
Introduction
In probability theory and statistics, linear transformations play a crucial role in understanding the behavior of random variables. When a random variable y is linearly transformed by a matrix W, the resulting variable z=Wy inherits the properties of both the original variable and the transformation matrix. In this article, we will focus on deriving the probability density function (PDF) of the linearly transformed variable z, where y is defined on the unit sphere embedded in R3.
Probability Distributions and Linear Transformations
Probability distributions are used to describe the behavior of random variables, and linear transformations are a fundamental concept in understanding how these variables change under different operations. When a random variable y is linearly transformed by a matrix W, the resulting variable z=Wy has a probability distribution that is related to the original distribution of y.
Jacobian and Change of Variables
The Jacobian matrix plays a crucial role in understanding how the probability distribution of a random variable changes under a linear transformation. The Jacobian matrix J of a linear transformation z=Wy is given by:
J=βyβzβ=W
The Jacobian matrix J is used to compute the change of variables, which is essential in deriving the PDF of the linearly transformed variable z.
Deriving the PDF of Wy
To derive the PDF of z=Wy, we need to consider the joint PDF of y and the determinant of the Jacobian matrix J. The joint PDF of y is given by:
fyβ(y)=A1β
where A is the surface area of the unit sphere.
The determinant of the Jacobian matrix J is given by:
β£Jβ£=β£Wβ£
Using the change of variables formula, we can derive the PDF of z as:
fzβ(z)=fyβ(y)β
β£Jβ£
Substituting the expressions for fyβ(y) and β£Jβ£, we get:
fzβ(z)=A1ββ
β£Wβ£
Properties of the PDF of Wy
The PDF of z=Wy has several important properties that are worth noting:
- Non-negativity: The PDF of z is non-negative for all values of z.
- Normalization: The PDF of z is normalized, meaning that the integral of the PDF over the entire support of z is equal to 1.
- Invariance: The PDF of z is invariant under linear transformations, meaning that the PDF of z remains the same under a change of variables.
Conclusion
In this article, we have derived the formula for the PDF of Wy where y is on the unit sphere. We have also discussed the properties of the PDF and its relation to the Jacobian matrix and the change of variables. The formula for the PDF of Wy is given by:
fzβ(z)=A1ββ
β£Wβ£
where A is the surface area of the unit sphere and β£Wβ£ is the determinant of the Jacobian matrix.
References
- [1] Papoulis, A. (1984). Probability, Random Variables, and Stochastic Processes. McGraw-Hill.
- [2] Kendall, D. G. (1957). The Transformation of Three-Space Forms. Biometrika, 44(3/4), 257-268.
- [3] Mardia, K. V. (1972). Statistics of Directional Data. Academic Press.
Appendix
A. Derivation of the Jacobian Matrix
The Jacobian matrix J of a linear transformation z=Wy is given by:
J=βyβzβ=W
B. Derivation of the PDF of Wy
To derive the PDF of z=Wy, we need to consider the joint PDF of y and the determinant of the Jacobian matrix J. The joint PDF of y is given by:
fyβ(y)=A1β
where A is the surface area of the unit sphere.
The determinant of the Jacobian matrix J is given by:
β£Jβ£=β£Wβ£
Using the change of variables formula, we can derive the PDF of z as:
fzβ(z)=fyβ(y)β
β£Jβ£
Substituting the expressions for fyβ(y) and β£Jβ£, we get:
f_{\mathbf{z}}(\mathbf{z}) = \frac{1}{A} \cdot |\mathbf{W}|$<br/>
**Q&A: Formula for the PDF of $\mathbf{W}\mathbf{y}$ where $\mathbf{y}$ is on the Unit Sphere**
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Introduction

In our previous article, we derived the formula for the PDF of Wy where y is on the unit sphere. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions related to this topic.
Q: What is the unit sphere?
A: The unit sphere is a three-dimensional sphere with a radius of 1. It is a closed surface that is centered at the origin and has a constant distance of 1 from the origin.
Q: What is the Jacobian matrix?
A: The Jacobian matrix is a matrix that represents the linear transformation of a function. In the context of the PDF of Wy, the Jacobian matrix is given by J=W.
Q: What is the determinant of the Jacobian matrix?
A: The determinant of the Jacobian matrix is given by β£Jβ£=β£Wβ£. This determinant represents the scaling factor of the linear transformation.
Q: How do I compute the PDF of Wy?
