39 posts tagged with probability. (View popular tags)
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I have an event that has a 75% chance of happening. If I run the trial seven times, what is the probability of the event happening at least once? And what's the math behind it?
posted by jackypaper
on Nov 6, 2009 -
7 answers
What's a fair way to chose winners for this ad-hoc giveaway? details inside... [more inside]
posted by smelvis
on Oct 26, 2009 -
4 answers
How do I get a controlled distribution of random numbers to fairly determine a start position. [more inside]
posted by monkeystronghold
on Oct 25, 2009 -
21 answers
Some guy recently got 3 holes in one on the same course (different holes) within 5 days. My cousin contends that the odds against this are 5 billion to one, based on something he read. He's willing to have me prove him wrong, but this is well beyond my ability to calculate. I'm good with any time period -- the likelihood of someone doing this in a year, or 10 years, or whatever. [more inside]
posted by jeather
on Sep 21, 2009 -
24 answers
What is the probability of one or both events occurring. [more inside]
posted by charlesminus
on Sep 18, 2009 -
5 answers
How do you multiply probability across multiple chances? Let's say that every time you roll a die, you have a one-in-six chance of having five come up. What math would you perform to come up with the probability of five coming up at some point with the dice being rolled two times? Three? Five? Ten? (I'm using dice as a shorthand here: the actual probability figure I'm working with is 24%.)
posted by WCityMike
on Sep 16, 2009 -
15 answers
I have a bucket containing N marbles: M white marbles and N-M black marbles. I need to grab a handful of marbles (n) and figure out the probability of having picked up m white marbles. [more inside]
posted by Blazecock Pileon
on Nov 6, 2008 -
16 answers
What are the chances, in blackjack, that I will start with 15, and the dealer will be showing a 10 (or face card worth 10)? [more inside]
posted by gummo
on Oct 28, 2008 -
8 answers
It's late, I'm tired, and I have a probability and coding question that's fairly simple. [more inside]
posted by chrisamiller
on Aug 13, 2008 -
10 answers
You're dealt 8 cards face down from a 52 card deck. All values are determined by the number on the card, not the suit. What is the probability of each card being dealt? [more inside]
posted by b_thinky
on Jul 9, 2008 -
12 answers
Imagine a contest, with 21 judges and 4 contestants. Judges must give one contestant 4 points, one contestant 3 points, one contestant 2 points, and one contestant 1 point. The winner is decided by summing the scores of all 21 judges. Mathematically speaking, what percentage of the time would you expect there to be a tie for first place after all 21 scores have been added?
posted by 23skidoo
on Jun 24, 2008 -
25 answers
How would the many-worlds interpretation work on the human level, if at all? [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on May 24, 2008 -
38 answers
How many times would I have to roll a standard 6-sided die to get a statistically representative view of whether it was truly random or not? [more inside]
posted by Bugbread
on Apr 30, 2008 -
8 answers
Suppose you take a test for a rare type of cancer that affects 0.01 percent of the population. The test is 98 percent reliable. You get a positive reading. What are the chances you have the cancer? I read this probability puzzle today and the writer said the statistical chances of you having the cancer in this scenario are less than half a percent. I don't get it. Isn't the rarity factor irrelevant compared with the test reliability? Please explain.
posted by binturong
on Apr 12, 2008 -
24 answers
Mathematics filter: What are the odds of a pair of my friends meeting another couple who are also my friends, but they have never met before? Bonus. This happened on vacation in another city where neither of them, nor I, have ever lived... Is this an example of six degrees of separation?
posted by Gungho
on Apr 1, 2008 -
16 answers
for the statisticians: what probability distribution do I want to fit to my data, and how? [more inside]
posted by russm
on Jan 18, 2008 -
17 answers
I need a tool to help me analyze the probability of certain events occurring regarding a pool of X dice for a game I am creating. See my examples below.
