Random Variables

By M. A. Proschan, Pamela A. Shaw. 2018

If our atomic events are people, such as survey participants who might walk by our corner, then the height of the next person is a random variable. So are and eye color. If our atomic events are complex numbers, then the real part of the next complex number is a random variable. If our atomic events are cards that we draw from a deck, then the number of pips on the next card is a random variable; so are the suit and whether the card is a face card. If our atomic events are pairs of people (say, the next two participants in our survey), then we can make a random variable by testing whether they have the same birthday, or by squaring the difference between the lengths of their left thumbs.