Root of a random cubic in the unit interval
Question
Let and be independent and uniform on , and fix . Write for the chance that the equation is satisfied by some strictly between and . It is possible to express for rational constants . What is ?
Short answer
. The map is strictly increasing from at to at , so a root exists iff . Hence the bracket is the CDF of : on and on . The coefficients sum to .
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Open the worked solutionLessons behind this question
- Continuous Random Variables and Probability Density Functions
- Cumulative Distribution Functions
- Sample Spaces, Events, and the Probability Axioms
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