205 Solution
205 Solution
205 Solution
1. Elections are being held for two offices, with Democratic and Republican candidates (and no
other parties or independent candidates) for both offices. Define the events
Describe the following events using unions, intersections and/or complements of A and B.
2. (WMS, Problem 2.11.) A sample space consists of five simple events, E1 , E2 , E3 , E4 , and E5 .
(a) If P (E1 ) = P (E2 ) = 0.15, P (E3 ) = 0.4, and P (E4 ) = 2P (E5 ), find the probabilities of
E4 and E5 .
(b) If P (E1 ) = 3P (E2 ) = 0.3, find the probabilities of the remaining simple events if you
know that the remaining simple events are equally probable.
Solution. (a) Since P (S) = P (E1 ) + · · · + P (E5 ) = 1, 1 = 0.15 + 0.15 + 0.40 + 3P (E5 ). So,
P (E5 ) = 0.10 and P (E4 ) = 0.20.
(b) Obviously, P (E3 ) + P (E4 ) + P (E5 ) = 0.6. Thus, they are all equal to 0.2.
3. (WMS, Problem 2.18.) Suppose two balanced coins are tossed and the upper faces are ob-
served.
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(d) P (A) = 1/2, P (B) = 3/4, P (A ∩ B) = P (A) = 1/2, P (A ∪ B) = P (B) = 3/4,
P (Ā ∪ B) = P (S) = 1.
4. (WMS, Problem 2.5.) Let S denote the sample space (universe) and A, B denote two arbitrary
events (sets). Use the identities A = A ∩ S and S = B ∪ B̄, and the distributive law to prove
that
(a) A = (A ∩ B) ∪ (A ∩ B̄).
(b) If B ⊆ A then A = B ∪ (A ∩ B̄).
(c) Further, show that (A ∩ B) and (A ∩ B̄) are mutually exclusive, and therefore, A is the
union of two mutually exclusive sets, (A ∩ B) and (A ∩ B̄). [This is called partitioning
of A with respect to B.]
(d) Also show that B and (A ∩ B̄) are mutually exclusive and if B ⊆ A, A is the union of
two mutually exclusive sets, B and (A ∩ B̄).
Solution. (a) Note that A = A ∩ S = A ∩ (B ∪ B̄). Therefore, using the distributive law, we
get A = (A ∩ B) ∪ (A ∩ B̄).
(b) If B ⊆ A, then A ∩ B = B. Substitute (A ∩ B) by B in part (a) to get the result.
(c) (A∩B)∩(A∩ B̄) = A∩(B ∩ B̄)∩A = ∅ (by associativity of intersection), since B ∩ B̄ = ∅.
Therefore, using part (a), A = (A ∩ B) ∪ (A ∩ B̄), with (A ∩ B) and (A ∩ B̄) mutually
exclusive. This completes the proof.
(d) B ∩ (A ∩ B̄) = B ∩ B̄ ∩ A = ∅. If B ⊆ A, then A ∩ B = B. Substitute (A ∩ B) by B in
part (c) to get the result.
(a) Use the results derived in problem 4 and the Axioms from class to prove that P (A) =
P (A ∩ B) + P (A ∩ B̄).
(b) Suppose B ⊆ A. Use the result proved in part (a) to show that P (A) = P (B)+P (A∩ B̄).
(c) Finally, using non-negativity of probability show that P (B) ≤ P (A), if B ⊆ A. [That
is, if A contains B then the probability of A cannot be smaller than that of B.]
Solution. (a) Since A is union of two ME events (A ∩ B) and (A ∩ B̄), therefore, by finite
additivity (second consequence of the Axioms), we get P (A) = P ((A ∩ B) ∪ (A ∩ B̄)) =
P (A ∩ B) + P (A ∩ B̄).
(b) If B ⊆ A, then A ∩ B = B. Substituting (A ∩ B) by B in part (a), we get P (A) =
P (B) + P (A ∩ B̄).
(c) By non-negativity of probability, we get P (A ∩ B̄) ≥ 0. Therefore, from part (b),
P (A) = P (B) + P (A ∩ B̄) ≥ P (B) + 0 = P (B).
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6. (WMS, Problem 2.28.) Four equally qualified people apply for two identical positions in a
company. One and only one applicant is a member of a minority group. The positions are
filled by choosing two of the applicants at random.
Solution. (a) Denote the four candidates as A1 , A2 , A3 , and M . Since order is not important
(all we need is two people; it does not matter in which order we choose), the sample
space is: S = {A1 A2 , A1 A3 , A1 M, A2 A3 , A2 M, A3 M }.
(b) Because the two applicants are chosen at random, we can assume equally likely outcomes,
so that each sample point has probability 1/6.
(c) Let C = {minority hired}. Then P (C) = P (A1 M ) + P (A2 M ) + P (A3 M ) = 3/6 = 1/2.