Understanding Sample Spaces & Card Shuffling

  • Thread starter EugP
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In summary, the sample space in this problem is the set of all possible outcomes, which in this case would be the entire deck of cards. The number of outcomes in the event that the first card is a heart is 13, as there are 13 possible heart cards in the deck.
  • #1
EugP
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Homework Statement


I'm having some trouble understanding how to write a sample space in a problem.
Here's an example:
Shuffle a deck of cards and turn over the first card. What is the sample space of this experiment? How many outcomes are in the event that the first card is a heart?


Homework Equations


[tex]C_k^n = {n \choose k} = \frac{n!}{k!(n - k)!}[/tex]


The Attempt at a Solution


From what I was explained, sample space is the mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive set of all possible outcomes. So in my case, wouldn't it be {2-A of hearts, 2-A of spades, 2-A of clubs, 2-A of diamonds} ? Those together create all the possiblities in the deck.
For the second part, isn't it simply 52 choose 13? If it is, it will just be

[tex]{52 \choose 13} = \frac{52!}{13!(52 - 13)!} = 635,013,559,600 \approx 11
6.350135596 \cdot 10^{11}[/tex]

But I'm not sure this is right. There are no answers in my book. If someone could help me on this it would be greatly appreciated.
 
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  • #2
yes. You are right.
Sample space consists of all cards in the deck
and the answer of the second part is in mattmns 's post
 
Last edited:
  • #3
Thanks for verifying!
 
  • #4
I disagree with your second answer, I think it should be 13. The possible outcomes of a heart being the first card flipper over are A hearts, K hearts, ... , 2 hearts.
 

1. What is a sample space?

A sample space is a set of all possible outcomes of a random experiment. It is often denoted by the symbol "S" and is an important concept in probability theory.

2. How is a sample space related to card shuffling?

In card shuffling, the sample space refers to all possible ways in which a deck of cards can be arranged or shuffled. This includes all possible orders and combinations of the 52 cards.

3. How do you calculate the size of a sample space for card shuffling?

The size of the sample space for card shuffling can be calculated using the formula n!, where n is the number of cards in the deck. For a standard deck of 52 cards, the sample space size would be 52! or approximately 8.0658 x 10^67.

4. What is the difference between a simple and a compound sample space?

A simple sample space is one where each outcome is equally likely to occur, while a compound sample space consists of multiple simple sample spaces combined together. In card shuffling, a simple sample space would be the possible orders of a single deck of cards, while a compound sample space would include multiple decks being shuffled together.

5. How does understanding sample spaces and card shuffling relate to real-world applications?

Understanding sample spaces and card shuffling is important in various real-world applications, such as gambling, game theory, and risk assessment. It allows us to calculate probabilities and make informed decisions based on the likelihood of certain outcomes occurring.

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