[Math] Uniform distribution on the unit circle

marginal-distributionprobabilityprobability theoryuniform distribution

Determine the probability density function on the unit circle $U:=\{(x,y)\in\mathbb{R}^2:x^2+y^2 =1\}$ with respect to the Lebesgue measure $\lambda$. Calculate the marginal distributions $f_X$ and $f_Y$ if the random positions on the unit circle in the euclidian coordinate system are interpreted as a two-dimensional random variable $(X,Y)$.

Now, if we set $(x,y) = (\cos\theta,\sin\theta)$, the probability density function would be $f(\theta) = \frac{1}{2\pi}$. But I cannot figure out how to determine the marginal distributions then, as this is only a one-dimensional object and with respect to $\lambda$, not $\lambda^2$.

Best Answer

It is possibly easier to do this as a cumulative distribution function first

Clearly $\mathbb P(X\le x)=0$ for $x \le -1$ and $\mathbb P(X\le x)=1$ for $x \ge 1$

You have not specified the support of $\Theta$, though $(-\pi, \pi]$ and $[0, 2\pi)$ are common choices; either will do here

For $-1 \lt x \lt 1$ we have: $$\mathbb P(X \le x) = \mathbb P(\cos(\Theta) \le x) = 2\mathbb P(\cos^{-1}(x) \le \Theta \le \pi) = 1 - \tfrac1\pi \cos^{-1}(x)$$

Taking the derivative we get $$f_X(x) = \frac{1}{\pi\sqrt{1-x^2}}$$ for $|x| \lt 1$, and $f_X(x)=0$ for $|x| \gt 1$, and the marginal density for $Y$ is the same by symmetry