Conditional normal distribution

In summary: But that is not forced by the conditions in the problem, or rather it may be but must be demonstrated if it is (without evidence I don't believe it is forced). The normality of the conditional distribution of X does not entail such a result in... $y = x^2$In summary, the conversation discussed the normality of conditional probability distributions for X and Y given the other variable, as well as the possibility of symmetry between the two. It was suggested that if the marginal and conditional distributions are all normal, then the conditional distribution of the other variable must also be normal. However, this was contested and the need for a formal proof or reference was mentioned. The conversation also delved
  • #1
learner928
21
0
Assume two random variables X and Y are not independent,

if P(X), P(Y) and P(Y|X) are all normal, then does P(X|Y) also can only be normal or not necessarily?

thanks.
 
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  • #2
simon11 said:
Assume two random variables X and Y are not independent,

if P(X), P(Y) and P(Y|X) are all normal, then does P(X|Y) also can only be normal or not necessarily?

thanks.

Because is $\displaystyle f_{Y} (y|X=x) = \frac{f_{X,Y} (x,y)}{f_{X} (x)}$ and $\displaystyle f_{X} (x|Y=y) = \frac{f_{X,Y} (x,y)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ if $f_{X}$, $f_{Y}$ and $f_{Y} (y|X=x)$ are all normal, for symmetry also $f_{X} (x|Y=y)$ is normal... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #3
chisigma said:
Because is $\displaystyle f_{Y} (y|X=x) = \frac{f_{X,Y} (x,y)}{f_{X} (x)}$ and $\displaystyle f_{X} (x|Y=y) = \frac{f_{X,Y} (x,y)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ if $f_{X}$, $f_{Y}$ and $f_{Y} (y|X=x)$ are all normal, for symmetry also $f_{X} (x|Y=y)$ is normal... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$
Thank you very much, but what do you by symmetry and why does it need to be symmetrical?

Thanks
 
  • #4
simon11 said:
Thank you very much, but what do you by symmetry and why does it need to be symmetrical?

Thanks

'Symmetry' means that if $f_{X}(x)$, $f_{Y}(y)$ and $f_{Y}(y|X=x)$ are gaussian, then $\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)= f_{Y}(y|X=x)\ \frac{f_{X}(x)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ is also gaussian... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #5
chisigma said:
'Symmetry' means that if $f_{X}(x)$, $f_{Y}(y)$ and $f_{Y}(y|X=x)$ are gaussian, then $\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)= f_{Y}(y|X=x)\ \frac{f_{X}(x)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ is also gaussian... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$
oh i didn't know that thanks.

I only knew $\displaystyle frac{f_{X}(x)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ is a cauchy distribution,
so the product of a cauchy distribution and a normal distribution has to get you back to a normal distribution?

 
  • #6
chisigma said:
Because is $\displaystyle f_{Y} (y|X=x) = \frac{f_{X,Y} (x,y)}{f_{X} (x)}$ and $\displaystyle f_{X} (x|Y=y) = \frac{f_{X,Y} (x,y)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ if $f_{X}$, $f_{Y}$ and $f_{Y} (y|X=x)$ are all normal, for symmetry also $f_{X} (x|Y=y)$ is normal... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$

You seem to be assuming rather more than I am happy with. You will need to prove, or give a reference to the proof, that conditional probability of Y given X, and that the marginals of X and Y are normal implies that the conditional probability of X given Y is normal.

It may be true, I can't find a counter example.

