Given a random variable $\beta \in R$ with zero mean and variance $\sigma^{2}$. What is the mean of the random variable $z=\beta^{2}$?

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Given a random variable $\beta \in R$ with zero mean and variance $\sigma^{2}$. What is the mean of the random variable $z=\beta^{2}$?

The answer is $\sigma^{2}$. Why is it not $\sigma^{4}$?

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We have that $$ \operatorname E\beta^2=\operatorname E(\beta-0)^2=\operatorname E(\beta-\operatorname E\beta)^2=\operatorname{Var}\beta=\sigma^2. $$ The expected value of $\beta^2$ is equal to the variance of $\beta$ since the mean of $\beta$ is equal to $0$.