Math Problem Statement
A university is putting together a hiring committee of 6 members for the next university provost. The eligible pool of members consists of 4 administrative personnel, 9 faculty, and 10 students. Suppose the committee is chosen at random and with no restrictions. What is the probability that each subgroup has 2 members on the committee? Express your answer as a decimal rounded to the nearest millionth.
Solution
To solve this problem, we use combinations and the basic principles of probability.
Step 1: Understand the problem
We are forming a committee of members. The eligible pool contains:
- administrative personnel,
- faculty,
- students.
We are tasked with finding the probability that the committee contains exactly administrative personnel, faculty, and students.
Step 2: Total ways to choose the committee
The total pool of eligible members is: The total number of ways to choose members from is:
Step 3: Ways to select the specific composition
We want exactly administrative personnel, faculty, and students. For each subgroup:
- The number of ways to choose administrative personnel from is:
- The number of ways to choose faculty from is:
- The number of ways to choose students from is:
The total number of ways to select administrative personnel, faculty, and students is:
Step 4: Calculate the probability
The probability is the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total outcomes:
Step 5: Simplify and round
Performing the division:
Final Answer:
The probability that the committee contains members from each subgroup is approximately:
Would you like further explanation or to explore related questions?
Related Questions:
- What if the committee required faculty, students, and administrative personnel?
- What is the probability that there are no administrative personnel on the committee?
- How many total committees can be formed with at least one member from each group?
- What is the expected number of students in a randomly chosen committee of ?
- If the committee required a majority of students, what is the probability of forming such a committee?
Tip:
When calculating probabilities involving combinations, ensure that all restrictions (like specific subgroup counts)
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Combinatorics
Probability
Formulas
Combination formula: C(n, r) = n! / (r!(n - r)!)
Probability formula: P = Favorable Outcomes / Total Outcomes
Theorems
Basic Probability Principles
Counting Principle
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 10-12
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