Re: math question verrrrrry off topic
Hey Katharine,
I don't know-- maybe. I honestly didn't read the other answers. :)
On Jan 18, 2008, at 8:43 PM, Katharine Thayer wrote:
Hmm, I thought that's what we all already have said, isn't it?
That that theoretical probability (1/4x1/4x1/4) would hold only if
assumptions were met, and since assumptions are obviously not met
(for example, judging is not a random lottery of course but is done
on the basis of criteria, arbitrary or otherwise but certainly not
random). Also, no one has said whether the 600 entries are 600
works or 600 people; I was assuming that they are 600 works
representing fewer than 600 people, in other words people could
submit more than one work, in which case, as I said, the number of
works submitted per person would also have to be figured into the
equation somehow. Besides, if one person submits ten pieces and
another person submits one, the ten pieces by the one person
couldn't be considered independent entries in the same way one of
those ten could be considered independent of the one from the other
person, and independence is also an assumption that must be met in
order to consider the probability of acceptance to be the same for
all entries.
Katharine
On Jan 18, 2008, at 4:25 PM, Diana Bloomfield wrote:
Okay, Chris. Here is it-- straight from my resident statistician
here:
If they were the only 3 people from that institution who applied,
AND if judging was completely random, then the probability of this
is roughly 1 in 64 (key word: roughly). If more than that applied
from this same institution, and only 3 got in, then the
calculation will be more complex.
Hope that helps. :)
On Jan 17, 2008, at 12:00 PM, Christina Z. Anderson wrote:
Where else but this list can I ask these weird questions about
chemistry and math and computers and alt???
OK for you math people (Yves?): If there is a show and 600
entries, and 150 are accepted, there is a 1 in 4 chance of
acceptance. If 3 people from the same institution are accepted
what percent chance is that--is it 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 or a 1.5%
chance or is it a more complex formula?
Forgive the off topic request but it does relate to photo as 3 of
our program got into a photo show and I want to be able to
mathematically brag about it to the dept. head/dean.
Chris
Christina Z. Anderson
Assistant Professor
Photo Option Coordinator
Montana State University
CZAphotography.com
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