Skip to main content

Functions of Random Variables

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Probability, Statistical Optics, and Data Testing

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Information Sciences ((SSINF,volume 10))

  • 1547 Accesses

  • The book was inadvertently published with missing figures in several chapters of this book. This has been added in the affected chapters.

Abstract

Consider the notion of a “square-law” detector: If x is an input to the detector, then y = x 2 is its output or detected value. Consider next the case where x is a random variable with probability law p X(x). Then output y is also random. If so, what is its probability law p Y(y)? Certainly this should depend in some way upon p X(x), since x and y are closely related by the transformation y = x 2. The general question of how to find the law p Y(y) for a transformed or output RV is the subject of this chapter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. L.I. Goldfischer: J. Opt. Soc. Am. 55, 247 (1965)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. J.C. Dainty: Opt. Acta 17, 761 (1970)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. D. Korff: Opt. Commun. 5, 188 (1972)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. J.C. Dainty (ed.): Laser Speckle and Related Phenomena, 2nd ed., Topics in Applied Physics, Vol. 9 (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 1982)

    Google Scholar 

  5. J.W. Goodman: Proc. IEEE 53, 1688 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. K. Miyamoto: “Wave Optics and Geometrical Optics in Optical Design,” in Progress in Optics, Vol. 1, ed. by E. Wolf (North-Holland, Amsterdam 1961)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. J.J. Burke: J. Opt. Soc. Am. 60, 1262 (1970)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. W. Feller: An Introduction to Probability Theory and Its Applications, Vol. 2 (Wiley, New York 1966) p. 50

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. J.W. Strohbehn: In Laser Beam Propagation in the Atmosphere, ed. J.W. Strohbehn, Topics in Applied Physics, Vol. 25 (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 1978)

    Google Scholar 

  10. R.L. Phillips and L.C. Andrews: J. Opt. Soc. Am. 72, 864 (1982)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. B.R. Frieden and A. Plastino: “Classical trajectories compatible with quantum mechanics”, Phys. Lett. A, under review

    Google Scholar 

  12. D. Bohm: Phys. Rev. 85, 166 (1952); see also PR. Holland: The Quantum Theory of Motion (Cambridge Univ. Press, England 1993)

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. H.H. Jeffreys: Scientific Inference, 3rd ed. (Cambridge Univ. Press, England 1973)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. B.R. Frieden: Found. Phys. 16, 883 (1986)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. E.T. Jaynes: Found. Phys. 3, 477 (1973)

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  16. A. Papoulis: Probability, Random Variables and Stochastic Processes (McGraw-Hill, New York 1965) pp. 11–12

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. V. Volterra: Mem. Acad. Lincei 2, 31 (1926)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Frieden, B.R. (2001). Functions of Random Variables. In: Probability, Statistical Optics, and Data Testing. Springer Series in Information Sciences, vol 10. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56699-8_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-56699-8_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-41708-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-56699-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics