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In many state lotteries you can pay 50 cents to buy a single lottery ticket consisting of 6 two-digit numbers between 01 and 60, inclusive. Based on the results of a random drawing, the ticket may win any of the following prizes (including no prize), with the probabilities indicated.

X         $0        $3     $30      $1000        Jackpot

P(X) 0.9623 0.0357 0.00194 0.0000369 0.000000143

Your chance of winning $3 is about 3.6%. Your chance of winning the jackpot is close to nonexistent. Your chance of winning nothing is overwhelming. Suppose that the jackpot is worth $1,000,000 this week. What is the expected value of the ticket? (That is, what is the mean of the discrete random variable X?) The result of your calculation will be a decimal number. Round this to the nearest whole number of cents, and give an answer that is a whole number. Do not include units or money symbols in your answer.

 May 29, 2014

Best Answer 

 #2
avatar+330 
+9

Alan’s valuation for the probabilities listed above are correct.

However, the probabilities listed do not correlate to the values of the R of N lottery described. There is no value of N where R=6 that distributes the probabilities depicted above.

The probabilities for R of N, and K of R (where K is a sub set of R) lotteries are calculated by hypergeometric distributions and the probabilities are discreet. The general formula is

$$P(k)=\frac{\binom{R}{K}*\binom{N-R}{R-K}}
{\binom{N}{R}}$$

Where N is the pool of numbers, R is the quantity drawn, and K is the quantity correctly matching R. The special case where K=R P(k) is equal to 1/(C(N,R)).

The hypergeometric discreet probability distributions are:

For N =70 and R =6 and K = 6 to 0

K=6: 0.0000000199744886

K=5: 0.0000064717343010

K=4: 0.0004287523974380

K=3: 0.0099089442963447

K=2: 0.0947542798337962 ----->

K=1: 0.3790171193351850 ----->

K=0: 0.5158844124284460 -----> 0.989655811597427 cumulative probability for “loosing tickets” (k<4)

-------------These values are close to the low end.

For N =38 and R =6 and K = 6 to 0

K=6: 0.000000362229464

K=5: 0.000069548057164

K=4: 0.002694987215111

K=3: 0.035933162868147 -------> Near value

K=2: 0.195386573095551 ------->

K=1: 0.437665923734035 ------->

K=0: 0.328249442800526 -------> 0.961301939630113 cumulative probability for “loosing tickets”(k<4)

Note:In many cases of R of N lotteries the probability of selecting one correct number is higher than selecting none.

~~D~~

 May 30, 2014
 #1
avatar+33616 
+5

$${\mathtt{ExpectedValue}} = {\mathtt{0}}{\mathtt{\,\times\,}}{\mathtt{0.962\: \!3}}{\mathtt{\,\small\textbf+\,}}{\mathtt{3}}{\mathtt{\,\times\,}}{\mathtt{0.035\: \!7}}{\mathtt{\,\small\textbf+\,}}{\mathtt{1\,000}}{\mathtt{\,\times\,}}{\mathtt{0.000\: \!036\: \!9}}{\mathtt{\,\small\textbf+\,}}{\mathtt{1\,000\,000}}{\mathtt{\,\times\,}}{\mathtt{0.000\: \!000\: \!143}} \Rightarrow {\mathtt{ExpectedValue}} = {\mathtt{0.287}}$$

Expected value = 0.287 dollars = 28.7cents.  

To the nearest whole number of cents: Expected value = 29

 May 29, 2014
 #2
avatar+330 
+9
Best Answer

Alan’s valuation for the probabilities listed above are correct.

However, the probabilities listed do not correlate to the values of the R of N lottery described. There is no value of N where R=6 that distributes the probabilities depicted above.

The probabilities for R of N, and K of R (where K is a sub set of R) lotteries are calculated by hypergeometric distributions and the probabilities are discreet. The general formula is

$$P(k)=\frac{\binom{R}{K}*\binom{N-R}{R-K}}
{\binom{N}{R}}$$

Where N is the pool of numbers, R is the quantity drawn, and K is the quantity correctly matching R. The special case where K=R P(k) is equal to 1/(C(N,R)).

The hypergeometric discreet probability distributions are:

For N =70 and R =6 and K = 6 to 0

K=6: 0.0000000199744886

K=5: 0.0000064717343010

K=4: 0.0004287523974380

K=3: 0.0099089442963447

K=2: 0.0947542798337962 ----->

K=1: 0.3790171193351850 ----->

K=0: 0.5158844124284460 -----> 0.989655811597427 cumulative probability for “loosing tickets” (k<4)

-------------These values are close to the low end.

For N =38 and R =6 and K = 6 to 0

K=6: 0.000000362229464

K=5: 0.000069548057164

K=4: 0.002694987215111

K=3: 0.035933162868147 -------> Near value

K=2: 0.195386573095551 ------->

K=1: 0.437665923734035 ------->

K=0: 0.328249442800526 -------> 0.961301939630113 cumulative probability for “loosing tickets”(k<4)

Note:In many cases of R of N lotteries the probability of selecting one correct number is higher than selecting none.

~~D~~

DavidQD May 30, 2014

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