Exactly one point

Four points are chosen uniformly and at random inside a circle of radius 2.

If the probability that exactly one point is within one unit from the center of the circle is given by a b \dfrac{a}{b} where a a and b b are coprime positive integers, then what is a + b a + b ?


The answer is 91.

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1 solution

Geoff Pilling
Aug 6, 2017

Note that a circle of radius 2 is 4 times as big as a circle of radius 1. So, each point has a 1 4 \frac{1}{4} of being inside the inner circle (or within one from the center), and 3 4 \frac{3}{4} probability of not being within one from the center.

So, for each point, the probability that it is the only point within one unit of the center is given by:

P each point = 1 4 ( 3 4 ) 3 P_{\text{each point}} = \frac{1}{4}(\frac{3}{4})^3

since there is a 1 4 \frac{1}{4} probability that it is within one from the center of the circle, and there is a 3 4 \frac{3}{4} probability that each of the other three isn't within one unit from the center.

And, there are four points to consider, so the total probability is given by

P = 4 P each point = 4 1 4 ( 3 4 ) 3 = 27 64 P = 4P_{\text{each point}} = 4\frac{1}{4}(\frac{3}{4})^3 = \frac{27}{64}

27 + 64 = 91 27+64 = \boxed{91}

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