Probability problem driving me crazy

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the probability of rolling a specific number, x, on an n-sided die rolled n times. The simplified equation derived is 1 - ((n-1)^n)/(n^n), which accurately predicts the probability for small values of n, such as 2, yielding a result of 0.75. As n increases, the limiting probability approaches 1 - 1/e, approximately 0.632. This conclusion is supported by mathematical principles related to Bernoulli trials.

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DyslexicHobo
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So I'm going to the casino this weekend and it got me thinking about probability.

If I have an n-sided die and roll it n times, what are the chances of me hitting a specific number, x?

For example, if I flip a coin (n=2) twice, what are the chances of me hitting heads at least once?

Answer (obvious for n=2): 1-.5^2 = .75

It's obvious for most n's until they get large. I've simplified it to this equation:

1-((n-1)^n)/(n^n)

If I go back to n=2, we see that we arrive at the same answer of .75.

My TI-89 can calculate up to an n of 100, which gives a value of .6340.

I'm very interested in this value as n increases, though. Unfortunately I don't have access to math software that could solve the problem as a limit. How can I solve this, or more importantly... WHAT'S THE ANSWER?

It's driving me crazy! My best guess is that it tends towards 1/2.

Thanks for any help!
 
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