Covariance of two dependent variables

In summary, the student is trying to find the covariance matrix for a set of dependent variables. They are not sure if they have done part (b) correctly, and are still unsure of how to approach part (c). They calculate the mean and covariance for the dependent variables, but are still having trouble with finding the covariance matrix for the two variables.
  • #1
jegues
1,097
3

Homework Statement



See figure attached

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I am not concerned with part (a), I have deduced that indeed X and Y are dependent.

I'm not sure if I have done part (b) correctly, and I am quite certain I have done part (c) incorrectly, but I couldn't think of what else to do.

Am I on the right track in parts (b) and (c)? What is incorrect, or how should I approach the problem?

Thanks again!
 

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  • #2
Here is the last page of my attempt.
 

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  • #3
B) looks ok. you should expect zero covariance. The two are clearly anticorrelated where X is negative and, equally, correlated where X is positive.
In c), something strange at the bottom of the first sheet. How did μXμY become X?
 
  • #4
haruspex said:
B) looks ok. you should expect zero covariance. The two are clearly anticorrelated where X is negative and, equally, correlated where X is positive.
In c), something strange at the bottom of the first sheet. How did μXμY become X?

I calculated μx for that case, it was found to be 1.

Since Y = |X| + N, and X is in the range of (0,2) |X| = X.

Thus, Y = X + N, I figured this pdf would simply be the pdf of N (it is known to be Gaussian) shifted to the right by X, having a mean value of X. Hence, μy = X.

I don't think that is correct, because I think μy should be a number.

Where did I go wrong? How do I fix part (c)?
 
  • #5
jegues said:
I don't think that is correct, because I think μy should be a number.
Quite so. E[Y] = E[|X|+N] = E[|X|]+E[N].
 
  • #6
haruspex said:
Quite so. E[Y] = E[|X|+N] = E[|X|]+E[N].

Okay so from this,

[tex]E[Y] = E[X] + 0 = \mu_{X} = 1 = \mu_{Y}[/tex]

but I am still stuck in finding,

[tex]\sigma_{XY} = E[(X-\mu_{X})(Y-\mu_{Y})] = E[(X-1)(Y-1)] = E[(X-1)(|X|+N-1)][/tex]

Any ideas?
 

Related to Covariance of two dependent variables

1. What is covariance?

Covariance is a measure of the relationship between two variables. Specifically, it measures how much two variables change together. A positive covariance indicates a direct relationship, where both variables increase or decrease together, while a negative covariance indicates an inverse relationship, where one variable increases while the other decreases.

2. How is covariance calculated?

Covariance is calculated by taking the sum of the products of the deviations of each variable from their respective means. This value is then divided by the total number of observations in the data set.

3. What does a high covariance mean?

A high covariance indicates a strong relationship between the two variables. However, it does not necessarily mean that one variable causes the other. Further analysis and statistical tests are needed to determine the nature of the relationship.

4. Can covariance be negative?

Yes, covariance can be negative. As mentioned earlier, a negative covariance indicates an inverse relationship between the two variables.

5. How is covariance different from correlation?

Covariance and correlation are both measures of the relationship between two variables. However, correlation is a standardized version of covariance, which means it is not affected by the scale of the variables. Additionally, while covariance can range from negative infinity to positive infinity, correlation is always between -1 and 1, making it easier to interpret.

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