EE 364 Fall 2014

HW #1
Due date: Thursday, Sep. 11, 2014, beginning of class
1. List the elements of each of the following sample spaces:
(a) the set of integers between 1 and 100 that are divisible by 6 and 8.
(b) the set S = {x | x2 3x 40 = 0}.
(c) the set when a coin is tossed until a tail or three heads appear.
2. If S = {x R | 0 < x < 12}, M = {x R | 3 < x < 11}, and N = {x R | 3 < x < 3}, find
(a) M N .
(b) M N .
(c) M 0 N 0 .
(Note: x R means x is a real number.)
3. A marketing executive creates a survey to gauge public interest in a new product the company is
developing. Respondents can answer the questions with yes, no, or maybe. How many different ways
can this survey be answered if the survey has 8 questions?
4. How many distinct permutations can be made from the letters of the word MISSISSIPPI? How many
of these permutations start with M?
5. In the field of quality control, the science of statistics is often used to determine if a process is out of
control. Suppose the process is, indeed, out of control and 15% of items produced are defective.
(a) If 4 items arrive off the process line in succession, what is the probability that all 4 are defective?
(b) If 4 items arrive in succession, what is the probability that 3 are defective?
6. An automobile manufacturer is concerned about a possible recall of its best-selling four-door sedan. If
there were a recall, there is a probability of 0.2 of a defect in the brake system, 0.23 of a defect in the
transmission, 0.17 of a defect in the fuel system, and 0.4 of a defect in some other area.
(a) What is the probability that the defect is the brakes or the fueling system if the probability of
defects in both systems simultaneously is 0.12?
(b) What is the probability that there are no defects in either the brakes or the fueling system?
7. The probability that a doctor correctly diagnoses a particular illness is 0.8. Given that the doctor makes
an incorrect diagnosis, the probability that the patient files a lawsuit is 0.9. What is the probability
that the doctor makes an incorrect diagnosis and the patient sues?
8. A survey of those using a particular statistical software system indicated that 15% were dissatisfied.
60% of those dissatisfied purchased the system from vendor A. It is known that 25% of those surveyed purchased from vendor A. Given that the software was purchased from vendor A, what is the
probability that that particular user is dissatisfied?

EE 364 Fall 2014

9. In an experiment to study the relationship of hypertension and smoking habits, the following data are
collected for 180 individuals:
Hypertension
Nonhypertension

Nonsmokers
18
46

Moderate smokers
36
30

Heavy smokers
28
22

If one of these individuals is selected at random, find the probability that the person is
(a) a moderate smoker with hypertension.
(b) experiencing hypertension, given that the person is a heavy smoker.
(c) a nonsmoker, given that the person is experiencing no hypertension.
10. (a) Suppose P (A) = 0.25, P (B) = 0.8, and P (A B) = 0.2. What is P (A B)? Are events A and
B independent?
(b) Suppose P (A) = 0.3, P (B) = 0.5, and P (A B) = 0.8. What is P (A | B)? Are events A and B
independent?
(c) Suppose P (A) = 1. Is event A independent of itself?
11. In a certain region of the country it is known from past experience that the probability of selecting
an adult over 40 years of age with cancer is 0.05. If the probability of a doctor correctly diagnosing
a person with cancer as having the disease is 0.82 and the probability incorrectly diagnosing a person
without cancer as having the disease is 0.08, what is the probability that an adult over 40 years of
age is diagnosed as having cancer? What is the probability that a person diagnosed as having cancer
actually has the disease?
12. Determine the value of c so that each of the following functions can serve as a probability distribution
of the discrete random variable X:
(a) f (x) = c(2x2 + 1), for x = 0, 1, 2, 3.

4

(b) f (x) = c x3 4x
, for x = 0, 1, 2, 3.
13. Consider the probability density function

f (x) =

k x,
0,

0<x<2
elsewhere

(a) Evaluate k.
(b) Find the cumulative distribution function F (x) and use it to evaluate P (0.6 < X < 1.2).
14. 4 cards are drawn in succession from a card deck without replacement. Find the probability distribution
for the number of spades drawn.
15. From a box containing 5 red balls and 2 green balls, 3 balls are drawn in succession, each ball being
replaced in the box before the next draw is made. Find the probability distribution for the number of
green balls drawn.