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Probability of Coin Tosses using Probability Mass Function

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Consider a sequence of independent tosses of a coin. A head (H) or tail (T) is the result of the toss of a coin. P(H) = P(T) = .50.

X is the random variable
Let X be the number of tosses needed to get the first tail.
The p.m.f., probability mass function is given by P(X=x) = (1/2)^x, x = 1,2,...,
Calculate the probability that the first tail appears on an odd number of flips.

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Solution Summary

The probability of coin tosses using probability mass function is determined. The solution uses a random variable X.

Solution Preview

Since P(X = n) = (1/2)^n, n = 1, 2, ...
Now we only consider odd n's, that is P(X = ...

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