CHAPTER 2
Discrete Random Variables
Chapter Objectives
• Define random variables
• Define discrete random variables and the probability mass function
• Introduce the hypergometric, binomial, and Poisson distributions
• Define the mean, the variance, and functions of a random variable
• Introduce the moment-generating function
2.1 Introduction
Outcomes of random experiments take many different forms. They could be colors, such as when we select a cube from a bag and note its color. They could be yes-or-no answers to questions, such as when we ask people if they support a candidate running for office. Or they could be sequences of results from a set of trials, such as when we flip a coin three times.
It is often convenient to associate a number ...
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