Conditional Probabilities problem

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the probability that a reader reads exactly two out of three magazines A, B, and C based on survey data. The provided probabilities include joint readership figures, which are essential for determining the exact counts. The user initially attempted a logical approach, estimating the probability at 0.5 but expressed uncertainty about the application of conditional probability. The solution can be clarified using a Venn diagram to visualize the overlaps and exclusivity of readership. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of understanding conditional probabilities in solving such problems.
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1. Homework Statement ******* SOLVED *********

There are three magazines A,B and C respectively. A survey of readers was taken and the following data was collected.

0.6 Read A
0.5 Read B
0.5 Read C
0.3 Read A&B
0.2 Read B&C
0.3 Read A&C
0.1 Read A&B&C

What is the probability that a reader reads two magazines exactly?

Homework Equations



P(R|Q) = P(Q n R) / P(Q) = probability of R given Q. where R,Q are events.

The Attempt at a Solution



I attempted this by just using logic. I thought that readers who read A&B,B&C,A&C but not all three magazines would be the solution: giving a probability of 0.5 which I believe is correct.

I assume conditional probability is meant to be used in the solution but I am unable to see how the sums fit. Any help would be much appreciated.
 
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It is easy to solve by the Venn diagram.

ehild
 
thanks ehild, that's pretty much how I did it. I thought there was more to it, I was looking for unicorns and finding donkeys.
Cheers,
a.
 
I tried to combine those 2 formulas but it didn't work. I tried using another case where there are 2 red balls and 2 blue balls only so when combining the formula I got ##\frac{(4-1)!}{2!2!}=\frac{3}{2}## which does not make sense. Is there any formula to calculate cyclic permutation of identical objects or I have to do it by listing all the possibilities? Thanks
Since ##px^9+q## is the factor, then ##x^9=\frac{-q}{p}## will be one of the roots. Let ##f(x)=27x^{18}+bx^9+70##, then: $$27\left(\frac{-q}{p}\right)^2+b\left(\frac{-q}{p}\right)+70=0$$ $$b=27 \frac{q}{p}+70 \frac{p}{q}$$ $$b=\frac{27q^2+70p^2}{pq}$$ From this expression, it looks like there is no greatest value of ##b## because increasing the value of ##p## and ##q## will also increase the value of ##b##. How to find the greatest value of ##b##? Thanks
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