Determining whether two events are “the same” or not
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I was studying probability theory using the textbook Introduction to Probability (2e) - Blitzstein & Hwang. I came across an example problem from a chapter regarding join distributions and had a question regarding a step in the solution. Here's the specific example question that I'm referring to:
Suppoe a chicken lays a random number of eggs, $N$ where $N$ follows Pois($lambda$). Each egg independently hatches with probability $p$. Let $X$ be the number of eggs that hatch and $Y$ be the number of eggs that fail to hatch. What is the joint PMF of $X$ and $Y$?
Textbook Solution (paraphrased):
Because the number of eggs depends on $N$, the total number of eggs laid, we must condition on $N$.
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = sum_{n = 0}^infty P(X=i, Y=j | N=n)P(N=n)$$
Among the possible values of $n$, the only one that is relevant is when $n=i + j$ due to the fact that any other case would not be consistent with the number of eggs hatched and the number of eggs that failed to hatch, since $X+Y$ must equal $N$. Therefore, we can drop all of the other terms in the summation, which leaves us with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, Y=j | N=i + j)P(N=i+j)$$
Conditional on $N=i+j$, the events $X=i$ and $Y=j$ are exactly the same event. We can therefore drop either $X$ or $Y$ and find the joint PMF with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, | N=i+j)P(N=i+j)$$
I omitted the remaining calculations as they are irrelevant to my question. The sentence that I put in bold print is the particular sentence that is confusing me.
How are $X$ and $Y$ - the number of eggs that hatch and don't hatch, respectively - the same events?
My initial understanding would be that due to the strong dependent relationship they have (i.e. knowing the value of one random variable automatically gives us the value of the other), we are able to reach this conclusion.
Is my assumption correct? Perhaps the way that the sentence was worded is confusing me.
Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.
probability independence
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I was studying probability theory using the textbook Introduction to Probability (2e) - Blitzstein & Hwang. I came across an example problem from a chapter regarding join distributions and had a question regarding a step in the solution. Here's the specific example question that I'm referring to:
Suppoe a chicken lays a random number of eggs, $N$ where $N$ follows Pois($lambda$). Each egg independently hatches with probability $p$. Let $X$ be the number of eggs that hatch and $Y$ be the number of eggs that fail to hatch. What is the joint PMF of $X$ and $Y$?
Textbook Solution (paraphrased):
Because the number of eggs depends on $N$, the total number of eggs laid, we must condition on $N$.
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = sum_{n = 0}^infty P(X=i, Y=j | N=n)P(N=n)$$
Among the possible values of $n$, the only one that is relevant is when $n=i + j$ due to the fact that any other case would not be consistent with the number of eggs hatched and the number of eggs that failed to hatch, since $X+Y$ must equal $N$. Therefore, we can drop all of the other terms in the summation, which leaves us with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, Y=j | N=i + j)P(N=i+j)$$
Conditional on $N=i+j$, the events $X=i$ and $Y=j$ are exactly the same event. We can therefore drop either $X$ or $Y$ and find the joint PMF with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, | N=i+j)P(N=i+j)$$
I omitted the remaining calculations as they are irrelevant to my question. The sentence that I put in bold print is the particular sentence that is confusing me.
How are $X$ and $Y$ - the number of eggs that hatch and don't hatch, respectively - the same events?
My initial understanding would be that due to the strong dependent relationship they have (i.e. knowing the value of one random variable automatically gives us the value of the other), we are able to reach this conclusion.
Is my assumption correct? Perhaps the way that the sentence was worded is confusing me.
Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.
probability independence
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I was studying probability theory using the textbook Introduction to Probability (2e) - Blitzstein & Hwang. I came across an example problem from a chapter regarding join distributions and had a question regarding a step in the solution. Here's the specific example question that I'm referring to:
Suppoe a chicken lays a random number of eggs, $N$ where $N$ follows Pois($lambda$). Each egg independently hatches with probability $p$. Let $X$ be the number of eggs that hatch and $Y$ be the number of eggs that fail to hatch. What is the joint PMF of $X$ and $Y$?
Textbook Solution (paraphrased):
Because the number of eggs depends on $N$, the total number of eggs laid, we must condition on $N$.
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = sum_{n = 0}^infty P(X=i, Y=j | N=n)P(N=n)$$
Among the possible values of $n$, the only one that is relevant is when $n=i + j$ due to the fact that any other case would not be consistent with the number of eggs hatched and the number of eggs that failed to hatch, since $X+Y$ must equal $N$. Therefore, we can drop all of the other terms in the summation, which leaves us with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, Y=j | N=i + j)P(N=i+j)$$
Conditional on $N=i+j$, the events $X=i$ and $Y=j$ are exactly the same event. We can therefore drop either $X$ or $Y$ and find the joint PMF with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, | N=i+j)P(N=i+j)$$
I omitted the remaining calculations as they are irrelevant to my question. The sentence that I put in bold print is the particular sentence that is confusing me.
How are $X$ and $Y$ - the number of eggs that hatch and don't hatch, respectively - the same events?
My initial understanding would be that due to the strong dependent relationship they have (i.e. knowing the value of one random variable automatically gives us the value of the other), we are able to reach this conclusion.
Is my assumption correct? Perhaps the way that the sentence was worded is confusing me.
Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.
probability independence
I was studying probability theory using the textbook Introduction to Probability (2e) - Blitzstein & Hwang. I came across an example problem from a chapter regarding join distributions and had a question regarding a step in the solution. Here's the specific example question that I'm referring to:
Suppoe a chicken lays a random number of eggs, $N$ where $N$ follows Pois($lambda$). Each egg independently hatches with probability $p$. Let $X$ be the number of eggs that hatch and $Y$ be the number of eggs that fail to hatch. What is the joint PMF of $X$ and $Y$?
Textbook Solution (paraphrased):
Because the number of eggs depends on $N$, the total number of eggs laid, we must condition on $N$.
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = sum_{n = 0}^infty P(X=i, Y=j | N=n)P(N=n)$$
Among the possible values of $n$, the only one that is relevant is when $n=i + j$ due to the fact that any other case would not be consistent with the number of eggs hatched and the number of eggs that failed to hatch, since $X+Y$ must equal $N$. Therefore, we can drop all of the other terms in the summation, which leaves us with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, Y=j | N=i + j)P(N=i+j)$$
Conditional on $N=i+j$, the events $X=i$ and $Y=j$ are exactly the same event. We can therefore drop either $X$ or $Y$ and find the joint PMF with,
$$P(X=i, Y=j) = P(X=i, | N=i+j)P(N=i+j)$$
I omitted the remaining calculations as they are irrelevant to my question. The sentence that I put in bold print is the particular sentence that is confusing me.
How are $X$ and $Y$ - the number of eggs that hatch and don't hatch, respectively - the same events?
My initial understanding would be that due to the strong dependent relationship they have (i.e. knowing the value of one random variable automatically gives us the value of the other), we are able to reach this conclusion.
Is my assumption correct? Perhaps the way that the sentence was worded is confusing me.
Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.
probability independence
probability independence
asked Nov 17 at 7:13
Sean
23510
23510
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
The given statement means that $P(X=i)=P(Y=j)$ provided that $i+j=N$ is a constant. Now from the description of $X$ and $Y$, $Xsimoperatorname{binom}(N,p)$ and $Ysimoperatorname{binom}(N,1-p)$, so
$$P(X=i)=binom{i+j}ip^i(1-p)^j$$
and
$$P(Y=j)=binom{i+j}j(1-p)^jp^i$$
It is well-known that $binom{i+j}i=binom{i+j}j$. The equality follows.
Thank you so much for the clarification. I didn't think about how each random variable's PMF would look like.
– Sean
Nov 17 at 7:41
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
The given statement means that $P(X=i)=P(Y=j)$ provided that $i+j=N$ is a constant. Now from the description of $X$ and $Y$, $Xsimoperatorname{binom}(N,p)$ and $Ysimoperatorname{binom}(N,1-p)$, so
$$P(X=i)=binom{i+j}ip^i(1-p)^j$$
and
$$P(Y=j)=binom{i+j}j(1-p)^jp^i$$
It is well-known that $binom{i+j}i=binom{i+j}j$. The equality follows.
Thank you so much for the clarification. I didn't think about how each random variable's PMF would look like.
– Sean
Nov 17 at 7:41
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
The given statement means that $P(X=i)=P(Y=j)$ provided that $i+j=N$ is a constant. Now from the description of $X$ and $Y$, $Xsimoperatorname{binom}(N,p)$ and $Ysimoperatorname{binom}(N,1-p)$, so
$$P(X=i)=binom{i+j}ip^i(1-p)^j$$
and
$$P(Y=j)=binom{i+j}j(1-p)^jp^i$$
It is well-known that $binom{i+j}i=binom{i+j}j$. The equality follows.
Thank you so much for the clarification. I didn't think about how each random variable's PMF would look like.
– Sean
Nov 17 at 7:41
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
up vote
1
down vote
accepted
The given statement means that $P(X=i)=P(Y=j)$ provided that $i+j=N$ is a constant. Now from the description of $X$ and $Y$, $Xsimoperatorname{binom}(N,p)$ and $Ysimoperatorname{binom}(N,1-p)$, so
$$P(X=i)=binom{i+j}ip^i(1-p)^j$$
and
$$P(Y=j)=binom{i+j}j(1-p)^jp^i$$
It is well-known that $binom{i+j}i=binom{i+j}j$. The equality follows.
The given statement means that $P(X=i)=P(Y=j)$ provided that $i+j=N$ is a constant. Now from the description of $X$ and $Y$, $Xsimoperatorname{binom}(N,p)$ and $Ysimoperatorname{binom}(N,1-p)$, so
$$P(X=i)=binom{i+j}ip^i(1-p)^j$$
and
$$P(Y=j)=binom{i+j}j(1-p)^jp^i$$
It is well-known that $binom{i+j}i=binom{i+j}j$. The equality follows.
answered Nov 17 at 7:25
Parcly Taxel
41k137198
41k137198
Thank you so much for the clarification. I didn't think about how each random variable's PMF would look like.
– Sean
Nov 17 at 7:41
add a comment |
Thank you so much for the clarification. I didn't think about how each random variable's PMF would look like.
– Sean
Nov 17 at 7:41
Thank you so much for the clarification. I didn't think about how each random variable's PMF would look like.
– Sean
Nov 17 at 7:41
Thank you so much for the clarification. I didn't think about how each random variable's PMF would look like.
– Sean
Nov 17 at 7:41
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to Mathematics Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.
Please pay close attention to the following guidance:
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3002053%2fdetermining-whether-two-events-are-the-same-or-not%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown