11. Moments and Moment Generating Functions
Moments and moment generating functions (MGFs) are crucial statistical tools that summarize the characteristics of random variables, allowing analysis of probability distributions. The chapter covers the definitions and types of moments, the relationships between raw and central moments, and how MGFs facilitate deriving moments and analyzing distributions. It also highlights the applications of these concepts across fields such as engineering and economics.
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Sections
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11.5.1Example 1: Discrete Distribution
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11.5.2Example 2: Continuous Distribution
What we have learnt
- Definitions and types of moments (raw and central).
- Relationships between raw and central moments.
- How to define and derive moments using moment generating functions.
- Examples demonstrating the use of MGFs.
- Applications of these concepts in various fields.
Key Concepts
- -- Moment
- A quantitative measure related to the shape of a function's graph, often used to describe characteristics of probability distributions.
- -- Raw Moment
- The expected value of the r-th power of a random variable, calculated about the origin.
- -- Central Moment
- The expected value of the r-th power of deviations from the mean of a random variable.
- -- Moment Generating Function (MGF)
- A function that encodes the moments of a random variable and helps in deriving various statistical properties.
- -- Variance
- A measure of the spread or dispersion of a set of values around their mean.
- -- Kurtosis
- A measure of the 'tailedness' of the probability distribution, indicating the shape and peak of the distribution.
Additional Learning Materials
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