Chapter 3

Numerical characteristics of a random variable, some special random variables

In this chapter, we discuss the following material. In Section 3.1, the concepts of expectation and variance of a r.v. are introduced and interpretations are provided. Higher order moments are also defined and their significance is pointed out. Also, the moment generating function of a r.v. is defined and its usefulness as a mathematical tool is commented upon. In Section 3.2, the Markov and Tchebichev inequalities are introduced and their role in estimating probabilities is explained. Section 3.3 is devoted to discussing some of the most commonly occurring distributions: They are the Binomial, Geometric, Poisson, Hypergeometric, Gamma (Negative Exponential ...

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