Question

The joint probability density function of X and Y is given by fX,Y (x, y) = ( 6 7 x 2 + xy 2 if 0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 2 0 otherwise. (a) Verify that this is indeed a joint density function. (b) Compute the density function of X. (c) Find P(X > Y ). (d) Find P(Y > 1/2 | X < 1/2). (e) Find E(X). (f) Find E(Y

Answer 1

I'm going to assume the joint density function is

$f_{X,Y}(x,y)=\begin{cases}\frac67(x^2+\frac{xy}2\right)&\text{for }0<x<1,0<y<2\\0&\text{otherwise}\end{cases}$

a. In order for $f_{X,Y}$ to be a proper probability density function, the integral over its support must be 1.

$\displaystyle\int_0^2\int_0^1\frac67\left(x^2+\frac{xy}2\right)\,\mathrm dx\,\mathrm dy=\frac67\int_0^2\left(\frac13+\frac y4\right)\,\mathrm dy=1$



b. You get the marginal density $f_X$ by integrating the joint density over all possible values of $Y$:

$f_X(x)=\displaystyle\int_0^2f_{X,Y}(x,y)\,\mathrm dy=\boxed{\begin{cases}\frac67(2x^2+x)&\text{for }0<x<1\\0&\text{otherwise}\end{cases}}$

c. We have

$P(X>Y)=\displaystyle\int_0^1\int_0^xf_{X,Y}(x,y)\,\mathrm dy\,\mathrm dx=\int_0^1\frac{15}{14}x^3\,\mathrm dx=\boxed{\frac{15}{56}}$

d. We have

$\displaystyle P\left(X<\frac12\right)=\int_0^2\int_0^{1/2}f_{X,Y}(x,y)\,\mathrm dx\,\mathrm dy=\frac5{28}$

and by definition of conditional probability,

$P\left(Y>\dfrac12\mid X<\dfrac12\right)=\dfrac{P\left(Y>\frac12\text{ and }X<\frac12\right)}{P\left(X<\frac12\right)}$

$\displaystyle=\dfrac{28}5\int_{1/2}^2\int_0^{1/2}f_{X,Y}(x,y)\,\mathrm dx\,\mathrm dy=\boxed{\frac{69}{80}}$

e. We can find the expectation of $X$ using the marginal distribution found earlier.

$E[X]=\displaystyle\int_0^1xf_X(x)\,\mathrm dx=\frac67\int_0^1(2x^2+x)\,\mathrm dx=\boxed{\frac57}$

f. This part is cut off, but if you're supposed to find the expectation of $Y$, there are several ways to do so.

• Compute the marginal density of $Y$, then directly compute the expected value.

$f_Y(y)=\displaystyle\int_0^1f_{X,Y}(x,y)\,\mathrm dx=\begin{cases}\frac1{14}(4+3y)&\text{for }0<y<2\\0&\text{otherwise}\end{cases}$

$\implies E[Y]=\displaystyle\int_0^2yf_Y(y)\,\mathrm dy=\frac87$

• Compute the conditional density of $Y$ given $X=x$, then use the law of total expectation.

$f_{Y\mid X}(y\mid x)=\dfrac{f_{X,Y}(x,y)}{f_X(x)}=\begin{cases}\frac{2x+y}{4x+2}&\text{for }0<x<1,0<y,2\\0&\text{otherwise}\end{cases}$

The law of total expectation says

$E[Y]=E[E[Y\mid X]]$

We have

$E[Y\mid X=x]=\displaystyle\int_0^2yf_{Y\mid X}(y\mid x)\,\mathrm dy=\frac{6x+4}{6x+3}=1+\frac1{6x+3}$

$\implies E[Y\mid X]=1+\dfrac1{6X+3}$

This random variable is undefined only when $X=-\frac12$ which is outside the support of $f_X$, so we have

$E[Y]=E\left[1+\dfrac1{6X+3}\right]=\displaystyle\int_0^1\left(1+\frac1{6x+3}\right)f_X(x)\,\mathrm dx=\frac87$