A: To compute the PDF of Wy, you need to follow these steps:
- Compute the joint PDF of y, which is given by fyβ(y)=A1β, where A is the surface area of the unit sphere.
- Compute the determinant of the Jacobian matrix, which is given by β£Jβ£=β£Wβ£.
- Use the change of variables formula to derive the PDF of z, which is given by fzβ(z)=fyβ(y)β
β£Jβ£.
Q: What are the properties of the PDF of Wy?
A: The PDF of z=Wy has several important properties, including:
- Non-negativity: The PDF of z is non-negative for all values of z.
- Normalization: The PDF of z is normalized, meaning that the integral of the PDF over the entire support of z is equal to 1.
- Invariance: The PDF of z is invariant under linear transformations, meaning that the PDF of z remains the same under a change of variables.
Q: Can I use this formula for other types of linear transformations?
A: Yes, you can use this formula for other types of linear transformations. However, you need to modify the formula to accommodate the specific type of linear transformation.
Q: What are some common applications of this formula?
A: This formula has several common applications in statistics and machine learning, including:
- Data transformation: This formula can be used to transform data from one distribution to another.
- Feature extraction: This formula can be used to extract features from data that are more informative than the original data.
- Dimensionality reduction: This formula can be used to reduce the dimensionality of data while preserving the essential information.
Conclusion
In this article, we have answered some frequently asked questions related to the formula for the PDF of Wy where y is on the unit sphere. We hope that this article has provided you with a better understanding of this topic and its applications.
References
- [1] Papoulis, A. (1984). Probability, Random Variables, and Stochastic Processes. McGraw-Hill.
- [2] Kendall, D. G. (1957). The Transformation of Three-Space Forms. Biometrika, 44(3/4), 257-268.
- [3] Mardia, K. V. (1972). Statistics of Directional Data. Academic Press.
Appendix
A. Derivation of the Jacobian Matrix
The Jacobian matrix J of a linear transformation z=Wy is given by:
J=βyβzβ=W</span></p><h3>B.DerivationofthePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">W</mi><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">Wy</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.8805em;verticalβalign:β0.1944em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">Wy</span></span></span></span></h3><p>ToderivethePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi><mo>=</mo><mimathvariant="bold">W</mi><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z=Wy</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.8805em;verticalβalign:β0.1944em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">Wy</span></span></span></span>,youneedtofollowthesesteps:</p><ol><li>ComputethejointPDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">y</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.6389em;verticalβalign:β0.1944em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">y</span></span></span></span>,whichisgivenby<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>f</mi><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi></msub><mostretchy="false">(</mo><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi><mostretchy="false">)</mo><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mn>1</mn><mi>A</mi></mfrac></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">fyβ(y)=A1β</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:1.0361em;verticalβalign:β0.2861em;"></span><spanclass="mord"><spanclass="mordmathnormal"style="marginβright:0.10764em;">f</span><spanclass="msupsub"><spanclass="vlistβtvlistβt2"><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.1611em;"><spanstyle="top:β2.55em;marginβleft:β0.1076em;marginβright:0.05em;"><spanclass="pstrut"style="height:2.7em;"></span><spanclass="sizingresetβsize6size3mtight"><spanclass="mordmtight"><spanclass="mordmathbfmtight"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">y</span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="vlistβs">β</span></span><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.2861em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="mopen">(</span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">y</span><spanclass="mclose">)</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:1.1901em;verticalβalign:β0.345em;"></span><spanclass="mord"><spanclass="mopennulldelimiter"></span><spanclass="mfrac"><spanclass="vlistβtvlistβt2"><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.8451em;"><spanstyle="top:β2.655em;"><spanclass="pstrut"style="height:3em;"></span><spanclass="sizingresetβsize6size3mtight"><spanclass="mordmtight"><spanclass="mordmathnormalmtight">A</span></span></span></span><spanstyle="top:β3.23em;"><spanclass="pstrut"style="height:3em;"></span><spanclass="fracβline"style="borderβbottomβwidth:0.04em;"></span></span><spanstyle="top:β3.394em;"><spanclass="pstrut"style="height:3em;"></span><spanclass="sizingresetβsize6size3mtight"><spanclass="mordmtight"><spanclass="mordmtight">1</span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="vlistβs">β</span></span><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.345em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="mclosenulldelimiter"></span></span></span></span></span>,where<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mi>A</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">A</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.6833em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathnormal">A</span></span></span></span>isthesurfaceareaoftheunitsphere.