Cover image for Probability : the science of uncertainty with applications to investments, insurance, and engineering
Title:
Probability : the science of uncertainty with applications to investments, insurance, and engineering
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Publication Information:
Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole, 2001
ISBN:
9780534366032
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30000004552851 QA273 B37 2001 Open Access Book Book
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30000004500728 QA273 B37 2001 Open Access Book Book
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30000004500710 QA273 B73 2001 Open Access Book Book
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Summary

Summary

This textbook for a one-semester course in probability covers combinatorial probability theory based on sets and counting, random variables and probability distribution, special discrete and continuous distributions, and transformations of random variables. A separate chapter provides four extended examples that apply many of the key concepts. Anno


Table of Contents

1 Introductionp. 1
1.1 What Is Probability?p. 1
1.2 How Is Uncertainty Quantified?p. 2
1.3 Probability in Engineering and the Sciencesp. 5
1.4 What Is Actuarial Science?p. 6
1.5 What Is Financial Engineering?p. 9
1.6 Interpretations of Probabilityp. 11
1.7 Probability Modeling in Practicep. 13
1.8 Outline of This Bookp. 14
1.9 Chapter Summaryp. 15
1.10 Further Readingp. 16
1.11 Exercisesp. 17
2 A Survey of Some Basic Concepts Through Examplesp. 19
2.1 Payoff in a Simple Gamep. 19
2.2 Choosing Between Payoffsp. 25
2.3 Future Lifetimesp. 36
2.4 Simple and Compound Growthp. 42
2.5 Chapter Summaryp. 49
2.6 Exercisesp. 51
3 Classical Probabilityp. 57
3.1 The Formal Language of Classical Probabilityp. 58
3.2 Conditional Probabilityp. 64
3.3 The Law of Total Probabilityp. 68
3.4 Bayes' Theoremp. 72
3.5 Chapter Summaryp. 75
3.6 Exercisesp. 76
3.7 Appendix on Sets, Combinatorics, and Basic Probability Rulesp. 85
4 Random Variables and Probability Distributionsp. 91
4.1 Definitions and Basic Propertiesp. 91
4.1.1 What Is a Random Variable?p. 91
4.1.2 What Is a Probability Distribution?p. 92
4.1.3 Types of Distributionsp. 94
4.1.4 Probability Mass Functionsp. 97
4.1.5 Probability Density Functionsp. 97
4.1.6 Mixed Distributionsp. 100
4.1.7 Equality and Equivalence of Random Variablesp. 102
4.1.8 Random Vectors and Bivariate Distributionsp. 104
4.1.9 Dependence and Independence of Random Variablesp. 113
4.1.10 The Law of Total Probability and Bayes' Theorem (Distributional Forms)p. 119
4.1.11 Arithmetic Operations on Random Variablesp. 124
4.1.12 The Difference Between Sums and Mixturesp. 125
4.1.13 Exercisesp. 126
4.2 Statistical Measures of Expectation, Variation, and Riskp. 130
4.2.1 Expectationp. 130
4.2.2 Deviation from Expectationp. 143
4.2.3 Higher Momentsp. 149
4.2.4 Exercisesp. 153
4.3 Alternative Ways of Specifying Probability Distributionsp. 155
4.3.1 Moment and Cumulant Generating Functionsp. 155
4.3.2 Survival and Hazard Functionsp. 167
4.3.3 Exercisesp. 170
4.4 Chapter Summaryp. 173
4.5 Additional Exercisesp. 177
4.6 Appendix on Generalized Density Functions (Optional)p. 178
5 Special Discrete Distributionsp. 186
5.1 The Binomial Distributionp. 187
5.2 The Poisson Distributionp. 195
5.3 The Negative Binomial Distributionp. 200
5.4 The Geometric Distributionp. 206
5.5 Exercisesp. 209
6 Special Continuous Distributionsp. 221
6.1 Special Continuous Distributions for Modeling Uncertain Sizesp. 221
6.1.1 The Exponential Distributionp. 221
6.1.2 The Gamma Distributionp. 226
6.1.3 The Pareto Distributionp. 233
6.2 Special Continuous Distributions for Modeling Lifetimesp. 235
6.2.1 The Weibull Distributionp. 235
6.2.2 The DeMoivre Distributionp. 241
6.3 Other Special Distributionsp. 245
6.3.1 The Normal Distributionp. 245
6.3.2 The Lognormal Distributionp. 256
6.3.3 The Beta Distributionp. 260
6.4 Exercisesp. 265
7 Transformations of Random Variablesp. 280
7.1 Determining the Distribution of a Transformed Random Variablep. 281
7.2 Expectation of a Transformed Random Variablep. 289
7.3 Insurance Contracts with Caps, Deductibles, and Coinsurance (Optional)p. 297
7.4 Life Insurance and Annuity Contracts (Optional)p. 303
7.5 Reliability of Systems with Multiple Components or Processes (Optional)p. 311
7.6 Trigonometric Transformations (Optional)p. 317
7.7 Exercisesp. 319
8 Sums and Products of Random Variablesp. 325
8.1 Techniques for Calculating the Distribution of a Sump. 325
8.1.1 Using the Joint Densityp. 326
8.1.2 Using the Law of Total Probabilityp. 331
8.1.3 Convolutionsp. 336
8.2 Distributions of Products and Quotientsp. 337
8.3 Expectations of Sums and Productsp. 339
8.3.1 Formulas for the Expectation of a Sum or Productp. 339
8.3.2 The Cauchy-Schwarz Inequalityp. 340
8.3.3 Covariance and Correlationp. 341
8.4 The Law of Large Numbersp. 345
8.4.1 Motivating Example: Premium Determination in Insurancep. 346
8.4.2 Statement and Proof of the Lawp. 349
8.4.3 Some Misconceptions Surrounding the Law of Large Numbersp. 351
8.5 The Central Limit Theoremp. 352
8.6 Normal Power Approximations (Optional)p. 354
8.7 Exercisesp. 356
9 Mixtures and Compound Distributionsp. 363
9.1 Definitions and Basic Propertiesp. 363
9.2 Some Important Examples of Mixtures Arising in Insurancep. 366
9.3 Mean and Variance of a Mixturep. 373
9.4 Moment Generating Function of a Mixturep. 378
9.5 Compound Distributionsp. 379
9.5.1 General Formulasp. 380
9.5.2 Special Compound Distributionsp. 382
9.6 Exercisesp. 384
10 The Markowitz Investment Portfolio Selection Modelp. 396
10.1 Portfolios of Two Securitiesp. 397
10.2 Portfolios of Two Risky Securities and a Risk-Free Assetp. 403
10.3 Portfolio Selection with Many Securitiesp. 409
10.4 The Capital Asset Pricing Modelp. 411
10.5 Further Readingp. 414
10.6 Exercisesp. 415
Appendixesp. 421
A The Gamma Functionp. 421
B The Incomplete Gamma Functionp. 423
C The Beta Functionp. 428
D The Incomplete Beta Functionp. 429
E The Standard Normal Distributionp. 430
F Mathematica Commands for Generating the Graphs of Special Distributionsp. 432
G Elementary Financial Mathematicsp. 434
Answers to Selected Exercisesp. 437
Indexp. 441