Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2014/ia/paper-2/12f/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ia Paper 2 12F Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
An exponential distribution of rate has density for and zero for , with survival probability . For , its memoryless property follows fromFor the minimum, independence gives . HenceThe density is zero for negative . The comparison probability follows from identical continuous laws and zero tie probability; directly it is . These are competing exponential clocks.
For the last density, substitute into the normalizing integral to obtain , the Gaussian integral. Equivalently, each variable has a gamma distribution with shape and rate one. Independence permits convolution of the densities. For ,Putting turns the integral into . ConsequentlyThis is also the additivity of independent gamma distributions with a common rate: their shapes add to one. Density values at the single endpoint zero are immaterial.
New to topics? Read the docs here!