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probability theory Probability theory is the branch of mathematics concerned with probability. Although there are several different probability interpretations, probability theory treats the concept in a rigorous mathematical manner by expressing it through a set o ...
, the
probability distribution In probability theory and statistics, a probability distribution is the mathematical function that gives the probabilities of occurrence of different possible outcomes for an experiment. It is a mathematical description of a random phenomeno ...
of the sum of two or more
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
random variable A random variable (also called random quantity, aleatory variable, or stochastic variable) is a mathematical formalization of a quantity or object which depends on random events. It is a mapping or a function from possible outcomes (e.g., the p ...
s is the convolution of their individual distributions. The term is motivated by the fact that the
probability mass function In probability and statistics, a probability mass function is a function that gives the probability that a discrete random variable is exactly equal to some value. Sometimes it is also known as the discrete density function. The probability mass ...
or
probability density function In probability theory, a probability density function (PDF), or density of a continuous random variable, is a function whose value at any given sample (or point) in the sample space (the set of possible values taken by the random variable) c ...
of a sum of independent random variables is the
convolution In mathematics (in particular, functional analysis), convolution is a mathematical operation on two functions ( and ) that produces a third function (f*g) that expresses how the shape of one is modified by the other. The term ''convolution' ...
of their corresponding probability mass functions or probability density functions respectively. Many well known distributions have simple convolutions. The following is a list of these convolutions. Each statement is of the form :\sum_^n X_i \sim Y where X_1, X_2,\dots, X_n are independent random variables, and Y is the distribution that results from the convolution of X_1, X_2,\dots, X_n. In place of X_i and Y the names of the corresponding distributions and their parameters have been indicated.


Discrete distributions

* \sum_^n \mathrm(p) \sim \mathrm(n,p) \qquad 0 * \sum_^n \mathrm(n_i,p) \sim \mathrm\left(\sum_^n n_i,p\right) \qquad 0 * \sum_^n \mathrm(n_i,p) \sim \mathrm\left(\sum_^n n_i,p\right) \qquad 0 * \sum_^n \mathrm(p) \sim \mathrm(n,p) \qquad 0 * \sum_^n \mathrm(\lambda_i) \sim \mathrm\left(\sum_^n \lambda_i\right) \qquad \lambda_i>0


Continuous distributions

* \sum_^n \operatorname\left(\alpha,\beta_i,c_i,\mu_i\right)=\operatorname\left(\alpha,\frac,\left( \sum_^n c_i^\alpha \right)^,\sum_^n\mu_i\right) \qquad 0<\alpha_i\le 2 \quad -1 \le \beta_i \le 1 \quad c_i>0 \quad \infty<\mu_i<\infty The following three statements are special cases of the above statement: * \sum_^n \operatorname(\mu_i,\sigma_i^2) \sim \operatorname\left(\sum_^n \mu_i, \sum_^n \sigma_i^2\right) \qquad -\infty<\mu_i<\infty \quad \sigma_i^2>0\quad (\alpha=2, \beta_i=0) * \sum_^n \operatorname(a_i,\gamma_i) \sim \operatorname\left(\sum_^n a_i, \sum_^n \gamma_i\right) \qquad -\infty0 \quad (\alpha=1, \beta_i=0) * \sum_^n \operatorname(\mu_i,c_i) \sim \operatorname\left(\sum_^n \mu_i, \left(\sum_^n \sqrt\right)^2\right) \qquad -\infty<\mu_i<\infty \quad c_i>0\quad (\alpha=1/2, \beta_i=1) * \sum_^n \operatorname(\alpha_i,\beta) \sim \operatorname\left(\sum_^n \alpha_i,\beta\right) \qquad \alpha_i>0 \quad \beta>0 * \sum_^n \operatorname(\mu_i,\gamma_i,\sigma_i) \sim \operatorname\left(\sum_^n \mu_i,\sum_^n \gamma_i,\sqrt\right) \qquad -\infty<\mu_i<\infty \quad \gamma_i>0 \quad \sigma_i>0 * \sum_^n \operatorname(\mu_i,\alpha,\beta,\lambda_i) \sim \operatorname\left(\sum_^n \mu_i, \alpha,\beta, \sum_^n \lambda_i\right) \qquad -\infty<\mu_i<\infty \quad \lambda_i > 0 \quad \sqrt > 0 * \sum_^n \operatorname(\theta) \sim \operatorname(n,\theta) \qquad \theta>0 \quad n=1,2,\dots *\sum_^n \operatorname(\lambda_i) \sim \operatorname(\lambda_1,\dots,\lambda_n) \qquad \lambda_i>0 * \sum_^n \chi^2(r_i) \sim \chi^2\left(\sum_^n r_i\right) \qquad r_i=1,2,\dots * \sum_^r N^2(0,1) \sim \chi^2_r \qquad r=1,2,\dots * \sum_^n(X_i - \bar X)^2 \sim \sigma^2 \chi^2_, \quad where X_1,\dots,X_n is a random sample from N(\mu,\sigma^2) and \bar X = \frac \sum_^n X_i. Mixed distributions: * \operatorname(\mu,\sigma^2)+\operatorname(x_0,\gamma) \sim \operatorname(\mu+x_0,\sigma,\gamma)\qquad -\infty<\mu<\infty \quad -\infty0 \quad \sigma>0


