Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/iii/paper-40/1/a/solution

Condition on . Since the amounts are independent and identically distributed random variables and are independent of , their moment-generating functions multiply:
Summing against the positive-support geometric distribution gives the geometric-sum moment-generating function
The finite-transform domain is and . The terms are nonnegative for real , so if the latter condition fails the sum diverges. For both conditions always hold, since the claims are positive; thus the same calculation always provides the Laplace transform of a nonnegative random variable. Positivity alone does not guarantee a finite moment-generating function on a positive neighbourhood of zero.
There is at least one strictly positive amount in the portfolio. Hence ; zero carries no atom of a measure to add to the continuous laws in the next two parts.

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