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Three random dots on different sides of a square

Question

Each of three dots is put on one of the four sides of a square, with the side chosen uniformly at random and independently for each dot. What is the probability that no two dots share a side?

Short answer

38\tfrac38. The first dot can go anywhere, the second must avoid its side (probability 34\tfrac34), and the third must avoid both used sides (probability 24\tfrac24), giving 34⋅12=38\tfrac34\cdot\tfrac12=\tfrac38.

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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