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Chapter 8: Discrete Probability Distributions: Ms. Amna Riaz

The document discusses discrete probability distributions and the Poisson distribution. It notes that the Poisson distribution can model random events that occur over time, such as daily Covid deaths or phone calls per minute. The Poisson distribution is a limiting case of the binomial distribution when n approaches infinity and p approaches 0, but np remains constant. A random variable X has a Poisson distribution if the probability function is e^(-μ) * μ^x/x!, where μ is the mean rate of occurrence of events. The Poisson distribution only has one parameter μ and is useful for modeling rare events in fields like biology, physics, and management science.

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174 views2 pages

Chapter 8: Discrete Probability Distributions: Ms. Amna Riaz

The document discusses discrete probability distributions and the Poisson distribution. It notes that the Poisson distribution can model random events that occur over time, such as daily Covid deaths or phone calls per minute. The Poisson distribution is a limiting case of the binomial distribution when n approaches infinity and p approaches 0, but np remains constant. A random variable X has a Poisson distribution if the probability function is e^(-μ) * μ^x/x!, where μ is the mean rate of occurrence of events. The Poisson distribution only has one parameter μ and is useful for modeling rare events in fields like biology, physics, and management science.

Uploaded by

Syed Ifran ejaz
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ms.

Amna Riaz
Lecturer, Department of Statistics, UOG
Email: amna.riaz@uog.edu.pk

Chapter 8: Discrete Probability distributions


A discrete probability distribution gives the probability of every possible value of a discrete
random variable. Some most often used discrete probability distributions in statistical theory and
analysis are
 Binomial probability distribution (with replacement)
 Hypergeometric probability distribution (without replacement)
 Poisson probability distribution
Poisson distribution:
Poisson Process:
The Poisson distribution is used as a distribution in its own right by considering a Poisson
Process where events occur randomly over a specified period of time. Such random events might
be
 The number of deaths by the Covid-19 per day (or month),
 The number of telephone calls received per minute at some telephone exchange,
 The number of births per day,
 The number of radioactive particles emitted in a given period.
 The number of classes in a semester of 4 months

Poisson distribution as a limiting case:


The Poisson distribution is a limiting approximation of the binomial distribution 𝑏(𝑥; 𝑛, 𝑝) as
𝑛
𝑃(𝑥) = 𝑝 𝑞 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 = 0, 1, 2, 3, … , 𝑛
𝑥
Most Statisticians use Poisson distribution when 𝑝 ≤ 0.05 and 𝑛 ≥ 20, but in fact the large the
𝑛 is and the smller 𝑝 is, the better will be the approximation.
If we assume that 𝑛 → ∞ & 𝑝 → 0 in such a way that 𝑛𝑝 = 𝜇remains constant, then the limiting
form of the binomial distribution is
𝑒 𝜇
lim
→
𝑏(𝑥; 𝑛, 𝑝) = 𝑥 = 0, 1, 2, … , ∞
→
𝑥!

Poisson distribution:
A random variable 𝑋 is defined to have a Poisson distribution, if the probability function of X is
given by
𝑒 𝜇
𝑃(𝑥) = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑥 = 0, 1, 2, … , ∞
𝑥!

𝑃(𝑥) = 0 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒

𝑎𝑠 𝑛 > 0, 𝑝 > 0, 𝑛𝑝 = 𝜇 > 0


As 𝑋 is representing a Poisson distribution, so 𝑋 is a Poisson random variable. Poisson
distribution is a discrete distribution as Poisson random variable 𝑋 can assume non-negative
values such that 𝑥 = 0, 1, 2, 3, … , ∞.
Poisson distribution has only one parameter 𝜇 > 0 is denoted by 𝑝(𝑥; 𝜇). The parameter is
denoted by 𝜇 may be interpreted as the mean rate of occurrence of events.
Poisson distribution is also called the law of small numbers or the rare events distribution. It has
wide application in the field of Biology, Physics, Operation research and Management Science.
It is relevant to note that
 𝑝(𝑥; 𝜇) ≥ 0 probability distribution as the function is non-negative
 ∑ 𝑝(𝑥; 𝜇) = 1

Do it by yourself
Chapter 8,
Solved Examples: 8.15, 8.16, 8.17, (pg. # 310-312)
Exercise questions 8.32 (c), 8.33 (a), 8.34 (b), 8.35 (b), 8.36 (a), 8.37 (a & b), 8.38, (pg. # 336-
337)

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