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(Random number with uniform distribution over [0, 1])

For clarification, in the case where N = 2, we can use geometric probability. On the coordinate plane consider points with 0<=x,y<=1. The condition is satisfied on a diagonal band of area 3/4 from the origin to (1,1). Similarly, with N = 3 the volume of the space in which the condition is satisfied is 7/27.

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  • $\begingroup$ How did you compute 7/27, and why did your argument not generalize to arbitrary N? $\endgroup$
    – Steven Landsburg
    Commented Jan 5, 2011 at 21:23
  • $\begingroup$ What is meant by "the range of a set"? Is that just max minus min? $\endgroup$
    – Gerry Myerson
    Commented Jan 6, 2011 at 4:03

1 Answer 1

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The keyword is the order statistics. The distributions of the maximum and minimum values of a sample of $n$ independent uniformly distributed random variables are given respectively by the laws

$$U_{max}\sim \mbox{Beta}(n,1),\qquad U_{min}\sim \mbox{Beta}(1,n).$$

The range $U_{max}-U_{min}$ has a $\mbox{Beta}(n-1,2)$ distribution (see, e.g., Section 2.5 of A First Course in Order Statistics) so $$\mathbb P\{U_{max}-U_{min} < a\}=\frac{1}{B(n-1,2)}\int_{0}^{a}x^{n-2}(1-x)dx=na^{n-1}-(n-1)a^n.$$

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    $\begingroup$ =$(n^2-n+1)n^{-n}$ which agrees with the examples given (however arrived at) $\endgroup$
    – Mark Bennet
    Commented Jan 5, 2011 at 22:23
  • $\begingroup$ (Could I suggest writing $U_\max$ and $U_\min$ instead of $U_{max}$ and $U_{min}$? The TeX code is U_\max and U_\min. Using \max and \min not only prevents italicization, but also causes standard formatting conventions to be followed in some contexts.) $\endgroup$
    – Michael Hardy
    Commented Jan 6, 2011 at 18:40
  • $\begingroup$ @Michael Hardy: I agree with your suggestion and I will try to stick to it in the future. I just don't think it is worth bumping up the question to make the edit. $\endgroup$
    – Andrey Rekalo
    Commented Jan 6, 2011 at 19:34

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