Probability and combinatrics with words

In summary, the experiment involves randomly rearranging the 9 letters of the word TARANTULA, with all possible orders being equally likely. The probabilities of the following events are:(a) The first three letters do not include any A's: 6/9 * 5/8 * 4/7.(b) The first three letters or the last three letters (or both) do not include any A's: 6/9 * 5/8 * 4/7 + (2 * probability of event a).(c) The fourth letter is the first A: 6/9 * 5/8 * 4/7 * 3/6.(d) The first and last letter are the same
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hb2325
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4. An experiment consists of randomly rearranging the 9 letters of the word
TARANTULA into a sequence of 9 letters, where all possible orders of these 9 letters are equally
likely. Find the probability of each of the following events:

(a) the first three letters include no A's;
(b) the first three letters or the last three letters (or both) include no A's;
(c) the fourth letter is the first A;
(d) the first letter and the last letter are the same;
(e) the word `TARANTULA' is obtained;
(f ) the sequence contains the word `RAT'.Attempt at solutions :

a) 6/9 * 5/8 * 4/7 (Probability of first non A * another non A letter * another non A letter)

b) 6/9 * 5/8 * 4/7 + ( I am stuck I don't get it - I think it might just be 2 * anser of part a but I'm unable to think it through, I know though that if first 3 and last 3 have no A's, then middle will have all A's so it becomes more weird )

c) 6/9 * 5/8 * 4/7 * 3/6 ( Prob. in a * probability of 4th letter being A in the scenario of question a)

d) 5/9 * 1/8 + 5/9 * 2/8 (Probability of choosing a repeatable letter * probability of second letter coming up for both T and A since R U L N are not repeatable)

e) 1/9!

f) After working it out on paper it seems there are 6 permutations of RAT so 6 * 1/9!
I am still not sure if these are correct and I know there must be a better way of doing these using combination formula so I would be greatful if someone could help me out.

Thanks!
 
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Anyone? Please this is from a past paper that I am attempting since I have an exam on monday.
 

Related to Probability and combinatrics with words

1. What is the difference between probability and combinations?

Probability is the measure of the likelihood of an event occurring, while combinations refer to the different ways in which a set of objects or events can be arranged or selected. In other words, probability deals with the chance of something happening, while combinations deal with the different ways it can happen.

2. How do you calculate the probability of a specific word occurring in a set of words?

To calculate the probability of a specific word occurring in a set of words, you would first need to determine the total number of words in the set. Then, count the number of times the specific word appears in the set. The probability would be the number of times the specific word appears divided by the total number of words in the set.

3. What is the formula for calculating combinations?

The formula for calculating combinations is nCr = n! / r!(n-r)!, where n represents the total number of objects or events and r represents the number of objects or events being selected.

4. How can probability and combinations be applied to real-life situations?

Probability and combinations can be applied in various real-life situations, such as predicting the chances of winning a lottery, calculating the probability of a certain disease occurring in a population, or determining the possible outcomes of a game or sporting event.

5. Can probability and combinations be used together?

Yes, probability and combinations can be used together in many situations. For example, in a game of cards, you can calculate the probability of getting a specific hand by using combinations to determine the number of possible hands and then dividing it by the total number of hands in the deck.

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