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In probability theory and statistics, the moment-generating function of a real-valued random variable is an alternative specification of its probability distribution.Thus, it provides the basis of an alternative route to analytical results compared with working directly with probability density functions or cumulative distribution functions.
This implies that it cannot have a defined moment generating function in a neighborhood of zero. [9] Indeed, the expected value E [ e t X ] {\displaystyle \operatorname {E} [e^{tX}]} is not defined for any positive value of the argument t {\displaystyle t} , since the defining integral diverges.
The moment generating function of a real random variable is the expected value of , as a function of the real parameter . For a normal distribution with density f {\textstyle f} , mean μ {\textstyle \mu } and variance σ 2 {\textstyle \sigma ^{2}} , the moment generating function exists and is equal to
The form of the density function of the Weibull distribution changes drastically with the value of k. For 0 < k < 1, the density function tends to ∞ as x approaches zero from above and is strictly decreasing. For k = 1, the density function tends to 1/λ as x approaches zero from above and is
The factorial moment generating function generates the factorial moments of the probability distribution. Provided M X {\displaystyle M_{X}} exists in a neighbourhood of t = 1, the n th factorial moment is given by [ 1 ]
Other generating functions of random variables include the moment-generating function, the characteristic function and the cumulant generating function. The probability generating function is also equivalent to the factorial moment generating function , which as E [ z X ] {\displaystyle \operatorname {E} \left[z^{X}\right]} can also be ...
In statistics, the method of moments is a method of estimation of population parameters.The same principle is used to derive higher moments like skewness and kurtosis. It starts by expressing the population moments (i.e., the expected values of powers of the random variable under consideration) as functions of the parameters of interest.
Two random variables having equal moment generating functions have the same distribution. This provides, for example, a useful method of checking equality of certain functions of independent, identically distributed (IID) random variables. However, the moment generating function exists only for distributions that have a defined Laplace transform.