Assignment 16

17 Streaks

Discussion1

We have given you a page of sequences of H's and M's (hits and misses). They represent three different kinds of behavior

• (a) ``streaky" behavior where a hit is more likely to follow a hit and a miss more likely to follow a miss.
• (b) ``random" behavior where a hit is equally likely to follow a hit or a miss.
• (c) ``alternating behavior" where a hit is more likely to be follwed by a miss and a miss more likely to be followed by a hit.

• Mark each sequence of twenty H's and M's to indicate whether the sequence represents a type (a), (b) or (c) behavior.
• If you wanted to develop a test to see if a sequence represented streaky behavior, what properties of a sequence would you use for your test?

Homework assignments for Tuesday Nov 22

We are not giving any new homework from FTTP in order to permit you to finish your projects before going off on your Thanksgiving vacation. This coming Tuesday we will explain and practice the games of chance that you will need to know to succeed at the Chance Fair which will be the following Tuesday when you return.

Journal Assignment for Tuesday Nov 22

• Read the articles ``New Chinese Law Prohibits Sex Screening of Fetuses" and ``Behind Monty Hall's Doors: Puzzle, Debate and Answer?" and add to your journal your final comments on these two topics.
• Read on Mosaic the article ``A question of Safety: A special Report; Troubles at USAir: Coincidence or more?" which appeared in the New York Times 13 Nov 1994. In your journal answer the following two quesitons:
  • (a) Do you think that such an investigation of other airlines would result in similar findings?
  • (b) What is your feeling now about flying USAir?