑ The experiment results in outcomes that can be classified as successes


or failures.
❑ The average number of successes (μ) that occurs in a specified region is
known.
❑ The probability that a success will occur is proportional to the size of the
region.
❑ The probability that a success will occur in an extremely small region is
virtually zero.
Notation

e: A constant equal to approximately 2.71828. (Actually, e is the base of the natural


logarithm system.)

μ: The mean number of successes that occur in a specified region.

x: The actual number of successes that occur in a specified region.

P (x; μ): The Poisson probability that exactly x successes occur in a Poisson
experiment, when the mean number of successes is μ.
Poisson Distribution

A Poisson random variable is the number of successes that result from a


Poisson experiment. The probability distribution of a Poisson random
variable is called a Poisson distribution.

The Poisson distribution has the following properties:

❑ The mean of the distribution is equal to μ.

❑ The variance is also equal to μ.


Poisson Formula

Given the mean number of successes (μ) that occur in a specified region,
we can compute the Poisson probability based on the following Poisson
formula. Poisson Formula. Suppose we conduct a Poisson experiment, in
which the average number of successes within a given region is μ. Then, the
Poisson probability is:

 
Example

The average number of homes sold by the Acme Realty company is 2


homes per day. What is the probability that exactly 3 homes will be sold
tomorrow?

 
Example

During a laboratory experiment, the average number of radioactive particles


passing through a counter in 1 millisecond is 4. What is the probability that
6 particles enter the counter in a given millisecond?

 
Cumulative Poisson Probability

A cumulative Poisson probability refers to the probability that the Poisson


random variable is greater than some specified lower limit and less than
some specified upper limit.
Example

Suppose the average number of lions seen on a 1-day safari is 5. What is


the probability that tourists will see fewer than four lions on the next 1-day
safari?
 

 
Example

If electricity power failures occur according to a Poisson distribution with an


average of 3 failures every twenty weeks, calculate the probability that there
will not be more than one failure during a particular week.
 

 
CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY
Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, it is expected that the students will be able to:

1. Determine the probabilities from probability density functions


2. Determine the probabilities from cumulative distribution functions
3. Calculate means and variances for continuous random variables
4. Standardize normal random variables
5. Use the table for cumulative distribution function of a standard
normal distribution to calculate probabilities
6. Approximate probabilities for some binomial and Poisson
distributions
7. Use continuity corrections to improve the normal approximations to
those binomial and Poisson distributions.
Continuous Random Variables and their
Probability Distribution
Continuous Random Variables

▪ has a probability of zero of assuming exactly any of its values

▪ its probability distribution cannot be given in tabular form

▪ its probability distribution can be stated as a formula


Continuous Probability Distribution
Continuous Probability Distribution
Continuous Probability Distribution

Properties of
Continuous Probability Distributi

 
Density Formulas

P(x) = 1
Density Formulas
Density Formulas

a b c d
P(x>d)
P(x=c)
P(b<x<c)
P(x<a)
Density Formulas

P(a ≤ x ≤ b) = P(a < x < b) + P(x=a) + P(x=b)


P(a ≤ x ≤ b) = P(a < x < b)
 
Example

a.
b.

 
Cumulative Distribution Function
Example

 
Example

 
Expected Values of Random Variables
Expected Value

 
Variance and Standard Deviation

 
Example

 
Example

   

 
Example

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
Continuous Uniform Distribution

▪ f(x) is constant over the possible values of x

     
Example

Suppose X is a random variable that has a What is P(X>230)?


uniform distribution with a equal to 200 and b equal
 
to 250. What is f(x)?
   

 
Normal Distribution
Normal Distribution

▪ most important and most widely used continuous probability


distribution
▪ Also called Gaussian distribution, after a well known mathematician,
Karl Friedrich Gauss
▪ symmetrical bell-shaped curve
▪ curve never touches the horizontal axis

 
Normal Distribution
Normal Distribution

Characteristics of a Normal
Distribution
 
Normal Distribution
Characteristics of a Normal
Distribution
Standard Normal Distribution
Standard Normal Distribution
Standard Normal Distribution
Standard Normal Distribution
Normal Distribution
The test scores of a EDA class with eight hundred students are distributed normally with a mean of 75 and a
standard deviation of seven.
a what percentage of the class has a test score between 68 and 82
b. how many students have a test score between 61 and 89
c. what is the probability that a student chosen at random has a test score between 54 and 75

 
 
 

 
Normal Distribution
The test scores of a EDA class with eight hundred students are distributed normally with a mean of 75 and a
standard deviation of seven.
a what percentage of the class has a test score between 68 and 82
b. how many students have a test score between 61 and 89
c. what is the probability that a student chosen at random has a test score between 54 and 75
 
b.  

 
 
 

 
Normal Distribution
The test scores of a EDA class with eight hundred students are distributed normally with a mean of 75 and a
standard deviation of seven.
a what percentage of the class has a test score between 68 and 82
b. how many students have a test score between 61 and 89
c. what is the probability that a student chosen at random has a test score between 54 and 75
 

 
Normal Distribution
The test scores of a EDA class with eight hundred students are distributed normally with a mean of 75 and a
standard deviation of seven.
a what percentage of the class has a test score between 68 and 82
b. how many students have a test score between 61 and 89
c. what is the probability that a student chosen at random has a test score between 54 and 75
Example

 
Example

 
Example

 
Example

 
Normal Approximation to Binomial and
Poisson Distribution
Binomial Approximation

The normal distribution can be used as an approximation to the binomial


distribution if X is a binomial random variable.

 
Poisson Approximation

Poisson distribution was developed as the limit of a binomial distribution


as the number of trials increased to infinity therefore the normal
distribution can also be used to approximate probabilities of a Poisson
random variable.

 
Continuity Correction
Example
Example
Example
Let say we have b(x;n,p) = b (4; 15,0.4)
Example
Example

 
Example 1: Poisson Approximation
Example 1: Poisson Approximation
Example 2: Poisson Approximation
Example 2: Poisson Approximation
Exponential Distribution
Exponential Distribution

   
Example

 
 

   

 
 
Example

 
Example
A checkout counter at a supermarket completes the process according to an exponential distribution with a service
rate at 6 per hour. A customer arrives at the checkout counter.
Find the probability of the following events.
a. The service is completed in fewer than 5 minutes
b. The customer leaves the checkout counter more than 10 minutes after arriving
c. The service is completed in a time between 5 and 8 minutes
Example
A checkout counter at a supermarket completes the process according to an exponential distribution with a service
rate at 6 per hour. A customer arrives at the checkout counter.
Find the probability of the following events.
a. The service is completed in fewer than 5 minutes
b. The customer leaves the checkout counter more than 10 minutes after arriving
c. The service is completed in a time between 5 and 8 minutes
Example
A checkout counter at a supermarket completes the process according to an exponential distribution with a service
rate at 6 per hour. A customer arrives at the checkout counter.
Find the probability of the following events.
a. The service is completed in fewer than 5 minutes
b. The customer leaves the checkout counter more than 10 minutes after arriving
c. The service is completed in a time between 5 and 8 minutes

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