Letters (probability)
This topic has expert replies
Source: Beat The GMAT — Problem Solving |
-
LSB
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 229
- Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 3:47 pm
- Thanked: 14 times
- GMAT Score:750
the attachments in this post are quite large. I am reattaching as word documents.
- Attachments
-
- Letters.doc
- letters
- (52.5 KiB) Downloaded 98 times
-
parallel_chase
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 1153
- Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:21 am
- Thanked: 146 times
- Followed by:2 members
The probability of A letter going to A envelop and B, C, and D in wrong
A going into right envelop is 1/4
B going into wrong envelop is 2/3 ( 1-1/3)
C going into wrong envelop is 1/2
D automatically will go into the wrong envelop 1
1/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/12 (multiplication because everything occurs at once)
Similarly the same procedure will follow for B, C & D and the result will also be the same
1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12 = 4/12 = 1/3.
A going into right envelop is 1/4
B going into wrong envelop is 2/3 ( 1-1/3)
C going into wrong envelop is 1/2
D automatically will go into the wrong envelop 1
1/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/12 (multiplication because everything occurs at once)
Similarly the same procedure will follow for B, C & D and the result will also be the same
1/12+1/12+1/12+1/12 = 4/12 = 1/3.
-
4meonly
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 891
- Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:21 am
- Thanked: 27 times
- Followed by:1 members
- GMAT Score:660(
Anybody, please find the flaw in my reasosning:
1. To make 1st letter with correct adress:
1/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/12
2. To make 2nd letter with correct adress:
3/4*1/3*1/2*1 = 1/8
3. To make 3rd letter with correct adress:
3/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/4
4. To make 4th letter with correct adress:
3/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/4
summ will be 17/24
1. To make 1st letter with correct adress:
1/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/12
2. To make 2nd letter with correct adress:
3/4*1/3*1/2*1 = 1/8
3. To make 3rd letter with correct adress:
3/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/4
4. To make 4th letter with correct adress:
3/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/4
summ will be 17/24
-
canuckclint
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 154
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:59 pm
- Location: Canada
- Thanked: 4 times
The flaw is in 1 and multiplications in general4meonly wrote:Anybody, please find the flaw in my reasosning:
1. To make 1st letter with correct adress:
1/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/12
2. To make 2nd letter with correct adress:
3/4*1/3*1/2*1 = 1/8
3. To make 3rd letter with correct adress:
3/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/4
4. To make 4th letter with correct adress:
3/4*2/3*1/2*1 = 1/4
summ will be 17/24
1 should be = 2/24