</li><li>ComputethedeterminantoftheJacobianmatrix,whichisgivenby<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="normal">β£</mi><mimathvariant="bold">J</mi><mimathvariant="normal">β£</mi><mo>=</mo><mimathvariant="normal">β£</mi><mimathvariant="bold">W</mi><mimathvariant="normal">β£</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">β£Jβ£=β£Wβ£</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:1em;verticalβalign:β0.25em;"></span><spanclass="mord">β£</span><spanclass="mordmathbf">J</span><spanclass="mord">β£</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:1em;verticalβalign:β0.25em;"></span><spanclass="mord">β£</span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">W</span><spanclass="mord">β£</span></span></span></span>.</li><li>UsethechangeofvariablesformulatoderivethePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span></span></span></span>,whichisgivenby<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>f</mi><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></msub><mostretchy="false">(</mo><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi><mostretchy="false">)</mo><mo>=</mo><msub><mi>f</mi><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi></msub><mostretchy="false">(</mo><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi><mostretchy="false">)</mo><mo>β
</mo><mimathvariant="normal">β£</mi><mimathvariant="bold">J</mi><mimathvariant="normal">β£</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">fzβ(z)=fyβ(y)β
β£Jβ£</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:1em;verticalβalign:β0.25em;"></span><spanclass="mord"><spanclass="mordmathnormal"style="marginβright:0.10764em;">f</span><spanclass="msupsub"><spanclass="vlistβtvlistβt2"><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.1611em;"><spanstyle="top:β2.55em;marginβleft:β0.1076em;marginβright:0.05em;"><spanclass="pstrut"style="height:2.7em;"></span><spanclass="sizingresetβsize6size3mtight"><spanclass="mordmtight"><spanclass="mordmathbfmtight">z</span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="vlistβs">β</span></span><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.15em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="mopen">(</span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span><spanclass="mclose">)</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:1.0361em;verticalβalign:β0.2861em;"></span><spanclass="mord"><spanclass="mordmathnormal"style="marginβright:0.10764em;">f</span><spanclass="msupsub"><spanclass="vlistβtvlistβt2"><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.1611em;"><spanstyle="top:β2.55em;marginβleft:β0.1076em;marginβright:0.05em;"><spanclass="pstrut"style="height:2.7em;"></span><spanclass="sizingresetβsize6size3mtight"><spanclass="mordmtight"><spanclass="mordmathbfmtight"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">y</span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="vlistβs">β</span></span><spanclass="vlistβr"><spanclass="vlist"style="height:0.2861em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span></span><spanclass="mopen">(</span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">y</span><spanclass="mclose">)</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2222em;"></span><spanclass="mbin">β
</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2222em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:1em;verticalβalign:β0.25em;"></span><spanclass="mord">β£</span><spanclass="mordmathbf">J</span><spanclass="mord">β£</span></span></span></span>.</li></ol><h3>C.PropertiesofthePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">W</mi><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">Wy</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.8805em;verticalβalign:β0.1944em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">Wy</span></span></span></span></h3><p>ThePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi><mo>=</mo><mimathvariant="bold">W</mi><mimathvariant="bold">y</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z=Wy</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span><spanclass="mrel">=</span><spanclass="mspace"style="marginβright:0.2778em;"></span></span><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.8805em;verticalβalign:β0.1944em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf"style="marginβright:0.01597em;">Wy</span></span></span></span>hasseveralimportantproperties,including:</p><ul><li>Nonβnegativity:ThePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span></span></span></span>isnonβnegativeforallvaluesof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span></span></span></span>.</li><li>Normalization:ThePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span></span></span></span>isnormalized,meaningthattheintegralofthePDFovertheentiresupportof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span></span></span></span>isequalto1.</li><li>Invariance:ThePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span></span></span></span>isinvariantunderlineartransformations,meaningthatthePDFof<spanclass="katex"><spanclass="katexβmathml"><mathxmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mimathvariant="bold">z</mi></mrow><annotationencoding="application/xβtex">z</annotation></semantics></math></span><spanclass="katexβhtml"ariaβhidden="true"><spanclass="base"><spanclass="strut"style="height:0.4444em;"></span><spanclass="mordmathbf">z</span></span></span></span>remainsthesameunderachangeofvariables.</li></ul>