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A ball is in any one of nboxes and is in the ith box with probability Pi. If the ball is in box i, a search of that box will uncover it with probability αi. Show that the conditional probability that the ball is in box j, given that a search of box idid not uncover it, is

Pj1-αiPiifj≠i

1-αiPi1-αiPiifj=i

Short Answer

Expert verified

PEjAic=PEj

PEiAic=Pi1-αi

Combining the above expressions we obtain the wanted probabilities:

PEj∣Aic=Pj1-αiPifori≠j

PEi∣Aic=1-αiPiPAic

Step by step solution

01

Given Information

Ei- the ball is in the i-th box,i∈{1,2,…,n}

Ai- the ball is found in the i-th box, i∈{1,2,…,n}

Probabilities (if the i-th box is searched):

PEi=Pi

PAi∣Ei=αi

fori∈{1,2,…,n}

02

Explanation

Also, Ai⊆Ei, that is, the ball can only be found in the i-th box if it is there.

And Ei∩Ej=∅for i≠j, they are mutually exclusive because the ball can only be in one box. In these terms, the stated probabilities correspond to:

PEj∣Aic

PEi∣Aic

Start with the definition

PEj∣Aic=PEjAicPAic

PEi∣Aic=PEiAicPAic

PAic

Formula for probability of a complement is

PAic=1-PAi

Ai⊆Ei, and set operations show that:

Ai⊆Ei⇒Ai=AiEi

This renders the former formula

PAic=1-PAiEi

Transform this probability of intersection using conditional probability to obtain

PAic=1-PAi∣EiPEi

PAic=1-αiPi

This is the denominator of fractions (1) and (2)

03

Final Answer

For j≠i

If the ball was in j-th box, it could not have been found in i-th box

→Ej⊆Aic,and

Ej⊆Aic⇒EjAic=Ej

Therefore,

PEjAic=PEj

For PEi∣Aic

Use the identity

PEi=PEiAi∪PEiAic

Transform the probabilities of intersection EiAi using conditional probability:

PEi=PAi∣EiPEi+PEiAic

⇒

Pi=αiPi+PEiAic

⇒

PEiAic=Pi1-αi

Combining the boxed expressions we obtain the wanted probabilities:

PEj∣Aic=Pj1-αiPifori≠j

PEi∣Aic=1-αiPiPAic

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