# Expected values of dependent Gaussian variables

Let $$(X_1,X_2,X_3)$$ be a set of three zero-mean Gaussian random variables with a covariance matrix of

$$C=\sigma^2 \begin{bmatrix} 1 & \rho & \rho \\ \rho & 1 & \rho \\ \rho & \rho & 1 \end{bmatrix}$$ How can I find the following expected values

$$E[X_1\mid X_2=x_2,X_3=x_3],\,E[X_1X_2\mid X_3=x_3]$$ and $$E[X_1X_2X_3]$$?

This is a probloem of my homework, I have only a not-so-good way to deal with it.

Take the first question for example,I try to find the conditional PDF of $$f_{X_1|X_2,X_3(x_1|x_2,x_3)}$$, and then directly get the answer by finding the means, but it seems to complex...

• Maybe have a look at the "Conditional probability" section here – Gabriel Jun 24 '19 at 13:34

A good thing about (zero-mean) multivariate normal distribution is that its structure is compatible with the inner-product structure arising from its covariance structure:

$$$$\begin{array}{ccc} \text{zero-mean gaussian distribution} & & \text{inner product space} \\ \hline \text{covaraince} & \leftrightarrow & \text{inner product} \\ \text{independence} & \leftrightarrow & \text{orthogonality} \\ \text{conditioning} & \leftrightarrow & \text{orthogonal projection} \end{array}$$$$

For example, it turns out that

$$\mathbf{E}[X_1 \,|\, X_2, X_3] = \alpha_2 X_2 + \alpha_3 X_3$$

for some constants $$\alpha_2, \alpha_3$$, as if the 'vector' $$X_1$$ is projected onto the liner span of $$X_2$$ and $$X_3$$, and all you have to do is to determine them so that $$Y = \alpha_2 X_2 + \alpha_3 X_3$$ solves

$$\operatorname{Cov}(X_1 - Y, X_2) = \operatorname{Cov}(X_1 - Y, X_3) = 0, \tag{*}$$

i.e., $$X_1 - Y$$ is 'orthogonal' to the span of $$X_2$$ and $$X_3$$. In random variable's side, once $$\alpha_2, \alpha_3$$ satisfy the above relation, then $$X_1 - Y$$ is uncorrelated to $$(X_2, X_3)$$, which then implies that they are independent thanks to joint normality. So we indeed have

$$\mathbf{E}[X_1 \,|\, X_2, X_3] = \mathbf{E}[(X_1 - Y) + Y \,|\, X_2, X_3] = \mathbf{E}[X_1 - Y] + Y = Y.$$

Going back to solving $$\text{(*)}$$, this can be done in a systematical way, and yields the formula in @Gabriel's link. Anyway, the above equation reduces to

$$\begin{bmatrix} \rho \\ \rho \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & \rho \\ \rho & 1 \end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix} \alpha_2 \\ \alpha_3 \end{bmatrix} \qquad\Rightarrow\qquad \begin{bmatrix} \alpha_2 \\ \alpha_3 \end{bmatrix} = \frac{1}{1+\rho} \begin{bmatrix} \rho \\ \rho \end{bmatrix}$$

and so,

$$\mathbf{E}[X_1 \,|\, X_2, X_3] = \frac{\rho}{1+\rho} X_2 + \frac{\rho}{1+\rho} X_3$$

For the second part, similar idea shows that $$X_i - \rho X_3$$ and $$X_3$$ are independent for each $$i = 1, 2$$, and so,

\begin{align*} \mathbf{E}[X_1 X_2 \,|\, X_3] &= \mathbf{E}[((X_1 - \rho X_3) + \rho X_3)((X_2 - \rho X_3) + \rho X_3) \,|\, X_3] \\ &= \mathbf{E}[(X_1 - \rho X_3)(X_2 - \rho X_3)] + \rho^2 X_3^2 \\ &= \sigma^2 \rho(1 - \rho) + \rho^2 X_3^2 \end{align*}

For the final problem, we may utilize the above result to compute

$$\mathbf{E}[X_1 X_2 X_3] = \mathbf{E}[\mathbf{E}[X_1 X_2 \,|\, X_3] X_3] = \mathbf{E}[(\sigma^2 \rho(1 - \rho) + \rho^2 X_3^2)X_3] = 0,$$

although the same conclusion follows from a more basic observation that the expectation of any odd-degree monomial in $$X_i$$'s is zero by symmetry.