Symmetric Probabilities? (Corrected)

Let set A A be the set of all positive integers from 1 1 to 999999999. 999999999.

Let set B B be the set of all positive integers whose digits are in ascending order.

When you randomly select an element from each set, with which set do you have a greater probability of having at least one 5 in the number chosen?

Set A A Set B B The probability is the same for both sets

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1 solution

Siva Budaraju
Apr 1, 2018

[Note: This is just a logical way I thought in order to solve the problem.]

As numbers get bigger and bigger, there is more and more 'overlap' between numbers. For example, in two-digit numbers, 55 is the only number in which a 5 was 'wasted', hence lowering the probability a little. However, in three-digit numbers, there are many, many more instances of this happening, such as 505, 550, 551....

When numbers get higher and higher, the extra 'overlap' causes the probability to drop.

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