My Math Forum If (f(x) = e^-x find ..

 Algebra Pre-Algebra and Basic Algebra Math Forum

 November 29th, 2013, 05:31 AM #1 Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 872 Thanks: 0 If (f(x) = e^-x find .. Hi I found 2 questions with answers in my handout. 1 - If f(x) = e^-x for x>0 find a) p(x = 3 ) b) p(x<4 ) I found the answer of this question for a = 0 but why?? for b the integration was from x= 0 to 4 why from 0 to 4 and we given in question x>0 so that mean x not become 0 ------------------------ 2 - If f(x) = x/8 for 3
November 29th, 2013, 07:04 AM   #2
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2007

Posts: 2,409
Thanks: 3

Re: If (f(x) = e^-x find ..

Quote:
 Originally Posted by r-soy Hi I found 2 questions with answers in my handout 1 - If f(x) = e^-x for x>0 find a) p(x = 3 ) b) p(x<4 )
As stated, the problem makes no sense. Are we to assume that "f(x)" is a probability density function and that "p(x)" is the corresponding cumulative probability function? It would have helped if you had told us that!

Assuming that, then, by definition of "probability density function" and "cumulative probability functions", $p(x=< a)= \int_0^a f(x)dx$. Did you not know that? And, from that, $p(a\le x\le b)= \int_a^b f(x) dx$. In particular, $p(x= a)= p(a\le x\le a)= \int_a^a f(x)dx= 0$ for any f(x).

Quote:
 I found the answer of this question for a = 0 but why?? For b the integration was from x= 0 to 4. Why from 0 to 4 and we given in question x>0 so that mean x not become 0
Well, what lower bound would you use if x can be arbitrarily close to 0? The "area" of a line is 0 so the "area" of a region for "x> 0" is exactly the same as the area of a region for "$x\ge 0$". Here, I am thinking of the integral as giving the "area under the curve".

Quote:
 ------------- 2 - If f(x) = x/8 for 3
The integral "to 4" because you were asked for p(x< 4). It is "from 3" because f(x)= 0 below x= 3.
(You could think of this as $\int_{-\infty}^4 f(x)dx$ but because f(x)= 0 for x< 3, that is the same as $\int_3^4 f(x) dx$.)

As for the mean, do you not know the definition of "mean" of a probability distribution? The mean value for probability density function f(x) is defined as $\int x f(x)dx$. Here, since f(x) is defined to be x/8 for x between 3 and 5 (and 0 for all other x), that is $\int_3^5 x(x/dx= \frac{1}{8}\int_3^5 x^2 dx" />.
Quote:
 b) How we can find mean?

 November 29th, 2013, 07:49 AM #3 Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 872 Thanks: 0 Re: If (f(x) = e^-x find .. Thanks so much.

 Tags find

 Thread Tools Display Modes Linear Mode

 Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post kingkos Algebra 5 November 25th, 2012 12:40 AM kevinman Algebra 8 March 8th, 2012 06:53 AM

 Contact - Home - Top