Week 2 Discussion 1&2 : Probability & Data Projects

Week 2

Discussion 1: Probability

To prepare for this Discussion, imagine that you are planning a trip to Las Vegas. You are not a gambler, and other than a few friendly poker evenings at home with friends, you have little or no experience with casinos. You still wish to try some of the games available. Research gambling games on the Internet to determine which games you might try during your trip to Las Vegas.

BY DAY 3

Post a 200- to 250-word explanation of which games you would try and why. Also, explain an estimate of the chances of winning over losing at a game of your choice.Be sure to include the web links you used for your research.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

Respond to two or more of your colleagues' postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague's posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and the insights you gained from the comments your colleagues made.

Note: Refer to the Discussion Template in the Course Information area of the course navigation menu for your main post and response.

 

Discussion 2: Data Projects

The theory of probability developed from a study of various games of chance by using coins, dice, and cards. Processes such as flipping a coin, rolling a die, or drawing a card from a deck are called probability experiments. This week we will use classical probability to estimate an outcome, and then test that estimate using empirical probability.

Often when playing gambling games, or collecting items in cereal boxes, one wonders how long it will be before one achieves success. For example, imagine there are six different types of toys with one toy packaged at random in a cereal box. If a person wanted a certain toy, about how many boxes would that person have to buy on average before obtaining that particular toy? Of course, there is the possibility that the particular toy would be in the first box opened or that the person might never obtain the particular toy; although these would be considered rare instances.

To prepare for this Discussion, simulate this same experiment using a single, six-sided die. Choose a particular number—for example, 3. Roll the die until you get your number; that’s one “try.” Make a chart and title it “Tries vs Rolls” Keep rolling until your chosen number is rolled 100 times (100 “tries”), and use your “Tries vs Rolls” chart to Keep track of the number of total rolls needed to roll the number you select 100 times. Ask your friends or family members to help and have fun with you!

In your write-up, think about and answer these questions:

1. What did you expect the average to be (from classical probability)?
2. What accounts for the differences from what you expected?
3. Would we get the same thing if we rolled another 100 experiments with the same die?

BY DAY 4

Post a 200- to 250-word comparison of the number of rolls you expected to reach 100 rolls of your selected number, based on the equations and information about probability in the course text, and the number of rolls you actually needed in the experiment you performed.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

BY DAY 7

Respond to two or more of your colleagues' postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague's posting.

Return to this Discussion in a few days to read the responses to your initial posting. Note what you learned and the insights you gained from the comments your colleagues made.