All about flooble | fun stuff | Get a free chatterbox | Free JavaScript | Avatars    
perplexus dot info

Home > Probability
Ducks in a pond (Posted on 2023-01-24) Difficulty: 3 of 5
3 ducks have landed in a circular pond. What is the probability there is a diameter such that the semicircle on one side contains all of them?

Repeat for 4 ducks.

Note: consider the ducks to be randomly chosen points in a circle.

No Solution Yet Submitted by Jer    
Rating: 5.0000 (2 votes)

Comments: ( Back to comment list | You must be logged in to post comments.)
Some Thoughts Calculus Solution for 3 ducks | Comment 12 of 17 |
wlog, assume the first duck to be at 0 degrees.
wlog, assume the second duck to be between 0 and 180 degrees.
The second duck is in a tiny slice between Θ and Θ+dΘ.
The likelihood the duck has landed there is dΘ/π
The third duck can land anywhere from 0 to 2π.  All 3 ducks being on the same side of a diameter means that duck 3 cannot land between π and π+Θ.  There is a (2π-Θ)/2π probability of success.

So integrate over Θ from 0 to π, ((2π-Θ)/2π) dΘ/π
or  (1/(2*π^2) integral 0 to π of (2π-Θ) dΘ
1/(2*π^2) (2π*Θ - (Θ^2)/2)  eval at π minus eval at zero
1/(2*π^2) * (2*π^2 - π^2/2)
(1/(2*π^2))*(3*π^2/2) = 3/4

  Posted by Larry on 2023-01-25 13:27:42
Please log in:
Login:
Password:
Remember me:
Sign up! | Forgot password


Search:
Search body:
Forums (0)
Newest Problems
Random Problem
FAQ | About This Site
Site Statistics
New Comments (0)
Unsolved Problems
Top Rated Problems
This month's top
Most Commented On

Chatterbox:
Copyright © 2002 - 2024 by Animus Pactum Consulting. All rights reserved. Privacy Information