A lift of mass \(M\) and its counterweight of mass \(M\) are connected by a light inextensible cable which passes over a fixed frictionless pulley. The lift is constrained to move vertically between smooth guides. The distance between the floor and the ceiling of the lift is \(h\). Initially, the lift is at rest, and the distance between the top of the lift and the pulley is greater than \(h\). A small tile of mass \(m\) becomes detached from the ceiling of the lift and falls to the floor of the lift. Show that the speed of the tile just before the impact is \[ \sqrt{\frac{(2M-m)gh \;}{M}}\;. \] The coefficient of restitution between the tile and the floor of the lift is \(e\). Given that the magnitude of the impulsive force on the lift due to tension in the cable is equal to the magnitude of the impulsive force on the counterweight due to tension in the cable, show that the loss of energy of the system due to the impact is \(mgh(1-e^2)\). Comment on this result.
Fifty times a year, 1024 tourists disembark from a cruise liner at a port. From there they must travel to the city centre either by bus or by taxi. Tourists are equally likely to be directed to the bus station or to the taxi rank. Each bus of the bus company holds 32 passengers, and the company currently runs 15 buses. The company makes a profit of \(\pounds\)1 for each passenger carried. It carries as many passengers as it can, with any excess being (eventually) transported by taxi. Show that the largest annual licence fee, in pounds, that the company should consider paying to be allowed to run an extra bus is approximately \[ 1600 \Phi(2) - \frac{800}{\sqrt{2\pi}}\big(1- \e^{-2}\big)\,, \] where \(\displaystyle \Phi(x) =\dfrac1{\sqrt{2\pi}} \int_{-\infty}^x \e^{-\frac12t^2}\d t\,\). You should not consider continuity corrections.
Solution: The the number of people being directed towards the buses (each cruise) is \(X \sim B(1024, \tfrac12) \approx N(512, 256) \approx 16Z + 512\). Therefore without an extra bus, the expected profit is \(\mathbb{E}[\min(X, 15 \times 32)]\). With the extra bus, the extra profit is \(\mathbb{E}[\min(X, 16 \times 32)]\), therefore the expected extra profit is: \(\mathbb{E}[\min(X, 16 \times 32)]-\mathbb{E}[\min(X, 15 \times 32)] = \mathbb{E}[\min(X, 16 \times 32)-\min(X, 15 \times 32)] \) \begin{align*} \text{Expected extra profit} &= \mathbb{E}[\min(X, 16 \times 32)-\min(X, 15 \times 32)] \\ &= \mathbb{E}[\min(16Z+512, 16 \times 32)-\min(16Z+512, 15 \times 32)] \\ &= 16\mathbb{E}[\min(Z+32, 32)-\min(Z+32, 30)] \\ &=16\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \left (\min(Z+32, 32)-\min(Z+32, 30) \right)p_Z(z) \d z \\ &= 16 \left ( \int_{-2}^{0} (z+32-30) p_Z(z) \d z + \int_0^\infty (32-30)p_Z(z) \d z \right) \\ &= 16 \left ( \int_{-2}^{0} (z+2) p_Z(z) \d z + \int_0^\infty 2p_Z(z) \d z \right) \\ &= 16 \left ( \int_{-2}^{0} zp_Z(z) \d z + 2\int_{-2}^\infty p_Z(z) \d z \right) \\ &= 16 \left ( \int_{-2}^{0} z \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}} e^{-\frac12 z^2} \d z + 2(1-\Phi(2)) \right) \\ &= 32(1-\Phi(2)) + \frac{16}{\sqrt{2\pi}} \left [ -e^{-\frac12z^2} \right]_{-2}^0 \\ &= 32(1-\Phi(2)) - \frac{16}{\sqrt{2\pi}} \left ( 1-e^{-2}\right) \end{align*} Across \(50\) different runs, this profit is \[ 1600(1-\Phi(2)) - \frac{800}{\sqrt{2\pi}} \left ( 1-e^{-2}\right) \]
Two points are chosen independently at random on the perimeter (including the diameter) of a semicircle of unit radius. The area of the triangle whose vertices are these two points and the midpoint of the diameter is denoted by the random variable \(A\). Show that the expected value of \(A\) is \((2+\pi)^{-1}\).
Solution: There are \(3\) possible numbers of points on the curved part of the perimeter. \(0\): The area is \(0\) \(1\):
For any random variables \(X_1\) and \(X_2\), state the relationship between \(\E(aX_1+bX_2)\) and \(\E(X_1)\) and \(\E(X_2)\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are constants. If \(X_1\) and \(X_2\) are independent, state the relationship between \(\E(X_1X_2)\) and \(\E(X_1)\) and \(\E(X_2)\). An industrial process produces rectangular plates. The length and the breadth of the plates are modelled by independent random variables \(X_1\) and \(X_2\) with non-zero means \(\mu_1\) and \(\mu_2\) and non-zero standard deviations \(\sigma_1\) and \(\sigma_2\), respectively. Using the results in the paragraph above, and without quoting a formula for \(\var(aX_1+bX_2)\), find the means and standard deviations of the perimeter \(P\) and area \(A\) of the plates. Show that \(P\) and \(A\) are not independent. The random variable \(Z\) is defined by \(Z=P-\alpha A\), where \(\alpha \) is a constant. Show that \(Z\) and \(A\) are not independent if \[ \alpha \ne \dfrac{2(\mu_1^{\vphantom2} \sigma_2^2 +\mu_2^{\vphantom2}\sigma_1^2)} { \mu_1^2 \sigma_2^2 +\mu_2^2\sigma_1^2 + \sigma_1^2\sigma_2^2 } \;. \] Given that \(X_1\) and \(X_2\) can each take values 1 and 3 only, and that they each take these values with probability \(\frac 12\), show that \(Z\) and \(A\) are not independent for any value of \(\alpha\).
