Joshua and Jose

This topic has expert replies
Source: — Problem Solving |

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:02 pm
Thanked: 15 times

by life is a test » Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:06 am
6 people in total so each can be chosen with a probability of 1/6 -> prob of both of them being chosen is 1/6 * 1/5 --> the order in which they can be chosen can vary in two ways hence ans = 1/6 * 1/5 = 1/15

another way of looking at it is that the first person can be chosen in 2/6 ways and then second person can be chosen in 1/5 ways since the first one has already been picked -> again = 1/15

hope that helps.

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 256
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:31 pm
Thanked: 3 times

by gmatv09 » Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:28 pm
got it thanks..

Legendary Member
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:49 pm
Location: California
Thanked: 13 times
Followed by:3 members

by heshamelaziry » Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:01 pm
life is a test wrote:6 people in total so each can be chosen with a probability of 1/6 -> prob of both of them being chosen is 1/6 * 1/5 --> the order in which they can be chosen can vary in two ways hence ans = 1/6 * 1/5 = 1/15

another way of looking at it is that the first person can be chosen in 2/6 ways and then second person can be chosen in 1/5 ways since the first one has already been picked -> again = 1/15

hope that helps.

Can this be answered in the form of Total desired outcomes/total outcomes ?????????????

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:35 am
Location: SGP
Thanked: 5 times

by satish.nagdev » Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:49 pm
2 / 6P2, as it mentions randomly
Wounded by GMAT but not dead

Legendary Member
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:49 pm
Location: California
Thanked: 13 times
Followed by:3 members

by heshamelaziry » Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:44 pm
What is 6p2 ?

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:35 am
Location: SGP
Thanked: 5 times

by satish.nagdev » Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:22 pm
permutations, 6P2 so 6!/(6-2)!

**Edited, to correct mistake its 6P2 not 6P4
Wounded by GMAT but not dead

Legendary Member
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:49 pm
Location: California
Thanked: 13 times
Followed by:3 members

by heshamelaziry » Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:36 pm
This give 15 not 1/15. also, shouldn't it be 6!/2!(6-2)! ?

Legendary Member
Posts: 869
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:49 pm
Location: California
Thanked: 13 times
Followed by:3 members

by heshamelaziry » Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:04 pm
Got it. Number of ways of chooisng Jose is 1. Number of ways of choosing Josh is 1. Number of ways choosing any 2 of the 6 = 6! / 2! (6-2)!

Probability = Desired outcomes = 1*1 / 6! / 2! (6-2)! = 1 / 15

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:57 am
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:600

by crisro » Sat Jun 18, 2011 10:39 am
combination of 6 by 2 is 15
so we have 15 possible pairs and we need 1

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Sun Jun 19, 2011 1:51 am
Joshua and Jose work at an auto repair center with 4 other workers. For a survey on health care insurance, 2 of the 6 workers will be randomly chosen to be interviewed. What is the probability that Joshua and Jose will both be chosen?

a)1/15
b)1/12
c)1/9
d)1/6
e)1/3
P(first person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 2/6. (6 total people, among them both Joshua and Jose.)
P(next person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 1/5. (5 people left, among them either Joshua or Jose -- but not both -- since one was selected as the first person.)

Since we want these events to happen together, we multiply the fractions:
2/6 * 1/5 = 1/15.

The correct answer is A.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

User avatar
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:57 am
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:600

by crisro » Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:56 am
GMATGuruNY wrote,

P(first person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 2/6. (6 total people, among them both Joshua and Jose.)
P(next person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 1/5. (5 people left, among them either Joshua or Jose -- but not both -- since one was selected as the first person.)

Since we want these events to happen together, we multiply the fractions:
2/6 * 1/5 = 1/15.

The correct answer is A.

but,
what if the two persons are selected together and not in two steps?

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:43 am
crisro wrote:GMATGuruNY wrote,

P(first person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 2/6. (6 total people, among them both Joshua and Jose.)
P(next person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 1/5. (5 people left, among them either Joshua or Jose -- but not both -- since one was selected as the first person.)

Since we want these events to happen together, we multiply the fractions:
2/6 * 1/5 = 1/15.

The correct answer is A.

but,
what if the two persons are selected together and not in two steps?
When we're asked to determine the probability that events will happen together, it makes no difference whether the events happen at the same time or one after the other; the probability is the same.

Another example:
A jar contains 3 red marbles and 2 blue marbles. If two marbles are selected at the same time, what is the probability that both marbles will be red?

To solve, we can determine the probability that the "first" marble is red and that the "second" marble also is red:
P(first marble is red) = 3/5.
P(second marble is red) = 2/4.

Since both events must happen together, we multiply:
3/5 * 2/4 = 3/10.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:46 am
Thanked: 1 times

by Thouraya » Sat Sep 17, 2011 12:49 am
@GMATGuruNY,

What if I want to solve the marbles problem with the approach 1-Probability None?

PS: i can't solve the Joshua/Jose problem with this approach because we have more than two choices?

Thank you so much

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 2:16 am
Thanked: 2 times

by aplavakarthik » Sat Sep 17, 2011 2:17 am
GMATGuruNY wrote:
Joshua and Jose work at an auto repair center with 4 other workers. For a survey on health care insurance, 2 of the 6 workers will be randomly chosen to be interviewed. What is the probability that Joshua and Jose will both be chosen?

a)1/15
b)1/12
c)1/9
d)1/6
e)1/3
P(first person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 2/6. (6 total people, among them both Joshua and Jose.)
P(next person selected is Joshua or Jose) = 1/5. (5 people left, among them either Joshua or Jose -- but not both -- since one was selected as the first person.)

Since we want these events to happen together, we multiply the fractions:
2/6 * 1/5 = 1/15.

The correct answer is A.

Hi

can it be considered this way selecting 2 ppl from 6 is 6c2.

probability of selecting only these 2 is 1/6c2