Independent Events Question: Coin Tossing

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the probability of getting the same number of tosses in three independent coin-tossing experiments until a head appears. The user is trying to apply the formula P(AB)/P(B) = P(A) but is unsure how to proceed. They recognize that for each performance, n-1 tails must occur before the first head. The key insight is to consider the different lengths of sequences (1, 2, 3, etc.) and calculate the probabilities of repeating those sequences across all three trials. The final answer for the probability of achieving the same number of tosses in all three performances is 1/7.
chapone
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Hello all,

I am working on this problem, have searched my textbook, this forum, etc and am still as lost. I suspect I need to (in some form) use the formula P(AB)/P(B) = P(A) as it is the integral formula of this section. Any suggestions or hints are greatly appreciated.

A fair coin is tossed until a head is obtained for the first time. If this experiment is performed 3 times, what is the probability that exactly the same number of tosses will be required for each of the 3 performances?

Note: the answer is 1/7

My work thus far:

I know n-1 tails must be obtained in each performance

Events:
Ai = a head is obtained on the ith trial
Bi = " " tail " "
P(Ai) = 0.5
P(Bi) = 0.5
 
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Well, the length of the first sequence may be 1 , 2 , 3 , etc...

Suppose the length of the first sequence is 1 (you got a head at the first toss).
Then, what is the probability of obtaining again the same sequence 2 more times?

And if the length of the first sequence was 2 , what would be the probability of repeating the results 2 more times?

And if the length was 3?

And then, finally, you should sum all this parcels...
 
Rogerio said:
Well, the length of the first sequence may be 1 , 2 , 3 , etc...

Suppose the length of the first sequence is 1 (you got a head at the first toss).
Then, what is the probability of obtaining again the same sequence 2 more times?

And if the length of the first sequence was 2 , what would be the probability of repeating the results 2 more times?

And if the length was 3?

And then, finally, you should sum all this parcels...

Thank you, that was very helpful!
 
I was reading documentation about the soundness and completeness of logic formal systems. Consider the following $$\vdash_S \phi$$ where ##S## is the proof-system making part the formal system and ##\phi## is a wff (well formed formula) of the formal language. Note the blank on left of the turnstile symbol ##\vdash_S##, as far as I can tell it actually represents the empty set. So what does it mean ? I guess it actually means ##\phi## is a theorem of the formal system, i.e. there is a...

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