Chapter 8

Probability
Chapter Contents
 Basic Concepts and Terms
Used in Probability
 Definition of Probability
 Some More Results and
Definitions
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BASIC CONCEPTS AND TERMS USED IN PROBABILITY
(i) Experiment : An operation that has its result some well-defined
outcomes is called an experiment.
(ii) Random Experiment : An experiment whose outcome cannot be
predicted with certainty is called random experiment.
(iii) Sample Space : The set of all possible outcomes of a random
experiment is called the sample space for the experiment and is
denoted by S.
(iv) Sample Point : Each element of the sample space is called a
sample point.
(v) Event : A subset of the sample space S is called an event e.g.
when a coin is tossed, the sample space S = {H, T}. The subset {H}
 S denotes the event of occurrence of heads in the toss of coin.
Note :  is also subset of S called impossible event and S is also
subset of S called sure event.
(vi) Compound Event : A subset of the sample space S, which
contains more than one element is called a compound event.
(vii) Simple Event : An event is called a simple event, if it has only
one sample point of sample space S.
(viii) Equally likely Event : Events are said to be equally likely when
we have no reason to believe that a particular outcome is more
likely to occur than the other.
(ix) Exhaustive Events : For a random experiment A, a set of events
is said to be exhaustive if one of them must necessarily happen
every time the experiment is performed. Hence two events A and
B are exhaustive if AB = S where S is the sample space.
(x) Mutually Exclusive Events : Two or more events are called
mutually exclusive if one of them occurs, then others cannot occur.
Thus two or more events are called mutually exclusive if no two
of them can occur together.
140 Probability Pre-Regional Mathematical Olympiad

DEFINITION OF PROBABILITY
Let F denotes the outcome of an experiment, called an event E, to obtain the probability P of E we use the
formula
n E  Number of elements in event
P E   
n  S  Number of elements in sample space

SOLVED EXAMPLES
Example 1 : Find the probability of getting odd numbers when a die is rolled.
Solution : Let E be event of getting odd number.
 E = {1, 3, 5} n(E) = 3
S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} n(S) = 6

n E  3 1
So, the required probability P  E    
n S  6 2

Example 2 : Two dice are thrown simultaneously what is the probability of obtaining a total score of eight?
Solution : There are six possible ways in which the first die can show a number and corresponding to each
number there exist 6 possible outcomes on second dice.
Total number of outcomes = 36
Favourable ways to get total score of 8 are (2, 6), (3, 5), (4, 4), (5, 3), (6, 2)
Thus n(E) = 5
5
Hence the required probability =
36

SOME MORE RESULTS AND DEFINITIONS

(i) If AC is the event complementary to A then P(AC) = 1 – P(A)
(ii) For any two events A and B, P(AB) = P(A) + P(B) – P(AB)
(iii) Independent events : Two events E and F are said to be independent if the probability of their
simultaneous occurrence is the same as the product of probabilities of their individual occurrences. In
other words E and F are independent if P(E  F) = P(E) P(F).
(iv) Conditional Probability : If we have two or more events from the sample space and occurrence of
one event affects the occurrence of other, then here we are talking about conditional probability.
Let A and B are two events associated with the random experiment. Then the probability of occurrence
of event A under the condition that B has already occurred and P(B)  0 is called the conditional
probability and it is denoted by P(A/B).
 P(A/B) = Probability of occurrence of A given that B has already occurred.

n  A  B P  A  B
i.e. P(A/B) = 
n B  P (B )
(v) Multiplication theorem : P(E  F) = P(E)P(F/E)

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Pre-Regional Mathematical Olympiad Probability 141

SOLVED EXAMPLES

Example 3 : A card is selected at random from a pack of 52 playing cards. Consider the events A = {heart}
B = {face card}. Find P(A), P(B), P(AB) & P(AB)

Number of hearts 13 1
Solution : (i) P  A    
Number of cards 52 4

Number of face cards 12 3

(ii) P  B    
Number of cards 52 13

Number of heart face cards 3

(iii) P  A  B   
Number of cards 52
(iv) P(AB) = P(A) + P(B) – P(AB)

13 12 3 25  3 22 11
=     =
52 52 52 52 52 26

Example 4 : A pair of dice is rolled. Find the probability of getting an even number on first die or a total of 8.

Solution : Let S be the sample space.

A = the event of getting an even number on first die

B = the event of getting a total of 8

then AB = the event of getting on even number on first die and total of 8.

 A = {(2, 1), (2, 2), (2, 3), .........(6, 6)}

B = {(2, 6), (6, 2), (3, 5), (5, 3), (4, 4)}

AB = {(2, 6), (6, 2), (4, 4)}

18 1 5 3 1
P  A   ; P B   ; P A  B  
36 2 36 36 12

1 5 1 5
P A  B    
2 36 12 9

Example 5 : If a leap year is selected at random, what is the chance that it will have 53 Sundays?

