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Random Variable
A random variable is a function from the sample space Ω to ℝ.
Random Variable is Real-Valued with Probability One
If X:Ω→ℝ is a random variable, then P(X∈ℝ)=1.
Since X is a function from Ω to ℝ, every ω∈Ω satisfies X(ω)∈ℝ. Therefore {ω∈Ω:X(ω)∈ℝ}=Ω. Hence P(X∈ℝ)=P(Ω)=1 by the definition of a probability measure.
Random Variable as a Measurable Function
On a probability space (Ω,ℱ,P), a real-valued random variable is a function X:Ω→ℝ such that {ω∈Ω:X(ω)≤x}∈ℱ for every x∈ℝ.
Random Variable and Binary Relation Syntax Sugar
Suppose that X:Ω→ℝ is a random variable and that ⋆ is a binary relation on ℝ. Then for any a∈ℝ we define {X⋆a}:={ω∈Ω:X(ω)⋆a}.

Since {X⋆a} is an event, we can take its probability. When the meaning is clear, we use the syntactic reduction

P(X⋆a):=P({X⋆a}).
Distribution Function
The distribution function of a random variable X is the function FX:ℝ→[0,1] defined by FX(x):=P(X≤x).
Distribution Function Properties
If F is the distribution function of a random variable, then F is non-decreasing, right-continuous, limx→−∞⁡F(x)=0, and limx→∞⁡F(x)=1.
Let F=FX. If x≤y, then every ω∈{X≤x} satisfies X(ω)≤x≤y, so ω∈{X≤y}. Thus {X≤x}⊆{X≤y}, and monotonicity of probability gives F(x)=P(X≤x)≤P(X≤y)=F(y). Therefore F is non-decreasing.

For the limit at infinity, define An:={X≤n}. Then An↗Ω, because every real value X(ω) is at most some integer n. By continuity of probability,

limn→∞⁡F(n)=limn→∞⁡P(An)=P(Ω)=1. Since F is non-decreasing and F(x)≤1, integer values determine the monotone function limit at infinity gives limx→∞⁡F(x)=1.

For the limit at negative infinity, define Bn:={X≤−n}. Then Bn↘∅: the events are decreasing, and no real number is less than or equal to −n for every n. By continuity of probability and probability of the impossible event,

limn→∞⁡F(−n)=limn→∞⁡P(Bn)=P(∅)=0. Since F is non-decreasing and F(x)≥0, this implies limx→−∞⁡F(x)=0.

Finally, fix x∈ℝ and define Cn:={X≤x+1n}. Then Cn↘{X≤x}: the events are decreasing, and ω lies in every Cn exactly when X(ω)≤x. By continuity of probability,

limn→∞⁡F(x+1n)=limn→∞⁡P(Cn)=P(X≤x)=F(x). Since F is non-decreasing, the values F(x+h) with h→0+ are squeezed between F(x) and values of the form F(x+1n) with n→∞. Hence limh→0+⁡F(x+h)=F(x), so F is right-continuous.
Probability from Distribution Function
If FX is the distribution function of X, then for a<b, P(a<X≤b)=FX(b)−FX(a).
Let Ea:={X≤a}andEb:={X≤b}. Since a<b, if ω∈Ea, then X(ω)≤a<b, so ω∈Eb. Thus Ea⊆Eb.

By set difference decomposition, Eb is the disjoint union of Eb∖Ea and Eb∩Ea. Also,

Eb∖Ea={a<X≤b}, because ω∈Eb∖Ea exactly when X(ω)≤b and it is not true that X(ω)≤a, which is the same as a<X(ω)≤b. Since Ea⊆Eb, intersection with a superset is itself gives Ea∩Eb=Ea.

Therefore, by probability of set difference,

P(a<X≤b)=P(Eb∖Ea)=P(Eb)−P(Eb∩Ea)=P(Eb)−P(Ea)=FX(b)−FX(a).
Random Variable Function Composition
Suppose that X:Ω→D is a random variable and that g:D→Y is a function. Then g(X) denotes the composition g(X):=g∘X, so g(X):Ω→Y is the function defined by (g(X))(ω)=g(X(ω)).

Note that when we compose a measurable real-valued function with a random variable, we obtain a new random variable.

Discrete Random Variable
A random variable X is discrete if the set of values X(Ω) is countable.
Identically Distributed Random Variables
Random variables X and Y are identically distributed if their distribution functions agree: P(X≤x)=P(Y≤x) for every x∈ℝ.
Independent Random Variables
Given two random variables X,Y on the same sample space, we say that X is independent of Y and write X⟂Y iff for any A,B⊆ℝ with P(Y∈B)>0, the conditional probability satisfies P(X∈A|Y∈B)=P(X∈A).
Multivariate Random Variable
Suppose that we have a finite collection of random variables Xi each with their own sample space Ωi. Then the tuple  𝐗 =(X1,…Xn) is said to be a multivariate random variable and is a function from Ω1×⋯×Ωn→ℝn.
Joint Distribution Function
The joint distribution function of a random vector (X1,…,Xn) is F(x1,…,xn)=P(X1≤x1,…,Xn≤xn).
Independent Random Variables by Events
Random variables X1,…,Xn are independent if the events {X1∈B1},…,{Xn∈Bn} are independent for every choice of Borel sets B1,…,Bn⊆ℝ.
Functions of Independent Random Variables are Independent
If X and Y are independent random variables and g,h:ℝ→ℝ are Borel measurable functions, then g(X) and h(Y) are independent.
Let A,B⊆ℝ be Borel sets. Since g and h are Borel measurable, the inverse images g−1(A) and h−1(B) are Borel sets.

By the definition of random variable function composition and inverse image of a composition,

{g(X)∈A}={X∈g−1(A)} and {h(Y)∈B}={Y∈h−1(B)}. Because X and Y are independent random variables and g−1(A), h−1(B) are Borel sets, we have P({g(X)∈A}∩{h(Y)∈B})=P({X∈g−1(A)}∩{Y∈h−1(B)})=P(X∈g−1(A))P(Y∈h−1(B))=P(g(X)∈A)P(h(Y)∈B). Therefore g(X) and h(Y) are independent by the definition of independent random variables.

Note that above simply says that given any A,B⊆R the events EA:=X∈A and EB:=Y∈B

Independence as a Product
By independence of random variables, A⟂B⟺P(X∈A∩X∈B)=P(X∈A)P(X∈B)
Independence is Reflexive
A⟂B⟺B⟂A
Follows from the previous corollary.
Independence Practice
Suppose that A,B are two events such that P(A∖B)=P(B)=25 and A⟂B:
  • Determine P(A)
  • Obtain the probabilities P(A∩B),P(A∩B∁),P(A∁∩B∁)
  • Determine the conditional probability P(A∖B|A∩B)

We start by determining P(A), firstly we know that 25=P(B)=P(A∖B)=P(A)−P(A∩B)=P(A)−P(A)P(B)=P(A)(1−P(B))=P(A)(1−25)=P(A)(35) therefore we deduce that P(A)=23

Collection of Independent Events
Suppose we have some collection Ai,i∈I of events for some index set I, then we say that this collection of events are independent if