Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / iii / Paper 31 / 1 / a

Condition on the count and use the independence of random variables of the claim sizes. For $n\ge 1$ their joint exponential transform factors, while for $n=0$ the empty sum contributes $1$. Consequently the law of total expectation givesThis random sum of independent claims transform uses both independence assumptions: the count must be independent of the entire claim-size sequence, and the sizes must be mutually independent with the same probability distribution. The probability generating function is interpreted through its defining nonnegative series. The identity holds as a finite moment-generating function wherever that series is finite; outside that domain the expectation and series can agree at $+\infty$. In particular a positive argument may take $M_X(r)$ beyond $1$, so finiteness does not follow merely from the usual unit-disk domain of a probability generating function.