Reading 1: Probability and Random Variables

Reading 1: Probability and Random Variables#

For the class on Wednesday, January 8th.

Reading assignments#

  • Read the following sections of [Mur22] (sections based on the 2024-11-23 PDF file)

    • Sec. 2.1 “Introduction”, and all of its subsections (2.1.1–2.1.3.6)

    • Sec. 2.2 “Random variables”

    • Sec. 2.2.1 “Discrete random variables”

    • Sec. 2.2.2 “Continuous random variables”, and all of its subsections (2.2.2.1–2.2.2.3)

    • Sec. 2.2.3 “Sets of related random variables”

Questions#

Submit your answer on Canvas by noon, Wednesday, Jan 8th.

  1. List any concepts that confuse you from your reading. Explain why they confuse you. If nothing confuses you, briefly summarize what you have learned from this reading assignment.

  2. Sec. 2.1.2 of [Mur22] discussed epistemic/model uncertainty and aleatoric/data uncertainty. In physics and astronomy, these two types of uncertainty are often referred to as systematic uncertainty and statistical uncertainty. The textbook mentioned an example of coin tossing. Give another example in physics and astronomy (or your field of study) to illustrate these two types of uncertainty.