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Derive MLEs and conditional Normal distributions

Last updated: May 18, 2026

Quick Overview

This question evaluates proficiency in parametric inference and probability theory, specifically maximum likelihood estimation, bias of estimators, and conditioning in univariate and bivariate Normal distributions including constrained estimation of parameters.

  • medium
  • Google
  • Statistics & Math
  • Data Scientist

Derive MLEs and conditional Normal distributions

Company: Google

Role: Data Scientist

Category: Statistics & Math

Difficulty: medium

Interview Round: Technical Screen

Suppose X1,…,Xn are i.i.d. Normal(μ, σ^2) and, independently, (X, Y) is one draw from a bivariate Normal with means μX, μY, variances σX^2, σY^2, and correlation ρ. Answer the following, showing all algebraic steps: (a) Write the pdf and cdf of Normal(μ, σ^2). Using them, express P(μ − σ ≤ X1 ≤ μ + σ) in terms of the standard Normal cdf Φ. (b) Derive the MLEs of μ and σ^2: (i) when σ^2 is known; (ii) when both μ and σ^2 are unknown; (iii) when μ is constrained so that μ ≥ 0 (give the closed-form MLE for μ and explain what happens when the unconstrained MLE is negative). (c) For the bivariate Normal (X, Y), derive the conditional distribution of X | Y = y: give its mean and variance and write the conditional pdf and cdf; then compute P(X > t | Y = y) in terms of Φ. (d) Is the usual MLE of σ^2 unbiased? If not, provide an unbiased estimator for σ^2 and relate it to the MLE.

Quick Answer: This question evaluates proficiency in parametric inference and probability theory, specifically maximum likelihood estimation, bias of estimators, and conditioning in univariate and bivariate Normal distributions including constrained estimation of parameters.

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Google
Oct 13, 2025, 9:49 PM
Data Scientist
Technical Screen
Statistics & Math
5
0

Normal and Bivariate Normal: PDFs/CDFs, MLEs, Conditioning, and Unbiased Variance

Setup

  • Let X1, …, Xn be i.i.d. Normal(μ, σ²).
  • Independently, let (X, Y) be a single draw from a bivariate Normal with means μX, μY, variances σX², σY², and correlation ρ.

Tasks

(a) Write the pdf and cdf of Normal(μ, σ²). Using them, express P(μ − σ ≤ X1 ≤ μ + σ) in terms of the standard Normal cdf Φ.

(b) Derive the MLEs: (i) μ when σ² is known; (ii) μ and σ² when both are unknown; (iii) the MLE of μ when μ is constrained so that μ ≥ 0 (give the closed-form and explain what happens when the unconstrained MLE is negative).

(c) For the bivariate Normal (X, Y), derive the conditional distribution of X | Y = y: give its mean and variance, write the conditional pdf and cdf, and compute P(X > t | Y = y) in terms of Φ.

(d) Is the usual MLE of σ² unbiased? If not, provide an unbiased estimator for σ² and relate it to the MLE.

Solution

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