Solution : A leap year has 366 days, i.e. 52 weeks and 2 more days.

S = { (Mon, Tues), (Tues, Wed), (Wed, Thurs), (Thurs, Fri), (Fri, Sat), (Sat, Sun), (Sun, Mon)}

E = {(Sat, Sun), (Sun, Mon)}

2
P (E )  .
7
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142 Probability Pre-Regional Mathematical Olympiad

Example 6 : A box contains 8 pairs of shoes. If 4 shoes are selected at random then find the probability that
exactly one pair of shoe is selected.
Solution : One pair of shoe can be selected from 8 pairs in 8C1 = 8 ways. From the remaining 7 pairs, i.e.,
14 shoes we have to select 2 shoes so that no pair is formed, which can be done in 7C2  22.

8  7C2  22
Hence, P (E ) 
16
C4
8732
=  24
16  15  14  13
12
=
65
Example 7 : A die is rolled. If the outcome is an odd number, what is the probability that it is prime?
Solution : When a die is rolled, the sample space is
S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Let A = Event of getting an odd number
B = Event of getting a prime number
A = {1, 3, 5} B = {2, 3, 5} and AB = {3, 5}

3 1
P  A  
6 2
3 1
P B   
6 2

2 1
And P  A  B   
6 3
Suppose A has already occurred and B occurs. Then we have to find P(B/A)

1
P A  B 3 2
P(B/A) =  
P  A 1 3
2
Example 8 : Three fair coins are tossed. Find the probability that the outcomes are all tails, if atleast one of
the coins shows a tail.
Solution : Here S = {HHH, HHT, HTH, THH, HTT, THT, TTH, TTT}
Let A = Event that one of the coins shows a tail
B = Event that every coin shows a tail
A = {HHT, HTH, THH, HTT, THT, TTH, TTT}
B = {TTT}
AB = {TTT}

n  A 7 n B  1
P  A   P B   
n S  8 n S  8
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Pre-Regional Mathematical Olympiad Probability 143
 Required probability = P(B/A)

1
P A  B 8 1
=  
P  A 7 7
8
Example 9 : A box contain 20 red and 15 black balls. Two balls are drawn from the box one after the other
without replacement. What is the probability that both drawn balls are red?

Solution : Let E and F denote respectively the events that first and second ball drawn are red. We have to find

P(EF) or P(EF)

P(E) = P(red ball is first drawn)

20
=
35

19
P(F/E) =
34
P(E F) = P(E) P(F/E)

20 19
= 
35 34

38
=
119

m
Example 10 : In a single cast with two dice, if the odds against drawing 7 as sum is where m and n are
n
positive integers. Find m + n.

Solution : Let E be the event for odds in favour for drawing 7 as sum.

 E = {(1, 6), (2, 5), (3, 4), (4, 3), (5, 2), (6, 1)}

6 1
 P (E )  
36 6

1
1–
P (E ) 6 5
 
P (E ) 1 1
6

5 m
i.e., odds against drawing 7 as sum  
1 n

 m+n=6

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144 Probability Pre-Regional Mathematical Olympiad

ASSIGNMENT
1. Two cards are drawn at random from a deck of cards. If the probability that both the cards are of red colour
m mn
or both are queen is , where m and n are co-prime integers, then find .
n 3

x
2. If 6 men and 6 women sit in a row randomly and the probability that 6 women are all together is , where
y

x and y are co-prime, then find y – 11.

3. From a pack of 52 playing cards, three cards are drawn at random. Find the probability of drawing a king, a
queen and a jack.

4. Out of (2n + 1) tickets consecutively numbered, three are drawn at random. Find the chance that the numbers
on them are in A.P.

5. A car is parked among n cars standing in a row, but not at either end. On his return, the owner finds that
exactly r of the n places are still occupied. What is the probability that both the places neighbouring his car
are empty?

6. A point is chosen at random inside a circle. If the probability that the point is closer to the centre of the circle

a
that to its circumference is , where a and b are co-prime, then find a + b.
b

7. A friendly hockey match among Aakashians played from 3 pm to 5 pm. Shekhar arrives to see the match
(not before the match starts). If the probability that he will miss the only goal of the match which takes place

m
at the 15th minute of the match is , where m and n are in lowest form, then find 2(m + n).
n

8. A die is rolled twice and the sum of the numbers appearing is observed to be 8. What is the conditional
probability that the number 3 has appeared at least once?

9. In a class 30% students study English, 15% students study Hindi and 10% students study both English and
Hindi. One student is selected at random. Find the probability that
(i) He studies English if it is known that he studies Hindi.
(ii) He studies Hindi if it is known that he studies English
10. Three cards are drawn successively, without replacement from a pack of 52 well shuffled cards. The probability
a
that first two cards are queens and the third card is a jack is , where a and b are in lowest form, then
b
find the sum of digits of a and b.

  

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