# Math Help - standard normal expectations

1. ## standard normal expectations

Calculate $E[e^Z]$, where $Z$ is the standard normal random variable (with density function $f(x)=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}e^{-\frac{x^2}{2}}$).

So am I to calculate $\int _{-\infty}^{\infty}e^{f(x)} \cdot f(x) \,\, dx$?

If I'm approaching this correctly, that leaves me with a mess stickier than a barrel of molasses which I don't know how to handle at all. I mean, I know that the integral of f(x) is F(x) where F(x) is the cumulative distribution function for the standard normal distribution, but I don't know what that is explicitly nor how to calculate it, let alone what is being asked here. In lecture, we have used tables of values for $\Phi (x)$, where $\Phi (x)$ (I assume) is this F(x), to approximate definite integrals of f(x) but I do not see how that might help here...so lost.

2. ## A different interpretation

$

\int _{-\infty}^{\infty}e^{x} \cdot f(x) \,\, dx
$

3. Originally Posted by qmech

$

\int _{-\infty}^{\infty}e^{x} \cdot f(x) \,\, dx
$

and instead of completing the square, blah blah, to make this a valid density

NOTE that this is just the MGF evaluated at t=1.

4. Originally Posted by matheagle
and instead of completing the square, blah blah, to make this a valid density

NOTE that this is just the MGF evaluated at t=1.

I assure you both, however, that I am stating the problem correctly. In fact, there is another problem I have that requires computing a similar integral (which I can only take as evidence that $E[e^Z]$ is not a typo). To further complicate things, MGFs have not been an addressed topic so I must further assume that a solution is intended to be MGF-free.