What is the Distribution of an Ambulance's Distance from an Accident on a Road?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the distribution of an ambulance's distance from an accident occurring on a road of length L. The positions of both the ambulance and the accident are uniformly distributed along the road. The user has established the probability density functions fx(x) = 1/L and fy(y) = 1/L for the ambulance and accident positions, respectively. The next step involves determining the distribution of the absolute difference |X - Y|, where X is the ambulance's position and Y is the accident's position.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of uniform distribution in probability theory
  • Familiarity with probability density functions (PDFs)
  • Knowledge of absolute value functions in statistical contexts
  • Basic concepts of independence in random variables
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the derivation of the distribution of the absolute difference of two independent uniform random variables
  • Study convolution of probability distributions for independent variables
  • Explore applications of uniform distribution in real-world scenarios
  • Learn about the properties of uniform distributions and their implications in statistical modeling
USEFUL FOR

Students in statistics or probability theory, mathematicians, and anyone interested in understanding the behavior of random variables in real-world applications, particularly in emergency response scenarios.

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Homework Statement


An ambulance travels back and forth, at a constant speed, along a road of length
L. At a certain moment of time an accident occurs at a point uniformly distributed on the
road. (That is, its distance from one of the fixed ends of the road is uniformly distributed
over (0,L).) Assuming that the ambulance's location at the moment of the accident is also
uniformly distributed, compute, assuming independence, the distribution of its distance from
the accident.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



Using X = ambulance position, Y = accident position I found

fx(x) = 1/L for x<= L
fy(y) = 1/L for y<=L

Now I'm stuck. :(
 
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So am I right thinking we have to find:

f|x-y|(x-y)?
 
Last bump, I hope someone can help me this time!
 

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