• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Help me decipher this probability question...

Random Variable

Random Variable

Lifer
There are k people in a group and you are one of them, say the person #1. Everyone else makes friends with two other people. If you pick a friend, who also picks you as a friend, then you match. Find the probability that you find a match.
Click to expand...

My interpretation: Everybody from the group picks two people. If one of the two people that you picked also picked you then you found a match.

I already wrote the program (using my interpretation).

For a group of 30, I'm getting a probability of about 14%.

EDIT: Or maybe you only pick one person, while everyone else picks two?
 
This isn't simple probablility. This is a complex group and there are more rules that govern its behavior than simple probability. There are things that probability does not take into effect such as the fact that certain people will be drawn towards different personality types, appearances, etc. The real world is not so cut and dry as 14%.
 
Originally posted by: OdiN
This isn't simple probablility. This is a complex group and there are more rules that govern its behavior than simple probability. There are things that probability does not take into effect such as the fact that certain people will be drawn towards different personality types, appearances, etc. The real world is not so cut and dry as 14%.
Click to expand...

That's nice. But I just want to know what the heck the question is asking.

EDIT: And if you run the program a million times, you can sort of ignore those things.
 
Does somebody want to be my friend? :heart:

Haha, I'm sorry, I have no idea what it's asking. I'm an engineer, not a mathematician. Engineers don't have friends. Neither do mathematicians either, I guess.
 
Originally posted by: bmacd
Random Variable: what equation did you use to come to your conclusion?

-=bmacd=-
Click to expand...

I didn't use any equation. I just wrote a program that would do the experiment (and check to see if I found a match) and then I ran the program 50,000 times.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top