ECSE-2500, Engineering Probability, Spring 2010, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Homework 2, due 2pm Tues Feb 9
- (4 pts) Do exercise 1.8, page 19.
- (8 pts) Do exercise 2.1, page 81.
- (6 pts) Do exercise 2.4, page 81.
- (8 pts) Do exercise 2.5, page 81.
- (6 pts) Do exercise 2.21, page 84.
- (6 pts) Do exercise 2.32, page 85.
- (5 pts) Do exercise 2.39, page 86. Ignore any mechanical limitations of combo locks, (Aside: About 25 years ago, RPI rekeyed the whole campus with a more secure lock. Shortly thereafter a memo was distributed that I would summarize as, "OK, you can, but don't you dare!")
- (5 pts) Do exercise 2.59, page 87. However, make it 63 students and 9 on each day of the week. Assume that there is no relation between birthday and day of the week.
- (5 pts) Find a current policy issue where you think that probabilities are being misused, and say why, in 100 words. Full points will be awarded for a logical argument. I don't care what the issue is, or which side you take. Try not to pick something too too inflammatory; follow the Page 1 rule that an NSF lawyer taught me when I was there. (Would you be willing to see your answer on page 1 of tomorrow's paper?)