Random numbers x and y are chosen from the interval [ 0 , 1 ] uniformly such that lengths x, y, and 1 form a triangle. What is the probability that the triangle formed is obtuse?
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We are essentially looking for P ( x 2 ≥ 1 − y 2 ∣ x + y ≥ 1 ) ; the conditioning holds since we already know that x , y and 1 form a triangle (triangle inequality).
Hence our answer is twice the area of the 2-d region bounded by x + y = 1 and x 2 + y 2 = 1 in the positive quadrant, which is,
2 ∫ 0 1 ∫ 1 − y 1 − y 2 d x d y = π / 2 − 1