CB
 
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  • #7
chisigma said:
'Symmetry' means that if $f_{X}(x)$, $f_{Y}(y)$ and $f_{Y}(y|X=x)$ are gaussian, then $\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)= f_{Y}(y|X=x)\ \frac{f_{X}(x)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ is also gaussian... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$

May be that, as required from 'regulations', a formal proof of that has to be supplied. Very well!... if $f_{X}(x)$, $f_{Y}(y)$ and $f_{Y}(y|X=x)$ are gaussian that means that is... $\displaystyle f_{X}(x)= \frac{1}{\sigma_{x}\ \sqrt{2\ \pi}}\ e^{- \frac{(x-\mu_{x})^{2}}{2\ \sigma^{2}_{x}}}$ (1)

$\displaystyle f_{Y}(y)= \frac{1}{\sigma_{y}\ \sqrt{2\ \pi}}\ e^{- \frac{(y-\mu_{y})^{2}}{2\ \sigma^{2}_{y}}}$ (2)

$\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)= A\ e^{[a\ (x-\mu_{x})^{2} + 2\ b\ (x-\mu_{x})\ (y-\mu_{y}) + c\ (x-\mu_{x})^{2}]}$ (3)

Now the p.d.f. of Y conditioned by X is...

$\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)= f_{Y}(y|X=x)\ \frac{f_{X}(x)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ (4)

... and clearly it is similar to (3), i.e. is gaussian... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #8
chisigma said:
May be that, as required from 'regulations', a formal proof of that has to be supplied. Very well!... if $f_{X}(x)$, $f_{Y}(y)$ and $f_{Y}(y|X=x)$ are gaussian that means that is... $\displaystyle f_{X}(x)= \frac{1}{\sigma_{x}\ \sqrt{2\ \pi}}\ e^{- \frac{(x-\mu_{x})^{2}}{2\ \sigma^{2}_{x}}}$ (1)

$\displaystyle f_{Y}(y)= \frac{1}{\sigma_{y}\ \sqrt{2\ \pi}}\ e^{- \frac{(y-\mu_{y})^{2}}{2\ \sigma^{2}_{y}}}$ (2)

$\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)= A\ e^{[a\ (x-\mu_{x})^{2} + 2\ b\ (x-\mu_{x})\ (y-\mu_{y}) + c\ (x-\mu_{x})^{2}]}$ (3)

Now the p.d.f. of Y conditioned by X is...

$\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)= f_{Y}(y|X=x)\ \frac{f_{X}(x)}{f_{Y}(y)}$ (4)

... and clearly it is similar to (3), i.e. is gaussian... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$

(3) is wrong, it should contain the conditional mean and variance of x (conditioned on y) which may be functions of y.

\[ f_{X|Y=y}(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 \pi}\sigma_{X|Y=y}} e^{-(x-\mu_{X|Y=y})^2/(2\sigma_{X|Y=y}^2)} \]

CB
 
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  • #9
CaptainBlack said:
(3) is wrong, it should contain the conditional mean and variance of x (conditioned on y) which may be functions of y.

\[ f_{X|Y=y}(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 \pi}\sigma_{X|Y=y}} e^{-(x-\mu_{X|Y=y})^2/(2\sigma_{X|Y=y}^2)} \]

CB

One hypothesis is that $\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)$ is normal so that it can be in any case written as...

$\displaystyle f_{X} (x|Y=y) = A\ e^{[a\ (x-x_{0})^{2} + b\ (x-x_{0})\ (y-y_{0}) + c\ (y-y_{0})^{2}]}$ (1)

... where $A$, $a$, $b$, $c$, $x_{0}$ and $y_{0}$ are constants...Kind regards$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #10
chisigma said:
One hypothesis is that $\displaystyle f_{X}(x|Y=y)$ is normal so that it can be in any case written as...

$\displaystyle f_{X} (x|Y=y) = A\ e^{[a\ (x-x_{0})^{2} + b\ (x-x_{0})\ (y-y_{0}) + c\ (y-y_{0})^{2}]}$ (1)

... where $A$, $a$, $b$, $c$, $x_{0}$ and $y_{0}$ are constants...Kind regards$\chi$ $\sigma$

But that is not forced by the conditions in the problem, or rather it may be but must be demonstrated if it is (without evidence I don't believe it is forced). The normality of the conditional distribution of X does not entail such a result in itself.

CB
 
  • #11
CaptainBlack said:
But that is not forced by the conditions in the problem, or rather it may be but must be demonstrated if it is (without evidence I don't believe it is forced). The normality of the conditional distribution of X does not entail such a result in itself.

