Find Density of z in Change of Variable Homework

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on finding the density of the random variable z defined as z = xy², where x and y are independent and identically distributed (iid) uniform random variables on the interval (0,1). The initial approach to determine P(z ≤ w) was flawed due to the inclusion of negative values for y, which are not possible. The correct formulation involves breaking the integral into two cases based on the relationship between x and w, leading to the final expression for P(z ≤ w) as the sum of two integrals: one where the minimum is 1 and another where it is √(w/x).

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Homework Statement



Let x,y be iid and x, y \sim U(0,1) (uniform on the open set (0,1)) and let z = xy^2.
Find the density of z.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



P(z \leq w) = P(xy^2 \leq w) = P(- \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}} \leq y \leq \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}) = \int^{ \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}}_{ -\sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}} dy = 2 \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}<br />

Is this right. Seems like I am missing something, not sure.

Thanks.
 
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autobot.d said:

Homework Statement



Let x,y be iid and x, y \sim U(0,1) (uniform on the open set (0,1)) and let z = xy^2.
Find the density of z.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



P(z \leq w) = P(xy^2 \leq w) = P(- \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}} \leq y \leq \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}) = \int^{ \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}}_{ -\sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}} dy = 2 \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}<br />

Is this right. Seems like I am missing something, not sure.

Thanks.

No. Y cannot be < 0, so you cannot have the region ## - \sqrt{w/x} \leq y < 0##. Anyway, you need an answer that contains w only, so you still need to get rid of the 'x'.
 
autobot.d said:

Homework Statement



Let x,y be iid and x, y \sim U(0,1) (uniform on the open set (0,1)) and let z = xy^2.
Find the density of z.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



P(z \leq w) = P(xy^2 \leq w) = P(- \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}} \leq y \leq \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}) = \int^{ \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}}_{ -\sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}} dy = 2 \sqrt{\frac{w}{x}}<br />

Is this right. Seems like I am missing something, not sure.

Thanks.

P(z \leq w) should be a function of w only, so something's wrong.

Fix x. Then P(y^2 \leq w/x) = P(0 \leq y \leq \sqrt{w/x}) = \min(1,\sqrt{w/x}) since 0 \leq y \leq 1. Then
<br /> P(z \leq w) = P(xy^2 \leq w) = \int_0^1 \min\left(1,\sqrt{\frac wx}\right)\,\mathrm{d}x<br /> = \int_0^w 1\,\mathrm{d}x + \int_w^1 \sqrt{\frac wx}\,\mathrm{d}x<br />
 
Makes sense it should be a function of w only. I do not understand though how the integral with the minimum is broken up into the two integrals at the end. Any insight?

Thanks for the help.
 
autobot.d said:
Makes sense it should be a function of w only. I do not understand though how the integral with the minimum is broken up into the two integrals at the end. Any insight?

Thanks for the help.

Look at the two cases x > w and x < w.
 
The first integral ranges from ##x=0## to ##x=w##, so the minimum is equal to 1. In the second integral, you have ##x\geq w##, and so the minimum is the square-root expression.
 

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