The Four Chocolate Coins

Alexane has four chocolate fair coins.
She flips all the coins and eats those that fall on head.
She flips the coins not eaten (those that fell on tail) a second time and eats those that fall on head.

What is the probability that Alexane has eaten more than 2 coins?

If the probability can be expressed as a b \dfrac ab , where a a and b b are coprime positive integers, find a + b a+b .


The answer is 445.

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2 solutions

Paul Fournier
Apr 3, 2016

Relevant wiki: Probability - Rule of Product

The probability that any given coin is not eaten i.e. (tail, tail ) is (1/2) (1/2)=1/4.
The probability that a coin is eaten is (1-1/4)=3/4.
The probability of eating 4 coins is (3/4)

(3/4) (3/4) (3/4)= 81/256.
The probability of eating 3 coins is (3/4) (3/4) (3/4) (1/4) 4=108/256.
The probability of eating more than 2 coins is 81/256 + 108/256 = 189/256.
189+256=445

Mark Hennings
Apr 3, 2016

Let X X be the number of coins eaten at the first set of tosses, and let Y Y be the number of coins eaten at the second set of tosses, so that Z = X + Y Z = X+Y is the total number of coins eaten. Then P [ Z 2 ] = j = 0 2 P [ ( Z 2 ) ( X = j ) ] = j = 0 2 P [ X = j ] P [ Z 2 X = j ] = j = 0 2 P [ X = j ] P [ Y 2 j X = j ] = 1 16 × 1 + 4 + 6 16 + 4 16 × 1 + 3 8 + 6 16 × 1 4 = 67 256 \begin{array}{rcl} \mathbb{P}[Z \le 2] & = & \displaystyle \sum_{j=0}^2 \mathbb{P}[(Z \le 2) \cap (X = j)] \\ & = & \displaystyle \sum_{j=0}^2 \mathbb{P}[X=j]\,\mathbb{P}[Z \le 2 | X = j] \; = \; \sum_{j=0}^2 \mathbb{P}[X=j]\,\mathbb{P}[Y \le 2-j|X = j] \\ & = & \displaystyle \frac{1}{16}\times\frac{1+4+6}{16} + \frac{4}{16}\times\frac{1+3}{8} + \frac{6}{16}\times\frac{1}{4} \; = \; \frac{67}{256} \end{array} so that P [ Z > 2 ] = 1 67 256 = 189 256 \mathbb{P}[Z > 2] \,=\,1 - \tfrac{67}{256} \,=\, \tfrac{189}{256} , making the answer 445 \boxed{445} .

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