Conditional Probability Coin Flipping Question

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a conditional probability scenario with a coin flipping experiment. The original poster describes a sequence of coin flips that depend on previous outcomes, leading to a question about the probability of a specific event given another event has occurred.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster considers the implications of the number of flips on the probability of outcomes, questioning how the variable nature of the flips affects the conditional probability. Some participants suggest using a probability tree to visualize the outcomes, while others express concerns about the complexity of tracking all relevant numbers and probabilities.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different methods to approach the problem. There is recognition of the challenges involved in calculating the probabilities, and some guidance has been offered regarding the use of a probability tree, although it is noted that this method may be cumbersome.

Contextual Notes

Participants are grappling with the complexity of the problem, particularly in keeping track of the various outcomes and their corresponding probabilities. There is an acknowledgment that the problem may require significant effort to resolve fully.

Yagoda
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Homework Statement


The following experiment involves a single coin with probability p of heads on anyone flip, where
0 < p < 1.

Step 1: Flip the coin. Let X = 1 if heads, 0 otherwise.
Step 2: Flip the coin (X + 1) times. Let Y = the number of heads obtained in this step.
Step 3: Flip the coin (X + Y + 1) times. Let Z = the number of heads obtained in this step.
Let T denote the total number of heads across all three steps.

What is P(X = 1|Z = 0)?


Homework Equations


P(A|B) = \frac{P(A \cap B)}{P(B)}



The Attempt at a Solution


I think I have been thinking about this too long and am just confusing myself. My first gut reaction was to say that no matter what the outcome of Z, since the coin isn't changing, the probability of it coming up heads on any given flip (ie P(X = 1)) will be p.
But since you are flipping a variable number of times to get Z, it seems your chance of getting Z = 0 would be greater with a smaller number of flips, which would be more likely if you begin with X=0 than X=1. Does this even matter?
I tried using the above conditional probability formula as well, but it got ugly quickly in trying to calculate the numerator. Is there a less thorny method that I'm missing?
 
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Have you through about doing a tree of the possibilities?
 
I did try one, but I was having trouble keeping track of all the relevant numbers: possible flips, number of heads, corresponding probabilities that I was hoping there might be a clearer way. I might have to give it another crack...
 
Yagoda said:
I did try one, but I was having trouble keeping track of all the relevant numbers: possible flips, number of heads, corresponding probabilities that I was hoping there might be a clearer way. I might have to give it another crack...

You MUST keep track of the possible numbers of heads, etc., whether it is troublesome or not. And yes, it might be lengthy and require quite a bit of work, but that is the most straightforward way to solve the problem.
 

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