See also

*
Algebra of random variables The algebra of random variables in statistics, provides rules for the symbolic manipulation of random variables, while avoiding delving too deeply into the mathematically sophisticated ideas of probability theory. Its symbolism allows the treatm ...
* Relationships among probability distributions *
Infinite divisibility (probability) In probability theory, a probability distribution is infinitely divisible if it can be expressed as the probability distribution of the sum of an arbitrary number of independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables. The characterist ...
*
Bernoulli distribution In probability theory and statistics, the Bernoulli distribution, named after Swiss mathematician Jacob Bernoulli,James Victor Uspensky: ''Introduction to Mathematical Probability'', McGraw-Hill, New York 1937, page 45 is the discrete probab ...
*
Binomial distribution In probability theory and statistics, the binomial distribution with parameters ''n'' and ''p'' is the discrete probability distribution of the number of successes in a sequence of ''n'' independent experiments, each asking a yes–no qu ...
*
Cauchy distribution The Cauchy distribution, named after Augustin Cauchy, is a continuous probability distribution. It is also known, especially among physicists, as the Lorentz distribution (after Hendrik Lorentz), Cauchy–Lorentz distribution, Lorentz(ian) fu ...
*
Erlang distribution The Erlang distribution is a two-parameter family of continuous probability distributions with support x \in exponential distribution">exponential variables with mean 1/\lambda each. Equivalently, it is the distribution of the time until the '' ...
*
Exponential distribution In probability theory and statistics, the exponential distribution is the probability distribution of the time between events in a Poisson point process, i.e., a process in which events occur continuously and independently at a constant averag ...
*
Gamma distribution In probability theory and statistics, the gamma distribution is a two- parameter family of continuous probability distributions. The exponential distribution, Erlang distribution, and chi-square distribution are special cases of the gamma dis ...
*
Geometric distribution In probability theory and statistics, the geometric distribution is either one of two discrete probability distributions: * The probability distribution of the number ''X'' of Bernoulli trials needed to get one success, supported on the set \; ...
* Hypoexponential distribution *
Lévy distribution In probability theory and statistics, the Lévy distribution, named after Paul Lévy, is a continuous probability distribution for a non-negative random variable. In spectroscopy, this distribution, with frequency as the dependent variable, is k ...
*
Poisson distribution In probability theory and statistics, the Poisson distribution is a discrete probability distribution that expresses the probability of a given number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time or space if these events occur with a known ...
*
Stable distribution In probability theory, a distribution is said to be stable if a linear combination of two independent random variables with this distribution has the same distribution, up to location and scale parameters. A random variable is said to be sta ...
*
Mixture distribution In probability and statistics, a mixture distribution is the probability distribution of a random variable that is derived from a collection of other random variables as follows: first, a random variable is selected by chance from the collection ...
* Sum of normally distributed random variables


References


Sources

*{{cite book , last1=Hogg , first1=Robert V. , authorlink1=Robert V. Hogg , last2=McKean , first2=Joseph W. , last3=Craig , first3=Allen T. , title=Introduction to mathematical statistics , edition=6th , publisher=Prentice Hall , url=https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/product/Hogg-Introduction-to-Mathematical-Statistics-6th-Edition/9780130085078.html , location=Upper Saddle River, New Jersey , year=2004 , page=692 , isbn=978-0-13-008507-8 , mr=467974
Convolutions In mathematics (in particular, functional analysis), convolution is a mathematical operation on two functions ( and ) that produces a third function (f*g) that expresses how the shape of one is modified by the other. The term ''convolution'' ...
Probability distributions, convolutions Probability distributions, convolutions