Bernardo randomly picks 3 distinct numbers from the set ${1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}$ and arranges them in descending order to form a 3-digit number. Silvia randomly picks 3 distinct numbers from the set ${1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}$ and also arranges them in descending order to form a 3-digit number. What is the probability that Bernardo’s number is larger than Silvia’s number?
Bernardo从集合${1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}$中随机挑选3个不同的数,并按降序排列形成一个3位数。Silvia从集合${1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}$中随机挑选3个不同的数,也按降序排列形成一个3位数。Bernardo的数大于Silvia的数的概率是多少?
Answer (B): The probability that Bernardo picks a 9 is $\frac{3}{9}=\frac{1}{3}$. In this case, his three-digit number will begin with a 9 and will be larger than Silvia’s three-digit number.
If Bernardo does not pick a 9, then Bernardo and Silvia will form the same number with probability
$\frac{1}{\binom{8}{3}}=\frac{1}{56}$.
If they do not form the same number then Bernardo’s number will be larger $\frac{1}{2}$ of the time.
Hence the probability is
$\frac{1}{3}+\frac{2}{3}\cdot\frac{1}{2}\left(1-\frac{1}{56}\right)=\frac{111}{168}=\frac{37}{56}$.
答案(B):贝尔纳多抽到 9 的概率是 $\frac{3}{9}=\frac{1}{3}$。在这种情况下,他的三位数将以 9 开头,并且会大于西尔维娅的三位数。
如果贝尔纳多没有抽到 9,那么贝尔纳多和西尔维娅组成相同数字的概率为
$\frac{1}{\binom{8}{3}}=\frac{1}{56}$。
如果他们没有组成相同的数字,那么贝尔纳多的数字有 $\frac{1}{2}$ 的概率更大。
因此所求概率为
$\frac{1}{3}+\frac{2}{3}\cdot\frac{1}{2}\left(1-\frac{1}{56}\right)=\frac{111}{168}=\frac{37}{56}$。