F-distribution

Subjects: Probability Theory
Links: Continuous Distributions, Chi-squared Distribution

A random variable X is has an F distribution with parameters a>0 and b>0, written as XF(a,b), if the pdf is

f(x;a,b)={0x0Γ(a+b2)Γ(a2)Γ(b2)(ab)a/2xa/21(1+abx)(a+b)/2x>0

We have that the cdf is

F(x;a,b)=Iaxax+b(a2,b2)

where again the I represents the regularized incomplete beta function.

We have that

Let Xχ2(a) and Yχ2(b) be indpendent random variables. Then

X/aY/bF(a,b)

We can calculate the nth moment of X, as

E[Xn]=(ba)nΓ(a/2+n)Γ(a/2)Γ(b/2n)Γ(b/2)

there’s no moment generating function.

And if XF(a,b), then

1XF(b,a)