Probability of getting arithmetic sequence from 3 octahedron dice

In summary, the possible sequences from the dice are:1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12.The probability of getting any particular sequence is ##\frac{12 \times 3!}{8^3}=\frac{9}{64}##
  • #1
songoku
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Homework Statement
Please see below
Relevant Equations
Probability

Arithmetic Sequence
1652863968883.png

I try to list all the possible sequences:
1 2 3
1 3 5
1 4 7
2 3 4
2 4 6
2 5 8
3 4 5
3 5 7
4 5 6
4 6 8
5 6 7
6 7 8

I get 12 possible outcomes, so the probability is ##\frac{12 \times 3!}{8^3}=\frac{9}{64}##

But the answer key is ##\frac{5}{32}## . Where is my mistake? Thanks
 
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  • #2
songoku said:
Homework Statement:: Please see below
Relevant Equations:: Probability

Arithmetic Sequence

Where is my mistake?
In the sequence a, a+b, a+2b, what are all the possible values of b?
 
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  • #3
haruspex said:
In the sequence a, a+b, a+2b, what are all the possible values of b?
I think for this case the difference should be positive integer so b can be 1, 2, or 3
 
  • #4
songoku said:
I think for this case the difference should be positive integer so b can be 1, 2, or 3
I disagree. 1, 1, 1 is a perfectly good arithmetic sequence.
 
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  • #5
I know I ll spoil abit the solution but in order to be a bit more formal and since the dice is 8-ply it will have to be $$1\leq a+2b\leq8\Rightarrow \frac{1-a}{2}\leq b\leq \frac{8-a}{2}$$ and ofc $$b\geq 0$$.
 
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  • #6
Anyway I think you did find the b correctly, except you didn't took the case b=0 (and tbh I myself didn't think of that). If you add the 8 cases (a,a,a) ,a=1...8 to your result, you get the answer key.
 
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  • #7
haruspex said:
I disagree. 1, 1, 1 is a perfectly good arithmetic sequence.
Delta2 said:
I know I ll spoil abit the solution but in order to be a bit more formal and since the dice is 8-ply it will have to be $$1\leq a+2b\leq8\Rightarrow \frac{1-a}{2}\leq b\leq \frac{8-a}{2}$$ and ofc $$b\geq 0$$.
Is 1, 1, 1 can also be called geometric sequence?
 
  • #8
songoku said:
Is 1, 1, 1 can also be called geometric sequence?
Yes it is arithmetic sequence with ##\omega=0## and geometric sequence with ##\omega=1##.
 
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  • #9
Delta2 said:
Yes it is arithmetic sequence with ##\omega=0## and geometric sequence with ##\omega=1##.
How about 0, 0, 0? Can that also be called both arithmetic and geometric sequence?
 
  • #10
I think yes but why are you asking these questions...
 
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  • #11
0 isn't a possible number from the dice.
 
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  • #12
Delta2 said:
I think yes but why are you asking these questions...
I just want to know so if I do other questions I know which one I can consider as arithmetic or geometric sequence.

Thank you very much for the help and explanation haruspex and Delta2
 
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1. What is an arithmetic sequence?

An arithmetic sequence is a sequence of numbers where the difference between consecutive terms is constant. For example, 2, 5, 8, 11 is an arithmetic sequence with a common difference of 3.

2. How many sides does an octahedron dice have?

An octahedron dice has 8 sides, each with a triangular shape.

3. What is the probability of getting an arithmetic sequence from 3 octahedron dice?

The probability of getting an arithmetic sequence from 3 octahedron dice is approximately 0.125 or 12.5%. This can be calculated by taking the number of possible arithmetic sequences (8) and dividing it by the total number of possible outcomes (64).

4. Are there any specific numbers that are more likely to appear in an arithmetic sequence?

No, the probability of getting an arithmetic sequence is the same for all numbers as long as the common difference between them is constant.

5. How does the probability change if more dice are added?

The probability of getting an arithmetic sequence will increase as more dice are added. For example, with 4 octahedron dice, the probability increases to approximately 0.167 or 16.7%. This is because there are more possible combinations that can result in an arithmetic sequence.

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