What is the Probability of a Tetrahedron Landing on a Specific Colored Side?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the probability of a tetrahedron landing on a specific colored side, focusing on the events defined by the colors of the sides. Participants explore the concept of a probability space, independence of events, and the implications of having a side painted with multiple colors.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that the probabilities for events A (red), B (blue), and C (green) are each $\frac{2}{4}$, considering the fourth side contains all colors.
  • There is a discussion about defining the probability space, with suggestions that it should include the outcome space $\Omega=\{red,green,blue,all\}$.
  • One participant calculates the probabilities and intersections of events, concluding that while pairs of events A, B, and C are independent, the three events together are not independent.
  • Another participant confirms the correctness of the calculations presented regarding independence and probabilities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the calculations regarding the independence of pairs of events but disagree on the overall independence of events A, B, and C.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved aspects regarding the definition of the probability space and the implications of the fourth side being painted with all colors, which may affect the interpretation of independence.

mathmari
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Hey! 😊

Let one of the four sides of a tetrahedron be red, one blue, one green and the fourth side painted with all three colours. We consider the following events :
A: = The tetrahedron falls on a side with red colour.
B: = The tetrahedron falls on a side with a blue colour.
C: = The tetrahedron falls on a side with a green colour

Give a suitable probability space and give the events A, B and C as subsets of the result set.
(a) Show that two of the events A, B and C are independent.
(b) Are A, B, C independent? Explain. Does it hold that $P(A)=P(B)=P(C)=\frac{2}{4}$ because there is one side for each colour the the 4th side contains also each colour?
The probability space is the set of colours, or not?

:unsure:
 
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mathmari said:
Does it hold that $P(A)=P(B)=P(C)=\frac{2}{4}$ because there is one side for each colour the the 4th side contains also each colour?
The probability space is the set of colours, or not?
Hey mathmari!

I believe the probabilities are indeed $\frac 24$ each. (Nod)

A probability space is supposed to be a triplet of a sample space, an event space, and a probability function.
You only mentioned the sample space. (Worried)

Either way, I think that the outcome space must contain each of the sides. We only have 3 colors but 4 sides... (Worried)
We could pick for instance $\Omega=\{red,green,blue,all\}$. 🤔
 
Klaas van Aarsen said:
I believe the probabilities are indeed $\frac 24$ each. (Nod)

A probability space is supposed to be a triplet of a sample space, an event space, and a probability function.
You only mentioned the sample space. (Worried)

Either way, I think that the outcome space must contain each of the sides. We only have 3 colors but 4 sides... (Worried)
We could pick for instance $\Omega=\{red,green,blue,all\}$. 🤔

So the probability space consists of the outcome space $\Omega=\{red,green,blue,all\}$ and each outcome has the same probability $\frac{2}{4}=\frac{1}{2}$, right? :unsure:

We have that \begin{align*}&A = \{red, \ all\}\subseteq \Omega \\ &B = \{blue, \ all\}\subseteq \Omega\\ &C = \{green, \ all\}\subseteq \Omega\end{align*}

(a) We have that $A\cap B = A\cap C=B\cap C=\{all\}$ so we get that \begin{align*}&P(A)=\frac{1}{2} \\ &P(B)=\frac{1}{2} \\ &P(C)=\frac{1}{2} \\ &P(A\cap B) = \frac{1}{4} \\ &P(A\cap C)= \frac{1}{4} \\ &P(B\cap C)= \frac{1}{4} \\ & \Rightarrow P(A)\cdot P(B)=\frac{1}{2}\cdot \frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{4}=P(A\cap B) \\ & \Rightarrow P(A)\cdot P(C)=\frac{1}{2}\cdot \frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{4}=P(A\cap C) \\ & \Rightarrow P(B)\cdot P(C)=\frac{1}{2}\cdot \frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{4}=P(B\cap C)\end{align*} That means that each two of the events $A$, $B$ and $C$ are independent. (b) We have that $A\cap B \cap C=\{all\}$ so we get that \begin{align*}&P(A)=\frac{1}{2} \\ &P(B)=\frac{1}{2} \\ &P(C)=\frac{1}{2} \\ &P(A\cap B\cap C) = \frac{1}{4} \\ & \Rightarrow P(A)\cdot P(B)\cdot P(C)=\frac{1}{2}\cdot \frac{1}{2}\cdot \frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{8}\neq \frac{1}{4}=P(A\cap B\cap C) \end{align*} That means that the events $A$, $B$ and $C$ are not independent. Is everything correct and complete? :unsure:
 
All correct and complete. (Sun)
 

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