March 2025
Econ 2042: Statistics for Economists
Tutorial Exercise I:
1). Describe a sample space that might be appropriate for an experiment in which we roll
a pair of dice, one white and one blue.
2). With reference to S = f1; 2; : : : ; 6g, in the experiment of rolling a die, describe the
event A that the number of points rolled with the die is divisible by 3.
3). With reference to S1 = f(x; y) jx = 1; 2; : : : ; 6; y = 1; 2; : : : ; 6g, in the experiment of
question 1, describe the event B that the number of points rolled with the pair of dice
is 7.
4). Use Venn diagrams to show that
a). A [ (B [ C) is the same event as (A [ B) [ C.
b). A \ (B [ C) is the same event as (A \ B) [ (A \ C).
c). (A \ B)0 is the same event as A0 [ B 0 .
d). (A [ B)0 is the same event as A0 \ B 0 .
e). If A is contained in B, then A \ B = A and A \ B 0 = ?.
f). (A \ B) [ (A \ B 0 ) = A.
g). (A \ B) [ (A \ B 0 ) [ (A0 \ B) = (A [ B).
h) A [ (A0 \ B) = (A [ B).
5). If S = f1; 2; : : : ; 9g, A = f1; 3; 5; 7g, B = f6; 7; 8; 9g, C = f2; 4; 8g, and D = f1; 5; 9g,
list the elements of the subsets of S corresponding to the following events;
a). A0 \ B; b): (A0 \ B) \ C; c): B 0 [ C
d). (B [ C) \ D; e): A0 \ C; f ): (A [ C) \ D
1
6). A brewery plans to build a …rm in the southern and southwestern parts of Ethiopia. Its
management has to decide between sites in Awassa, Shashemene, Arba-Minch, Jimma,
Mettu, Gore, Bedelle and Gambella. If "A" represents the event that they will choose
a site in Shasemene or Mettu, "B" represents the event that they will choose a site in
Awassa or Arba-Minch, "C " represents the event that they will choose a site in Mettu
or Gore, "D" represents the event that they will choose a site in Awassa or Mettu, list
the elements of each of the following subsets of the sample space, which consists of the
eight site selections.
a). A0 ; b): D0 ; c): C \ D
d). B \ C; e): B [ C; f ): A [ B
g). C [ D; h): (B [ C)0 ; i): B 0 \ C 0
7). A coin is tossed once. Then, if it comes a head, a die is thrown once; if the coin comes
up tails, it is tossed twice more. Using the notation in which (H; 2), for example,
denotes the event that the coin comes up heads and the die comes up 2, and (T; T; T )
denotes the event that the coin comes up tails three times in a row, list:
a). The elements of the sample space
b). The elements of S corresponding to the event A that exactly one head occurs.
c). The elements of S corresponding to the event B that at least two tails occur or a
number greater than 4 occurs.
8). An experiment has 4 possible outcomes, A, B, C, D, that are mutually exclusive.
Explain why the following assignments of probabilities are not permissible.
a). Pr (A) = 0:12, Pr (B) = 0:63, Pr (C) = 0:45, Pr (D) = 0:20.
b). Pr (A) = 9=120, Pr (B) = 45=120, Pr (C) = 27=120, Pr (D) = 46=120.
9). If we ‡ip a coin twice, what is the probability of getting at least one head?
10). A die is loaded in such a way that each odd number is twice as likely to occur as each
even number. Find Pr (A), where A is the event that a number greater than 3 occurs
on a single roll of die.
2
11). A and B are mutually exclusive events; the probability that A occurs is 0:5, and that
A or B occurs is 0:6. What is Pr (B)?
12). Prove that if B is a subset of A, then Pr (A B) = Pr (A) Pr (B).
13). In a sample space S, the events A and B are independent. Pr (A) = 1=3, Pr (S B) =
1=4. Find Pr (AU B).
14). 5% of people have high blood pressure. Of the people with high blood pressure, 75%
drink alcohol. Of people without high blood pressure, only 50% drink alcohol. What
proportion of alcohol drinkers has high blood pressure?
15). Three people A, B and C toss a coin in turn until a head occurs. The person who
tosses a head …rst wins. If the coin is biased and head occurs with probability p, what
is the probability that B wins?
