SH1660

RANDOM VARIABLE
· A random variable is a function whose value is a real number determined by each element in
the sample space.

Examples of Random Variable:

· An experiment consisting of rolling a pair of dice
· The number of words an employee in !" Company can type in a minute
· The evening shift at a call center company begins at 6 PM. Past experiences show that at least
seven (7) calls are logged by 7 PM. The random variable # denotes the time when the first call
of the night is received.

TYPES OF RANDOM VARIABLE

Ø Discrete Random Variable - A random variable that can take only countable values, or if it’s
set of possible values is in one-to-one correspondence with a subset of natural numbers.
Ø Continuous Random Variable - A random variable that can assume an infinite number of
values in an interval between two specific values. The values are often results of measurement.

DISCRETE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION

A discrete probability distribution is a table, a graph, or a formula listing all possible values
that a discrete random variable can take on, along with the associated probabilities.

The probability distribution for a random variable describes how probabilities are distributed
over the values of the random variable. For a discrete random variable $, the probability distribution
is defined as the probability function, denoted by %($). The probability function provides the
probability for each value of the random variable

Properties of a Discrete Probability Distribution

Let %($) be the probability of a random variable $.

1. 0 ≤ %($) ≤ 1 0 ≤ %($) ≤ 1
2. ∑ %($) = 1

01 Handout 1 *Property of STI

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 SH1660

Take note that if a real number $ is not a possible value for a random variable , then it has a
probability of 0, i.e. [%($) = 0]

Probability Mass Function (or PMF) and its corresponding Probability Histogram

1
+($) =
,
Where , = number of values the random variable may
assume

Example on Probability Mass Function:

A Math tutor determined that it takes either one (1), two (2), or three (3) sessions for a 3rd Grade
student to learn the multiplication table. Let $ be the number of sessions needed for a 3rd Grade student
to learn the multiplication table. The following probability function represents %( = $):

$
+($) = , +./ $ = 1, 2, ./ 3
6

01 Handout 1 *Property of STI

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