Solved – Expected value of a random variable by integrating $1-CDF$ when lower limit $a\neq 0$

cumulative distribution functionexpected valueprobability

I have found several past answers on stack exchange (Find expected value using CDF) which explains why the expected value of a random variable as such:
$$
E(X)=\int_{0}^{\infty}(1−F_X(x))\,\mathrm dx
$$

However, I am studying a partial-partial equilibrium in search theory where we have the following integral instead where a is a positive free variable:
$$
\int_{a}^{\infty}(1−F_X(x))\;\mathrm dx
$$

What would be the interpretation of this integral? Would it be correct to interpret it as some sort of conditional expectation such as $E(X | x \geq a)$. However, it seems like it is not just a conditional expectation as the value of the integral with a would be smaller than if the lower limit is just 0. Perhaps it should be some scaled version of the conditional expectation but I am unsure. Thank you for any advice.

Best Answer

I would like to add a thing to the answer by @Thomas Lumley

One can come up with the following:

$$\begin{align} E[\max(X,a)]&=P(X\geq a)\cdot E[\max(X,a)|X\geq a]+P(X<a)\cdot E[\max(X,a)|X<a]\\ &=P(X\geq a)\cdot E[X|X\geq a]+P(X<a)\cdot a\\ &=P(X\geq a)\cdot E[X|X\geq a]+(1-P(X\geq a))\cdot a\\ &=P(X\geq a)\cdot (E[X|X\geq a]-a)+a \end{align}$$

Combining this with the previous answer, we get:

$$\int_a^\infty(1-F(x))dx=E[\max(X,a)]-a=E[\max(X-a,0)]$$

Edit: As @Ben added in his comment, it's with noting that in the special case $a=0$, you recover the usual expected value rule for non-negative random variables:

$$\int_0^\infty(1-F(x))dx=E[\max(X,0)]=E[X]$$

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