Probability and Statistics

Problem Set
1. Sanjit, Prashant and Bharath have probabilities 0.8, 0.7 and 0.6 to solve a given
problem. If the problem is solved what is the probabilit that !i" onl Sanjit #o$ld
solve it, !ii" onl Prashant #o$ld solve it, !iii" onl Bharath #o$ld solve it %
&. In a modeling agen# &'( of the models are $nder && ears of age. )lso ('* of the
models are male and *'8 of the models are female or && ears of age or older. +hat is
the probabilit that a model sele#ted at random from this agen# is a female and
$nder && ears of age%
(. ,he fig$res within the bo-es in the diagram of an ele#troni#s sstem show the
probabilities of the #orresponding sstem #omponents to f$n#tion. +hat is the
probabilit that the entire sstem f$n#tions%
.. ) ma#hine to dete#t improper welds in a fabri#ating shop dete#ts 80/ of all improper
welds, b$t it also in#orre#tl indi#ates an improper weld on */of all satisfa#tor
welds. Past e-perien#e indi#ates that 10/ of all welds are improper. +hat is the
probabilit that a weld whi#h the ma#hine indi#ates to be defe#tive is, in fa#t
satisfa#tor.
*. 0n a flight from Boston to 1al#$tta m l$ggage did not arrive with me. It was
transferred thri#e on a##o$nt of #hange in flight and the probabilities that the transfer
was not done in time were estimated to be .'10, &'10 and 1'10 respe#tivel in order
of transfer. +hat is the probabilit that the first airline goofed%
6. S$ppose that in a #ertain #asino there are three tpes of slot ma#hines in e2$al
n$mbers with pa3off fre2$en#ies 1'(, &'(, &'( respe#tivel. 0ne of these ma#hines
paid off twi#e in fo$r #ran4s. +hat is the probabilit of a pa3off on the ne-t #ran4%
7. Show that

n
1 i
n
1 i
i i
. " 1 n ! " P!) " ) P!
= =

8. In answering a 2$estion on a m$ltiple #hoi#e test a st$dent either 4nows the answer or
she g$esses. 5et p be the probabilit that she 4nows the answer and 1 3 p the
probabilit that she g$esses. )ss$me that a st$dent who g$esses at the answer will be
#orre#t with probabilit 1'm, where m is the n$mber of m$ltiple 3 #hoi#e alternatives.
+hat is the #onditional probabilit that a st$dent 4new the answer to a 2$estion given
that she answered it #orre#tl%
6. ) blood test is 6*/ effe#tive in dete#ting a #ertain disease, when it is, in fa#t present.
,he test also ields a false positive res$lt for 1/ of the health persons tested. If
0.*/ of the pop$lation a#t$all has the disease, what is the probabilit that a person
has a disease given that his test res$lt is positive%
10. If P!)
#
" 7 0.(, P!B" 7 0.. and P!)B
#
" 7 0.*, find P!B ' )B
#
".
11. 8o$r #omp$ter firms ), B, 1, 9 are bidding for a #ertain #ontra#t. ) s$rve of past
bidding s$##ess of these firms on similar #ontra#ts shows the following probabilities
of winning : P!)" 7 0.(*, P!B" 7 0.1*, P!1" 7 0.(, P!9" 7 0.&. Before the de#ision is
made to award the #ontra#t, firm B withdraws its bid. 8ind the new probabilities of
winning the bid for ), 1 and 9.
1&. ) teaset has fo$r #$ps and sa$#ers with two #$ps and sa$#ers in ea#h of two different
#olo$rs. If the #$ps are pla#ed at random on the sa$#ers, what is the probabilit that
no #$p is on a sa$#er of the same #olo$r %
1(. ;am rolls two fare di#e. If the s$m of the n$mbers shown is 7 or 11 he wins, if it is
&,( or 1& he loses. If it is an other n$mber j, he #ontin$es to roll two di#e, $ntil the
s$m is j or 7, whi#hever is sooner. If it it 7 he loses, if it is j he wins. +hat is the
probabilit that ;am wins.
1.. )n ele#tri# #ir#$it loo4s as in the fig$re below, where the n$mbers indi#ate the
probabilities of fail$re for the vario$s lin4s, whi#h are all independent. +hat is the
probabilit that the #ir#$it is #losed %
1'* 1'*
) 1'( B
1'. 1'.
1*. ,he probabilit that a famil has n #hildren is p
n
, for n 7 1,&,<.. ) #hild #an be a
bo or a girl with e2$al probabilit. 8ind the probabilit that a famil has at least a
bo. =iven that a famil has at least one bo, what is the #onditional probabilit that
it has two or more bos%
16. ) spea4s tr$th ( times o$t of . and B 7 times o$t of 10. ,he both assert that a white
ball is drawn from a bag #ontaining 6 balls of different #olo$rs ! one is white". 8ind
the probabilit of tr$th of assertion.