Randomly Stopped Sums vs the sum of I.I.D. Random Variables

In summary, there are two theorems related to Probability Generating Functions. The first one states that the PGF of the sum of independent random variables is equal to the product of their individual PGFs. The second theorem involves a sequence of i.i.d. random variables and a random variable N, which determines the number of terms in the sum. The PGF of the sum in this case is given by the PGF of N multiplied by the PGF of the individual random variables. However, in order to calculate the expected value of t^Y, we need to use conditional expectation to remove the dependence on N.
  • #1
CGandC
326
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I've came across the two following theorems in my studies of Probability Generating Functions:

Theorem 1:
Suppose ##X_1, ... , X_n## are independent random variables, and let ##Y = X_1 + ... + X_n##. Then,
##G_Y(s) = \prod_{i=1}^n G_{X_i}(s)##

Theorem 2:
Let ##X_1, X_2, ...## be a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables with common PGF ##G_X##. Let ##N## be a random variable, independent of the ##X_i##'s with PGF ##G_N##, and let ##T_N = X_1 + ... + X_N = \sum_{i=1}^N X_i##. Then the PGF of ##T_N## is:
##G_{T_N}(s) = G_N (G_X(s))##

Question:
I don't understand the difference between these two theorems.
From reading here: https://stats.stackexchange.com/que...topped-sums-vs-the-sum-of-i-i-d-random-variab
I understand that in first theorem ## n ## is a number that we know so we know how many ## X_i ## will appear in the sum in ## Y ##.
But in the second theorem ## N ## is a random variable so we don't know how many ## X_i ## will appear in the sum ## Y ##.

But I still don't fully understand.

the proof for the first theorem goes as follows:
##
G_Y(t) =G_{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_n}(t)=\mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_n}\right]=\mathbb{E}\left[\prod_{i=1}^n t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^n \mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^n G_{X_i}(t)
##

Then I tried to prove the second theorem using exactly the same proof as follows:
##
G_Y(t) =G_{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_N}(t)=\mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_N}\right]=\mathbb{E}\left[\prod_{i=1}^N t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^N \mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^N G_{X_i}(t)
##
this proof is specious, but I don't understand why. I mean, the number of ## X_i## 's that will be multiplied by each other is determined by ## N ## ,even if we don't know it, so I don't understand what's the problem.Thanks in advance for any help!
 
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  • #2
CGandC said:
I've came across the two following theorems in my studies of Probability Generating Functions:

Theorem 1:
Suppose ##X_1, ... , X_n## are independent random variables, and let ##Y = X_1 + ... + X_n##. Then,
##G_Y(s) = \prod_{i=1}^n G_{X_i}(s)##

Theorem 2:
Let ##X_1, X_2, ...## be a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables with common PGF ##G_X##. Let ##N## be a random variable, independent of the ##X_i##'s with PGF ##G_N##, and let ##T_N = X_1 + ... + X_N = \sum_{i=1}^N X_i##. Then the PGF of ##T_N## is:
##G_{T_N}(s) = G_N (G_X(s))##

Question:
I don't understand the difference between these two theorems.
From reading here: https://stats.stackexchange.com/que...topped-sums-vs-the-sum-of-i-i-d-random-variab
I understand that in first theorem ## n ## is a number that we know so we know how many ## X_i ## will appear in the sum in ## Y ##.
But in the second theorem ## N ## is a random variable so we don't know how many ## X_i ## will appear in the sum ## Y ##.

But I still don't fully understand.

the proof for the first theorem goes as follows:
##
G_Y(t) =G_{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_n}(t)=\mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_n}\right]=\mathbb{E}\left[\prod_{i=1}^n t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^n \mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^n G_{X_i}(t)
##

Then I tried to prove the second theorem using exactly the same proof as follows:
##
G_Y(t) =G_{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_N}(t)=\mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_N}\right]=\mathbb{E}\left[\prod_{i=1}^N t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^N \mathbb{E}\left[t^{X_i}\right]=\prod_{i=1}^N G_{X_i}(t)
##
this proof is specious, but I don't understand why. I mean, the number of ## X_i## 's that will be multiplied by each other is determined by ## N ## ,even if we don't know it, so I don't understand what's the problem.Thanks in advance for any help!

[itex]\prod_{i=1}^N G_{X_i}(t) = (G_{X_1}(t))^N[/itex] is a random variable: it's a function of [itex]N[/itex]. To find [itex]\mathbb{E}(t^Y)[/itex] you need to remove this dependence on [itex]N[/itex] by using conditional expectation: [tex]
\begin{split}
\mathbb{E}(t^{Y}) &= \sum_{n=1}^\infty \mathbb{E}(t^{X_1 + \dots + X_N} | N = n)\mathbb{P}(N = n) \\
&= \sum_{n=1}^\infty \mathbb{E}(t^{X_1 + \dots + X_n})\mathbb{P}(N = n) \end{split}[/tex]
 
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  • #3
Ahh! that makes sense, thank you alot!
 
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1. What is the difference between randomly stopped sums and the sum of i.i.d. random variables?

Randomly stopped sums refer to a sequence of random variables that are summed together until a certain stopping rule is met. On the other hand, the sum of i.i.d. (independent and identically distributed) random variables refers to a sequence of random variables that are independently and identically distributed and are summed together. The main difference is that randomly stopped sums have a stopping rule, while the sum of i.i.d. random variables does not.

2. How are randomly stopped sums and the sum of i.i.d. random variables used in statistics?

Randomly stopped sums and the sum of i.i.d. random variables are both commonly used in statistics to model and analyze various phenomena. They can be used to represent the total cost of a project, the total number of successes in a series of trials, or the total amount of time spent on a task. They are also used in hypothesis testing and in the construction of confidence intervals.

3. What are some examples of stopping rules for randomly stopped sums?

There are many different stopping rules that can be used for randomly stopped sums. Some common examples include stopping when a certain number of successes or failures are reached, when a specific amount of time has passed, or when a certain amount of money has been spent. The choice of stopping rule depends on the specific problem being studied.

4. How do randomly stopped sums and the sum of i.i.d. random variables relate to each other?

Randomly stopped sums and the sum of i.i.d. random variables are related in that they both involve the summation of random variables. However, they differ in the way that the random variables are summed together. Randomly stopped sums have a stopping rule, while the sum of i.i.d. random variables does not. Additionally, the properties and distributions of the two types of sums may differ.

5. What are some potential applications of randomly stopped sums and the sum of i.i.d. random variables?

Randomly stopped sums and the sum of i.i.d. random variables have a wide range of applications in various fields such as finance, engineering, and biology. They can be used to model and analyze real-world phenomena, make predictions, and test hypotheses. Some specific applications include estimating the total cost of a project, predicting the total number of defects in a manufacturing process, and studying the total amount of rainfall in a given area.

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