Exponential Distribution
Definitions: A continuous RV X is said to follow an exponential distribution or negative
exponential distribution with parameter λ> 0, if its probability density function is given
by
Mean and Variance of the Exponential Distribution
Raw moments about the origin of the exponential distribution are given by
E(X) = Mean of the exponential distribution
Graphs of several exponential pdf’s
The exponential probability distribution is useful in
describing the time it takes to complete a task.
The exponential random variables can be used to describe:
•Time between vehicle arrivals at a toll booth
•Time required to complete a questionnaire
•Distance between major defects in a highway
In waiting line applications, the exponential distribution is
often used for service times.
Memoryless Property of the Exponential Distribution
Another important application of the exponential distribution is to model the
distribution of component lifetime.
A partial reason for the popularity of such applications is the “memoryless”
property of the exponential distribution.
(1)
Ex: The mileage which car owners get with a certain kind of radial tire is a RV having
an exponential distribution with mean 40,000 km. Find the probabilities that one of
these tires will last (i) at least 20,000 km and (ii) at most 30,000 km.
Solution Let X denote the mileage obtained with the tire
Ex: The time (in hours) required to repair a machine is exponentially distributed with
parameter λ = 1/2.
(a) What is the probability that the repair time exceeds 2 h?
(b) What is the conditional probability that a repair takes at least 10 h given
that its duration exceeds 9 h?
Solution If X represents the time to repair the machine, the density function of
X is given by
(by the memoryless property)