CDF of X: Probability Pr{X < b}

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter EngWiPy
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Cdf Probability
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
6 replies · 2K views
EngWiPy
Messages
1,361
Reaction score
61
Hello,

Suppose X is a Chi-square random variable. Then what is:

[tex]\text{Pr}\left\{X<b\right\}[/tex]?

Does the above probability is the CDF of X? The only difference is that there is no equality!

Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
My question can we say that Pr[X<b] approximately equal Pr[X<=b]?
 
P(X < b) = P(X <= b) for continuous distributions, for example the chi-square distribution.
 
S_David said:
My question can we say that Pr[X<b] approximately equal Pr[X<=b]?
Not approximately equal. Exactly equal.

The only time this isn't the case is with those non-continuous random variables for which P(x=b) can be non-zero for some values of b. This doesn't apply to the chi square distribution, which is an absolutely continuous probability distribution. "Absolutely continuous" essentially means it has a PDF; this a stronger constraint than merely being continuous.
 
Thanks awkward and D_H, that is really relieving, since in my analysis I have Pr[X<b], and I was afraid it won't be correct to equate this with the CDF of Chi-square, i.e., Pr[X<=b], which has a closed form.

Thanks all
 
Just a quick comment: one of the obstacles to assigning non-zero probability to

singletons is that an uncountable sum cannot converge unless only countably-many

terms are non-zero.