2

If $X \sim N(0, \sigma^2)$ and $Y \sim N(0, \sigma^2)$ are independent, how can we find the expectation $$E \left(\frac{X }{\sqrt{X^2+Y^2} }\right)\,?$$

GAGA
  • 323

1 Answers1

6

You don't need to make use of $S$ and/or $T$. The conditional expectation $E\left[\frac{X}{\sqrt{X^2+Y^2}}\bigg\vert Y\right]$ is $0$ because PDF of $X$ is an even function and the expression we want to take the expectation is an odd function, which makes the overall expression in the integral an odd function, so the integration will be $0$. A detail: we can use this symmetry argument when the integral expression converges, and it is converging. Finally, use the law of iterated expectation to show that the overall expectation is $0$, i.e. $$E\left[\frac{X}{\sqrt{X^2+Y^2}}\right]=E\left[E\left[\frac{X}{\sqrt{X^2+Y^2}}\bigg\vert Y\right]\right]=E[0]=0$$

gunes
  • 57,205