Problem Set 2

Probability and random variables

HS550: Statistical Methods
Feb-Jun 2019

1. In a family with 4 children, what is the probability that there will be two boys and two girls?

2. In the first game Méré wins if in 4 rolls of a fair die there is atleast one 6. In a second game he wins if in 24
rolls of two fair dice there is atleast one pair of 6s. In which game he has a higher probability of win?

3. A bag contains 100 pens, 50 of them are red and the rest are blue. Select 5 pens at random at one go. What
is the probability that 3 are blue and 2 are red? If you draw them one by one, what is the probability that
they will appear in the order BBBRR?

4. Three urns contain, respectively 4 white and 2 black chips, 2 white and 4 black chips, 3 white and three
black chips. Suppose a chip is chosen at random and is found to be white. What is the probability that the
first urn is chosen?

5. What is the probability of drawing a king and a queen consecutively from a deck of 52 cards, without
replacement?

6. Let X be a discrete random variable assuming probability (i.e. the probability mass function is given as)
Px (x) = ½ for x=0
1/3 for x=1
1/6 for x=2
0 otherwise
Find the range of the random variable X. Find P(X≥1.5). Find Prob(0≤X≤2). What is E(X) and V(X)

7. Let X be a continuous random variable with the following probability density function:
FX (X) = ce-x for x≥0,
0 otherwise
Where c is a positive constant.
Find c. Find the cumulative distribution function of X. Find Prob(1≤X≤3)

8. Let X be a continuous random variable with the following probability density function:
FX (X) = 2x for 0 ≤x ≤1,
0 otherwise
Find expected value of X

9. Assuming that the probability of a new born to be a boy is 0.51, find the probability distribution of number
of boys in a family of four children. In a sample of 500 couples how many do you expect to have a) exactly
1 boy, b) exactly 1 girl, c) at least 1 boy?

10. An unbiased coin is thrown three times. If the random variable X denotes the number of heads obtained,
find out the cumulative distribution function of X.

11. The probability density function of a random variable is given by

FX (X) = k(x-1)(2-x) where 1 ≤x ≤2

Determine the following:

a. The value of the constant k
b. The cumulative distribution functions
c. The probability that the random variable lies between 5/4 and 3/2