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ECSE-2500, Engineering Probability, Spring 2010, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Homework 2, due 2pm Tues Feb 9

  1. (4 pts) Do exercise 1.8, page 19.
  2. (8 pts) Do exercise 2.1, page 81.
  3. (6 pts) Do exercise 2.4, page 81.
  4. (8 pts) Do exercise 2.5, page 81.
  5. (6 pts) Do exercise 2.21, page 84.
  6. (6 pts) Do exercise 2.32, page 85.
  7. (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!")
  8. (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.
  9. (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?)