Introduction to Statistics and Probability
➢ Statistics is a discipline that combines mathematics, economics, research, and
the practicalities of life. It is needed for gathering reliable data to come up with
a reasonable decision.
- Poll and survey are the two ways to conduct and collect data.
➢ When we think of chances, we think of the probabilities of an event.
Competitions, games (in an arcade, there are several games/chance games),
and opportunities have random outcomes because the outcome is uncertain.
o In probability, when we do an activity that can be repeatedly done
under similar conditions, we are doing an experiment.
➢ Chance events are the occurrence of events in the absence of any obvious
intention or cause. The outcomes of chance events are uncertain.
➢ The result of a trial in an experiment is called an outcome.
➢ Note that the result of all the possible outcomes in an experiment is called a
sample space. Sample space is often used in getting the probability of an
event.
➢ Example:
o Tossing a coin. We toss the coin to see the outcome.
o Since tossing a coin resulted in the head, the head is the outcome.
o The all-possible outcomes of tossing a coin are head and tail. In this
case, the sample space is either a head or tail.
o Tossing a coin, rolling a die are chance events because the outcome is
uncertain.
RANDOM VARIABLES
➢ A numerical quantity that is assigned to the outcome of an experiment.
➢ It is a variable that assumes numerical values associated with the events of
the experiment.
➢ A random variable is a result of a chance event that you measure or count.
➢ A random variable is denoted by an uppercase letter and its possible
values are denoted by a lowercase letter.
➢ It is a capacity that connects a real number with every component in the
sample space.
➢ t is a variable whose qualities are controlled by chance.
TWO TYPES OF RANDOM VARIABLES:
➢ Discrete Random Variable
o It is one that can assume only a countable number of values.
o It is a random variable whose possible values form a finite or
countable set of numbers.
Examples:
1. number of pencils in the box
2. number of soldiers in a troop
3. number of defective flashlights
➢ Continuous Random Variable
o Can assume infinite numbers in one or more intervals.
o Can take any values within a range including fractions and decimal.
o Take an interminably uncountable number of potential values,
regularly, measurable amounts.
o It is generated from an experiment in which things are counted but
not measured.
➢ Two definitions of the continuous random variable that differs upon the
given statement:
o Counted but not measured
▪ If the given statement can compare two or more things.
▪ Example: A roll of wire bought in two different stores.
▪ Explanation: We can say that the number of rolls is not
specified but from the construction of the statement, we can
count that there is 1 roll of wire. Though we can’t say the exact
measurement of wires and we can’t assure that the
measurement of the wires is the same.
o Measured but not counted
▪ Things that are measurable like weight, height, distance, time,
etc. that can’t be counted.
▪ Example:
▪ The height of a mango tree in a farm.
▪ Explanation: Height is being asked in the given statement and
it is not countable and is only obtained by measuring.
PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION
➢ A Probability Distribution of a discrete random variable is a correspondence
that assigns probabilities to the values of a random variable.
➢ This is also known as Probability Mass Function.
Example 1: Suppose three coins are tossed and we are interested to determine
the number of tails that will come out. Let us use T to represent the number of
tails that will come out.
a. Determine the values of the random variable T &
b. Construct the probability distribution
➢ STEP 1 AND STEP 2: Know all the possible outcomes and the values of
Random Variable T.
Possible Outcomes Number of Tails (Values of T)
TTT 3
THT 2
TTH 2
HTT 2
THH 1
HTH 1
HHT 1
HHH 0
➢ The values of the Random Variable T (number of tails) are 0, 1, 2 and 3.
➢ STEP 3: Construct the frequency distribution of the values of random
variable T.
Number of Tails (Value of T) Number of Occurrence (Frequency)
3 1
2 3
1 3
0 1
Total 8
➢ STEP 4: Construct the probability distribution of random variable T by getting
the probability occurrence of each value of the random variable.
Number of Tails (Values Number of Occurrence Probability
of T) (Frequency) P(T)
3 1 1/8
2 3 3/8
1 3 3/8
0 1 1/8
Total 8 1/8 + 3/8 + 3/8 + 1/8 =
8/8
➢ The probability distribution of random variable T can be written as follows.
T 3 2 1 0
P(T) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8
➢ Ways to determine if the given is probability distribution or not:
o The probabilities for each value of X can be greater than or equal to
0 and less than or equal to 1.
o The sum of probabilities must be exactly 1.
