2014 Extension 1 BOS Trial Exam Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

mattjd

New Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2014
Messages
2
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
I was wondering whether someone could please give a hint for 13) part b) ii) and iii).
Initially I thought to find P(k+1)/P(k) = 1/((n-1)(k+1)(m-k+1)) and find the smallest k for which P(k+1)/P(k) < 0. If k = m+1, then P(k+1)/P(k) = 0 and if k = m + 2, P(k+1)/P(k) = 1/((n-1)(m+2)(-1) < 0 so presumably k = m + 2 is the most likely number of times the chosen number will appear. Which isn't what the question says.

Then I tried calculating the expected value which is a different interpretation of the question which might have worked
E(k) is the expected value of the random variable k, where E(k) = sum from k = 0 to k= m of kP(k)
So I calculated E(k) using the substitution k(m choose k) = m((m-1) choose (k-1)), made the substitution u = k-1, and expanded the binomial (1 + (n-1))^(m-1) to simplify the expression to get E(k) = m/n which is closer to what the given answer was, but still not right.
 

Trebla

Administrator
Administrator
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
8,394
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
I was wondering whether someone could please give a hint for 13) part b) ii) and iii).
Initially I thought to find P(k+1)/P(k) = 1/((n-1)(k+1)(m-k+1)) and find the smallest k for which P(k+1)/P(k) < 0. If k = m+1, then P(k+1)/P(k) = 0 and if k = m + 2, P(k+1)/P(k) = 1/((n-1)(m+2)(-1) < 0 so presumably k = m + 2 is the most likely number of times the chosen number will appear. Which isn't what the question says.

Then I tried calculating the expected value which is a different interpretation of the question which might have worked
E(k) is the expected value of the random variable k, where E(k) = sum from k = 0 to k= m of kP(k)
So I calculated E(k) using the substitution k(m choose k) = m((m-1) choose (k-1)), made the substitution u = k-1, and expanded the binomial (1 + (n-1))^(m-1) to simplify the expression to get E(k) = m/n which is closer to what the given answer was, but still not right.
I'm not exactly sure why you want to solve for the smallest k such that P(k+1)/P(k) < 0 when no such k exists given that P(k) and P(k+1) are probabilities and the total number of trials is m (so the largest possible value of k is m).

The approach for (ii) is to find the largest value of k such that P(k+1) > P(k).
 

mattjd

New Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2014
Messages
2
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Hahaha, thankyou :) just realised that what I should have done was P(k+1)/P(k) > 1, which is then equivalent to P(k+1) > P(k).
 

RealiseNothing

what is that?It is Cowpea
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
4,591
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
I was wondering whether someone could please give a hint for 13) part b) ii) and iii).
Initially I thought to find P(k+1)/P(k) = 1/((n-1)(k+1)(m-k+1)) and find the smallest k for which P(k+1)/P(k) < 0. If k = m+1, then P(k+1)/P(k) = 0 and if k = m + 2, P(k+1)/P(k) = 1/((n-1)(m+2)(-1) < 0 so presumably k = m + 2 is the most likely number of times the chosen number will appear. Which isn't what the question says.
uhhh how can probability be negative?
 

deboiz

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2014
Messages
55
Gender
Male
HSC
2015
HAHAH sorry to dig this up again but does anyone know where i could get solutions?
 

braintic

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
2,137
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top