
#Finding cdf from pdf pdf#
Problem 6.2.1 Solution We are given that W X +Y and that the joint PDF of X and Y is fX,Y (x,y) 2 0 x y 1 0 otherwise (1) We are asked to nd the PDF of W. The following graphs illustrate these distributions.The rst step is to nd the CDF of W, FW(w). In this chapter and the next, we will study the uniform distribution, the exponential distribution, and the normal distribution. When using a continuous probability distribution to model probability, the distribution used is selected to model and fit the particular situation in the best way. There are many continuous probability distributions. When we use formulas to find the area in this textbook, the formulas were found by using the techniques of integral calculus. In general, integral calculus is needed to find the area under the curve for many probability density functions. We will find the area that represents probability by using geometry, formulas, technology, or probability tables.

P(c Probability is found for intervals of x values rather than for individual x values.


The curve is called the probability density function (abbreviated as pdf). The probability of a specific value of a continuous random variable will be zero because the area under a point is zero. Notice that the horizontal axis, the random variable x, purposefully did not mark the points along the axis. In this case, we were being a bit casual because the random variables of a Poisson distribution are discrete, whole numbers, and a box has width. Again with the Poisson distribution in Chapter 4, the graph in Example 4.14 used boxes to represent the probability of specific values of the random variable. The relative area for a range of values was the probability of drawing at random an observation in that group.

We have already met this concept when we developed relative frequencies with histograms in Chapter 2. Probability is represented by area under the curve. The graph of a continuous probability distribution is a curve. Continuous Random Variables 26 Properties of Continuous Probability Density Functions
