2006-06-19 16:59:49 · 9 answers · asked by B C 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
The question is how many tosses is the game expected to last, not how much time.
For the responder who compared question to soccer, I'm not sure what a probability question has to do with soccer, but there is a relevant comment in the most recent Sports Illustrated. "If you don't like soccer, you don't like sports. You only think you do."
2006-06-19 17:09:32 · update #1
The previous responders are incorrect.
Let the expected length of the game (in tosses) be L. We can classify each game into one of three starting sequences (in the following table P=probability,E=expectation value for total length of game):
H --> P = 1/2 , E = L+1
TH --> P = 1/4 , E = L+2
TT --> P = 1/4 , E = 2
The first two cases are equivalent to starting the game over after 1 and 2 tosses respectively.
Summing P*E for these three events gives L:
L =(1/2)*(L+1) + (1/4)*(L+2) + (1/4)*(2)
= (3/4)L + 3/2
--> L = 6
2006-06-23 09:28:42 · answer #1 · answered by shimrod 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The process follows a geometric distribution with parameter of success as the probability of getting 2 consecutive tails.
Assuming that the coin is fair, then the probability of getting 2 consecutive tails is 0.5*0.5 = 0.25
The expected length of the game would be 1/0.25 = 4 throws
2006-06-19 18:14:18 · answer #2 · answered by coffeecoke 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Impossible to tell(I cant do it). I can only say there is 1/4th probability that the game will end in 2 tosses.
A little comment:
Anyone who feels soccer is boring can easily top the boring list himself.
2006-06-19 20:00:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a expert soccer hall of famer like Mike Ditka or some thing. and that i greater situation there's no after halftime coin toss. its basically @ the begining of the sport. No it doesnt make a distinction who wins it, and are you speaking approximately super Bowl XLI
2016-12-08 23:01:01 · answer #4 · answered by miracle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
5 tosses
2006-06-19 17:02:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought soccer was a boring game, but you just topped it.
2006-06-19 17:04:18 · answer #6 · answered by basscatcher 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
after flipping the coin half as many times u thought by guessing
2006-06-19 17:03:52 · answer #7 · answered by bribri 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, i would say, if each throw took 5 secs then it would take about 40 seconds to throw two consecutive tails
2006-06-19 17:03:22 · answer #8 · answered by maltease14 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends upon how fast you can toss those coins, baby!
2006-06-19 17:02:38 · answer #9 · answered by PermDude 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