[Math] $X$ has a Gamma distribution with parameters $\lambda$ and $\alpha$. Find $E(X^r)$

probability distributions

$X$ has a Gamma distribution with parameters $\lambda$ and $\alpha$. I must find $E(X^r)$ and $r$ is a positive integer.

How can I do this?

I am guessing I have to use the Gamma function but I don't know how to do this?

Best Answer

You leave it to be inferred by us based only on conventions that $\alpha$, rather than $\lambda$ is the shape parameter. There's also the question of whether $\lambda$ is supposed to be the intensity parameter, so that the distribution is $$ \frac{1}{\Gamma(\alpha)}\cdot (\lambda x)^{\alpha-1} e^{-\lambda x}\,(\lambda\,dx)\text{ for }x>0 $$ or its reciprocal, the scale parameter, so that the distribution is $$ \frac{1}{\Gamma(\alpha)}\cdot (x/\lambda)^{\alpha-1} e^{-x/\lambda}\,(dx/\lambda)\text{ for }x>0. $$

I'm going to guess that you mean the first of these two alternatives.

Once you understand the integral that defines the Gamma function, you're almost done. You have $$ \begin{align} \mathbb E(X^r) & = \int_0^\infty x^r \frac{1}{\Gamma(\alpha)}\cdot (\lambda x)^{\alpha-1} e^{-\lambda x}\,(\lambda\,dx) \\[12pt] & = \frac{1}{\Gamma(\alpha)} \cdot\frac{1}{\lambda^r} \int_0^\infty (\lambda x)^{r+\alpha-1} e^{-\lambda x}\,(\lambda\,dx) \\[12pt] & = \frac{1}{\Gamma(\alpha)}\cdot\frac{1}{\lambda^r} \int_0^\infty u^{r+\alpha-1} e^{-u}\,du \\[12pt] & = \frac{1}{\Gamma(\alpha)}\cdot\frac{1}{\lambda^r}\cdot\Gamma(r+\alpha). \tag1 \end{align} $$

This bears simplification. We have $$ \begin{align} \Gamma(r+\alpha) & = (r-1)\Gamma(r-1+\alpha)= (r-1)(r-2)\Gamma(r-2+\alpha)=\cdots \\[12pt] & \cdots=(r+\alpha-1)(r+\alpha-2)(r+\alpha-3)\cdots(r+\alpha-r)\Gamma(\alpha). \end{align} $$ Then you can reduce the fraction in $(1)$.