Linear combinations of independent variables

Questions asking for mean and/or variance of linear combinations like aX + bY or sums of independent observations, given means and variances of the component variables.

10 questions · Standard +0.1

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CAIE S2 2013 June Q1
5 marks Moderate -0.8
1 The mean and variance of the random variable \(X\) are 5.8 and 3.1 respectively. The random variable \(S\) is the sum of three independent values of \(X\). The independent random variable \(T\) is defined by \(T = 3 X + 2\).
  1. Find the variance of \(S\).
  2. Find the variance of \(T\).
  3. Find the mean and variance of \(S - T\).
CAIE S2 2019 November Q1
4 marks Easy -1.2
1 The random variable \(X\) has mean 2.4 and variance 3.1.
  1. The random variable \(Y\) is the sum of four independent values of \(X\). Find the mean and variance of \(Y\).
  2. The random variable \(Z\) is defined by \(Z = 4 X - 3\). Find the mean and variance of \(Z\).
OCR Further Statistics 2023 June Q3
6 marks Standard +0.3
3 The discrete random variable \(W\) has the distribution \(\mathrm { U } ( 11 )\). The independent discrete random variable \(V\) has the distribution \(\mathrm { U } ( 5 )\).
  1. It is given that, for constants \(m\) and \(n\), with \(m > 0\), \(\mathrm { E } ( \mathrm { mW } + \mathrm { nV } ) = 0\) and \(\operatorname { Var } ( \mathrm { mW } + \mathrm { nV } ) = 1\). Determine the exact values of \(m\) and \(n\). The random variable \(T\) is the mean of three independent observations of \(W\).
  2. Explain whether the Central Limit Theorem can be used to say that the distribution of \(T\) is approximately normal.
Edexcel S1 Q6
14 marks Moderate -0.3
6. The distributions of two independent discrete random variables \(X\) and \(Y\) are given in the tables:
\(x\)012
\(\mathrm { P } ( X = x )\)\(\frac { 3 } { 5 }\)\(\frac { 3 } { 10 }\)\(\frac { 1 } { 10 }\)
\(y\)01
\(\mathrm { P } ( Y = y )\)\(\frac { 5 } { 8 }\)\(\frac { 3 } { 8 }\)
The random variable \(Z\) is defined to be the sum of one observation from \(X\) and one from \(Y\).
  1. Tabulate the probability distribution for \(Z\).
  2. Calculate \(\mathrm { E } ( Z )\).
  3. Calculate (i) \(\mathrm { E } \left( Z ^ { 2 } \right)\), (ii) \(\operatorname { Var } ( Z )\).
  4. Calculate Var (3Z-4).
OCR MEI Further Statistics Major 2024 June Q11
11 marks Challenging +1.2
11 The discrete random variable \(X\) has a uniform distribution over the set of all integers between 25 and \(n\) inclusive, where \(n\) is a positive integer with \(n > 25\).
  1. Determine \(\mathrm { P } \left( \mathrm { X } < \frac { \mathrm { n } + 25 } { 2 } \right)\) in each of the following cases.
AQA S3 2006 June Q4
6 marks Moderate -0.3
4 The table below shows the probability distribution for the number of students, \(R\), attending classes for a particular mathematics module.
\(\boldsymbol { r }\)678
\(\mathbf { P } ( \boldsymbol { R } = \boldsymbol { r } )\)0.10.60.3
  1. Find values for \(\mathrm { E } ( R )\) and \(\operatorname { Var } ( R )\).
  2. The number of students, \(S\), attending classes for a different mathematics module is such that $$\mathrm { E } ( S ) = 10.9 , \quad \operatorname { Var } ( S ) = 1.69 \quad \text { and } \quad \rho _ { R S } = \frac { 2 } { 3 }$$ Find values for the mean and variance of:
    1. \(T = R + S\);
    2. \(\quad D = S - R\).
OCR MEI Further Statistics Minor Specimen Q7
4 marks Moderate -0.5
A fair coin has \(+1\) written on the heads side and \(-1\) on the tails side. The coin is tossed \(100\) times. The sum of the numbers showing on the \(100\) tosses is the random variable \(Y\). Show that the variance of \(Y\) is \(100\). [4]
WJEC Further Unit 2 2018 June Q1
8 marks Challenging +1.8
The random variable \(X\) has the binomial distribution B(12, 0ยท3). The independent random variable \(Y\) has the Poisson distribution Po(4). Find
  1. \(E(XY)\), [2]
  2. Var\((XY)\). [6]
WJEC Further Unit 2 2023 June Q1
7 marks Moderate -0.8
The random variable \(X\) has mean 17 and variance 64. The independent random variable \(Y\) has mean 10 and variance 16. Find the value of
  1. E\((4Y - 2X + 1)\), [2]
  2. Var\((4Y - 5X + 3)\), [2]
  3. E\((X^2 Y)\). [3]
WJEC Further Unit 2 Specimen Q1
7 marks Challenging +1.8
The random variable \(X\) has mean14 and standard deviation 5. The independent random variable \(Y\) has mean 12 and standard deviation 3. The random variable \(W\) is given by \(W = XY\). Find the value of
  1. E(W), [1]
  2. Var(W). [6]