[more inside]
posted by DetonatedManiac
on Dec 21, 2007 -
7 answers
Given a fair die with s sides, what is the expected number of rolls r before I get o outcomes with the same value v in a row? [Note this is emphatically NOT a homework problem; I just really want to know, feel like I should be able to figure it out, can't, and it is driving me nuts.] [more inside]
posted by lucasks
on Dec 19, 2007 -
30 answers
Probability/stat question: I'm looking for patterns in a protein sequence, and I've found a few that occur quite frequently. How do I know these are actual patterns and not just an artifact of random amino acid distribution? [more inside]
posted by reformedjerk
on Jun 19, 2007 -
11 answers
English grammar: 'could be Xing' versus 'can be Xing' -- how can we explain why one is correct and one isn't? [more inside]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken
on Dec 12, 2006 -
23 answers
ProbabilityFilter: Calling all mathematicians... [more inside]
posted by 777
on Nov 21, 2006 -
26 answers
A regular deck of 52 cards is shuffled and turned face up one by one. What are the odds of going through the whole deck and finding at least one set of two consecutive cards which have the same value? (ie, a pair). [more inside]
posted by jaimev
on Nov 17, 2006 -
27 answers
MathFilter: Okay, I've got this gumball machine, which contains an infinite amount of gumballs, evenly distributed between 100 different flavors... [more inside]
posted by rifflesby
on Sep 1, 2006 -
10 answers
Which city is safer: San Francisco or Philadelphia? [more inside]
posted by rorycberger
on Aug 10, 2006 -
14 answers
4 different models of a toy are sold in identical, sealed boxes. Assuming the 4 different models are produced/sold/distributed in equal numbers, etc..., what are the chances of buying only 4 boxes, chosen at random (at different times, even), and getting all 4 different toys? [more inside]
posted by ab3
on Jun 2, 2006 -
12 answers
Probability filter: How do you determine the odds of being extremely unlucky? [more inside]
posted by TonyRobots
on May 26, 2006 -
7 answers
Probability of one binomially-distributed variable being greater than another one - is there a closed form for this? [more inside]
posted by wanderingmind
on May 25, 2006 -
11 answers
Math questions about permutations for those so inclined... [more inside]
posted by TheFeatheredMullet
on May 5, 2006 -
28 answers
There are 10 possible exam topics. 6 will appear on the paper. 2 questions must be attempted. How well is an ass covered based on the number of topics covered? [more inside]
posted by kenaman
on Apr 25, 2006 -
13 answers
Baseball Score Probabilities: Is it any more likely that the combined score of a Major League Baseball game will be even than odd (or vice versa)? [more inside]
posted by The Bellman
on Apr 19, 2006 -
16 answers
If there's a 20 percent chance of rain on Monday, a 20 percent chance on Tuesday, and a 30 percent chance on Wednesday, what's the overall chance that it'll rain during this three-day period? How do you calculate this?
posted by futility closet
on Apr 13, 2006 -
60 answers
So lets say I've got probabilities for 64 teams... [more inside]
posted by JPD
on Mar 13, 2006 -
13 answers
Looking for ideas for teaching probability to kids. [more inside]
posted by carterk
on Feb 6, 2006 -
16 answers
Probability: A coworker is having an issue with deriving a few formulas for a Weibull distribution. Any pointers? [more inside]
posted by TommyH
on Nov 7, 2005 -
2 answers
If a company is holding a series of 24 raffles where they give away a prize, and you have 24 raffle tickets which can be used in any number of raffles you choose, do you have better odds entering one ticket per draw, or using them all in one draw? This is assuming that the number of other participants in the raffle is roughly the same from draw-to-draw.
posted by Jairus
on Oct 3, 2005 -
17 answers
In my exploration of poker odds and strategies, I've developed more programs for examining situations. I need help evaluating some of the probability and statistics involved. [more inside]
posted by RustyBrooks
on Jun 5, 2005 -
10 answers
Probability question (more...) [more inside]
posted by trharlan
on Jan 24, 2005 -
16 answers
Suppose there are 20 objects hidden in a collection of 270 haystacks. What are your odds of searching 100 haystacks (assuming that if you choose to search a haystack with an object in it, you'll find that object) without finding an object? My discrete math skillz have eroded to the point where any attempt to work this out myself yields preposterous numbers..
posted by COBRA!
on Dec 1, 2004 -
30 answers
If the likelihood of event A occurring is 15%, and the likelihood of independent event B occuring is 5%, what is the likelihood of EITHER event occuring? [more inside]
posted by sohcahtoa
on Sep 10, 2004 -
12 answers