Grinstead-Snell-Probability · Problem 30

Combinatorics

Mathematics · binomial-distribution-world-series

Problem

Recall that in the World Series the first team to win four games wins the series. The series can go at most seven games. Assume that the Red Sox and the Mets are playing the series. Assume that the Mets win each game with probability pp. Fermat observed that even though the series might not go seven games, the probability that the Mets win the series is the same as the probability that they win four or more game in a series that was forced to go seven games no matter who wins the individual games. ((a)) Using the program PowerCurve of Example 3.11 find the probability that the Mets win the series for the cases p=.5p = .5, p=.6p = .6, p=.7p = .7. ((b)) Assume that the Mets have probability .6.6 of winning each game. Use the program PowerCurve to find a value of nn so that, if the series goes to the first team to win more than half the games, the Mets will have a 95 percent chance of winning the series. Choose nn as small as possible.

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