Forum: Probability
10-21-2002, 05:42 AM
|
|
Replies: 10
Views: 357
Re: Answer to Ballot Box
>Do you buy that reasoning for the simple problem?
Yup. Mainly I find the simple reasoning convincing because I can see how it could be changed into a formal proof, but I also love the simplicity...
|
|
Forum: Probability
10-17-2002, 07:27 AM
|
|
Replies: 10
Views: 357
Re: Answer to Ballot Box
I have never seen a "simple" solution to the penny matching. The best solution I have seen for penny matching requires the binomial expansion of (a+b)^n and a page of algebra.
|
|
Forum: Probability
10-17-2002, 07:24 AM
|
|
Replies: 10
Views: 357
Answer to Ballot Box
I got 2 b / (a + b) after I did a ridiculous amount of work.
Then I read a simple the simple solution below.
solution :
If the first vote is B, then there will be a tie.
|
|
Forum: Probability
10-16-2002, 04:45 PM
|
|
Replies: 10
Views: 357
Re: The Ballot Box
Pseudo, I tried your new formulas and I got the following answers for a = 3 votes and b = 2 votes.
Counting:
AAABB, AABAB,
AABBA, ABAAB, ABABA, ABBAA,
BAAAB, BAABA, BABAA, BBAAA.
8 ties...
|
|
Forum: Probability
10-16-2002, 08:58 AM
|
|
Replies: 10
Views: 357
Re: The Ballot Box
Pseudo,
I entered your formulas into my computer. They gave an excellent approximation to the exact probability. For small a and b, it is not too hard to get the exact probability by...
|
|
Forum: Probability
10-14-2002, 08:37 AM
|
|
Replies: 10
Views: 357
The Ballot Box
I read the following related questions in a probability book. I need the binomial theorem to solve #2, but I keep thinking there is a simpler solution.
#1 "In an election, two candidates,...
|