Solution: \(\E(aX_1+bX_2) = a \E(X_1) + b\E(X_2)\) for any \(X_1, X_2\) \(\E(X_1X_2)=\E(X_1)\E(X_2)\). if \(X_1, X_2\) are independent. \begin{align*} && \E(P) &= \E(2(X_1+X_2)) = 2(\E[X_1]+\E[X_2]) \\ &&&= 2(\mu_1 + \mu_2) \\ && \var(P) &= \E[\left ( 2(X_1+X_2) \right)^2] - \E[2(X_1+X_2)]^2 \\ &&&= 4\E[X_1^2+2X_1X_2+X_2^2] -4(\mu_1 + \mu_2)^2 \\ &&&= 4(\mu_1^2 + \sigma_1^2 + 2\mu_1\mu_2 + \mu_2^2 + \sigma_2^2) - 4(\mu_1 + \mu_2)^2 \\ &&&= 4(\sigma_1^2+\sigma_2^2) \\ && \textrm{SD}(P) &= 2 \sqrt{\sigma_1^2+\sigma_2^2}\\ \\ && \E(A) &= \E[X_1X_2] = \E[X_1]\E[X_2] \\ &&&= \mu_1\mu_2 \\ && \var(A) &= \E[(X_1X_2)^2] - (\mu_1\mu_2)^2 \\ &&&= (\mu_1^2+\sigma_1^2)(\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) - (\mu_1\mu_2)^2\\ &&&= \mu_1^2 \sigma_2^2 + \mu_2^2 \sigma_1^2 + \sigma_1^2 \sigma_2^2\\ && \textrm{SD}(A) &= \sqrt{\mu_1^2 \sigma_2^2 + \mu_2^2 \sigma_1^2 + \sigma_1^2 \sigma_2^2} \end{align*} \begin{align*} \E[PA] &= \E[2(X_1+X_2)X_1X_2] \\ &= 2\E[X_1^2X_2] + 2\E[X_1X_2^2]\\ &= 2(\mu_1^2 + \sigma_1^2)\mu_2 + 2\mu_1 (\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2)\\ &\neq 2(\mu_1 + \mu_2)\mu_1\mu_2 \\ &= \E[P]\E[A] \end{align*} \begin{align*} && \E[Z] &= \E[P] - \alpha \E[A] \\ &&&= 2(\mu_1+\mu_2) - \alpha \mu_1 \mu_2 \\ \\ && \E[ZA] &= \E[PA - \alpha A^2] \\ &&&= 2(\mu_1^2 + \sigma_1^2)\mu_2 + 2\mu_1 (\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) - \alpha \E[A^2] \\ &&&= 2(\mu_1^2 + \sigma_1^2)\mu_2 + 2\mu_1 (\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) - \alpha \E[X_1^2]\E[X_2^2] \\ &&&= 2(\mu_1^2 + \sigma_1^2)\mu_2 + 2\mu_1 (\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) - \alpha (\mu_1^2+\sigma_1^2)(\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) \\ \text{if ind.} && \E[Z]\E[A] &= \E[ZA]\\ && (2(\mu_1+\mu_2) - \alpha \mu_1 \mu_2) \mu_1\mu_2 &= 2(\mu_1^2 + \sigma_1^2)\mu_2 + 2\mu_1 (\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) - \alpha (\mu_1^2+\sigma_1^2)(\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) \\ \Rightarrow && 2(\mu_1^2\mu_2+\mu_1\mu_2^2) - \alpha \mu_1^2\mu_2^2 &= 2(\mu_1^2\mu_2+\mu_1\mu_2^2) + 2\sigma_1^2\mu_2 + 2\sigma_2^2\mu_1 - \alpha (\mu_1^2+\sigma_1^2)(\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) \\ \Rightarrow && \alpha ((\mu_1^2+\sigma_1^2)(\mu_2^2+\sigma_2^2) - \mu_1^2\mu_2^2) &= 2(\sigma_1^2\mu_2 + \sigma_2^2\mu_1) \\ \Rightarrow && \alpha &= \frac{ 2(\sigma_1^2\mu_2 + \sigma_2^2\mu_1) }{\mu_1^2 \sigma_2^2 + \mu_2^2 \sigma_1^2 + \sigma_1^2 \sigma_2^2} \end{align*} Therefore if they are not independent if \(\alpha \neq \) the expression. \begin{array}{c|c|c|c|c|c} & X_1 & X_2 & A & P & Z \\ \hline 0.25 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 4 & 4-\alpha \\ 0.25 & 1 & 3 & 3 & 8 & 8-3\alpha \\ 0.25 & 3 & 1 & 3 & 8 & 8-3\alpha \\ 0.25 & 3 & 3 & 9 & 12 & 12-9\alpha \\ \end{array} If \(\mathbb{P}(A = 1, Z = 4-\alpha) = \mathbb{P}(A = 1)\mathbb{P}(Z = 4-\alpha)\) then \(\mathbb{P}(Z = 4-\alpha) = 1\), but that mean \(4-\alpha = 8-3\alpha = 12-9\alpha\) which is not a consistent set of equations as the first two are solved by \(\alpha = 2\) and the second by \(\alpha = \frac23\)