CB

In the original post one hypothesis extablishes that $\displaystyle \varphi(x,y)=f_{X} (x|Y=y)$ is normal in (x,y)... well!... what does it mean that a $\displaystyle \varphi(x,y)$ is normal in (x,y)?...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$
 
  • #12
chisigma said:
In the original post one hypothesis extablishes that $\displaystyle \varphi(x,y)=f_{X} (x|Y=y)$ is normal in (x,y)... well!... what does it mean that a $\displaystyle \varphi(x,y)$ is normal in (x,y)?...

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$

Already answered in post #8

CB
 
  • #14
chisigma said:
It seems that 'Monster Wolfram' doesn't agree with You...

Bivariate Normal Distribution -- from Wolfram MathWorld

Kind regards

$\chi$ $\sigma$

We don't necessarily have a bi-variate normal distribution. That is the mistake you have been making all along, assuming that we do, it would have to be proven.CB
 
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  • #15
View attachment 419

Durante degli Alighieri, better known as Dante, (1 june 1265 - 13 sepetember 1321) was an Italian Florentine poet. His greatest work, La divina commedia ( The Divine Comedy) is considered as one of the greatest literary statements produced in Europe in the medieval period and it is the basis of the modern Italian language. From Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Canto III, line 78... '... che' perder tempo a chi piu' sa piu' spiace...''... because the more you know, the less you like wasting time...'

I'm sure that all friends of MHB now undestand why I decide to stop this boring and time wasting discussion...Kind regards$\chi$ $\sigma$
 

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  • #16
chisigma said:
I'm sure that all friends of MHB now undestand why I decide to stop this boring and time wasting discussion...Kind regards$\chi$ $\sigma$

That would be because you can't justify your claim!

CB
 
  • #17
A definite and [I hope...] fully exhaustive answers to the problem proposed by simon11 can be found in...

http://www.mathhelpboards.com/f19/some-considerations-about-conditional-normal-distribution-2189/

... a thread I opened at this scope on request of the Administration. It is fully evident that the level of discussion exceeds the knowledge required in the 'Basic Probability and Statistic forum' but of course that is a minor problem respect to give correct and appropriate answers in any case...Now I suggest to close this discussion with a smile spending some word about the 'infamous and insulting' verse...

'... che' perder tempo a chi piu' sa piu' spiace...'

This sentence is incised on a tablet on the wall of porter's lodge of 'Collegio Ghislieri' of Pavia...

Ghislieri College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

... of which I have been 'schoolboy' in the distant years of university. The pitcures below show the tablet and myself under the tablet in a meeting of some years ago. The tablet has a long story because in the centuries has be lost and regained several time in competition with other Colleges of Pavia. In some sense the sentence is in DNA of the 'Ghislerians'... Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$

https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/421._xfImport https://www.physicsforums.com/attachments/422._xfImport
 

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FAQ: Conditional normal distribution

What is a conditional normal distribution?

A conditional normal distribution is a type of probability distribution that is used to describe the likelihood of a continuous variable given another variable. It is a conditional version of the normal distribution, which is a bell-shaped curve that is commonly used to model a wide variety of natural phenomena.

How is a conditional normal distribution different from a regular normal distribution?

A conditional normal distribution takes into account the relationship between two variables, whereas a regular normal distribution only considers one variable. This means that the shape and parameters of the distribution can change depending on the value of the other variable.

What are the parameters of a conditional normal distribution?

The parameters of a conditional normal distribution include the mean and standard deviation of the underlying normal distribution, as well as the value of the conditioning variable.

How is the conditional normal distribution used in statistical analysis?

The conditional normal distribution is commonly used in statistical analysis to model the relationship between two variables and make predictions about the values of one variable given the value of the other. It is also used in regression analysis to estimate the effects of independent variables on a dependent variable.

What are some real-life examples of a conditional normal distribution?

Some real-life examples of a conditional normal distribution include the relationship between income and education level, where higher education levels tend to correspond with higher incomes, and the relationship between height and weight, where taller individuals tend to weigh more.

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