Expected number of trials before I get two out of three types












1














I am a biologist trying to quantify the likelihood of observed genetic phenomena… I’ve tried my best to formalize my question in accepted terms as follows:



Given a stack of n cards, each colored red (x cards) , blue (y cards), or green (z cards) where x + y + z = n, what is the expected number of draws, without replacement, before you draw both a red and a blue card? It doesn’t matter whether the red or blue card comes first. Preferably, a solution would be defined in general terms, but for demonstration’s sake, one could assume a stack of 10 cards, where x = 3, y = 5, z = 2.



Intuitively, I figured this could be solved using multivariate hypergeometric distributions. However, because we are looking for the expected minimal number of draws before two successes occur (both a red and a blue card), this approach appeared to require some tricky combinatorics.



I have also looked, without success, into adopting solutions from other problems. My sense is that between the following two posts there is a solution, but one I have not been able to intuit.



Expected number of card draws to get all 4 suits



Expected number of trials before I get one of each type



Any direction would be greatly appreciated -- thanks so much!










share|cite|improve this question



























    1














    I am a biologist trying to quantify the likelihood of observed genetic phenomena… I’ve tried my best to formalize my question in accepted terms as follows:



    Given a stack of n cards, each colored red (x cards) , blue (y cards), or green (z cards) where x + y + z = n, what is the expected number of draws, without replacement, before you draw both a red and a blue card? It doesn’t matter whether the red or blue card comes first. Preferably, a solution would be defined in general terms, but for demonstration’s sake, one could assume a stack of 10 cards, where x = 3, y = 5, z = 2.



    Intuitively, I figured this could be solved using multivariate hypergeometric distributions. However, because we are looking for the expected minimal number of draws before two successes occur (both a red and a blue card), this approach appeared to require some tricky combinatorics.



    I have also looked, without success, into adopting solutions from other problems. My sense is that between the following two posts there is a solution, but one I have not been able to intuit.



    Expected number of card draws to get all 4 suits



    Expected number of trials before I get one of each type



    Any direction would be greatly appreciated -- thanks so much!










    share|cite|improve this question

























      1












      1








      1


      1





      I am a biologist trying to quantify the likelihood of observed genetic phenomena… I’ve tried my best to formalize my question in accepted terms as follows:



      Given a stack of n cards, each colored red (x cards) , blue (y cards), or green (z cards) where x + y + z = n, what is the expected number of draws, without replacement, before you draw both a red and a blue card? It doesn’t matter whether the red or blue card comes first. Preferably, a solution would be defined in general terms, but for demonstration’s sake, one could assume a stack of 10 cards, where x = 3, y = 5, z = 2.



      Intuitively, I figured this could be solved using multivariate hypergeometric distributions. However, because we are looking for the expected minimal number of draws before two successes occur (both a red and a blue card), this approach appeared to require some tricky combinatorics.



      I have also looked, without success, into adopting solutions from other problems. My sense is that between the following two posts there is a solution, but one I have not been able to intuit.



      Expected number of card draws to get all 4 suits



      Expected number of trials before I get one of each type



      Any direction would be greatly appreciated -- thanks so much!










      share|cite|improve this question













      I am a biologist trying to quantify the likelihood of observed genetic phenomena… I’ve tried my best to formalize my question in accepted terms as follows:



      Given a stack of n cards, each colored red (x cards) , blue (y cards), or green (z cards) where x + y + z = n, what is the expected number of draws, without replacement, before you draw both a red and a blue card? It doesn’t matter whether the red or blue card comes first. Preferably, a solution would be defined in general terms, but for demonstration’s sake, one could assume a stack of 10 cards, where x = 3, y = 5, z = 2.



      Intuitively, I figured this could be solved using multivariate hypergeometric distributions. However, because we are looking for the expected minimal number of draws before two successes occur (both a red and a blue card), this approach appeared to require some tricky combinatorics.



      I have also looked, without success, into adopting solutions from other problems. My sense is that between the following two posts there is a solution, but one I have not been able to intuit.



      Expected number of card draws to get all 4 suits



      Expected number of trials before I get one of each type



      Any direction would be greatly appreciated -- thanks so much!







      probability conditional-probability






      share|cite|improve this question













      share|cite|improve this question











      share|cite|improve this question




      share|cite|improve this question










      asked Nov 23 at 19:07









      hemen

      62




      62






















          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          0














          This may help. Clearly the maximum number of draws is $z+x+1$ assuming with no loss of generality that $yleq x.$ Then apply the inclusion exclusion approach in the first answer you linked.






          share|cite|improve this answer





















            Your Answer





            StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
            return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
            StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
            StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
            });
            });
            }, "mathjax-editing");

            StackExchange.ready(function() {
            var channelOptions = {
            tags: "".split(" "),
            id: "69"
            };
            initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

            StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
            // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
            if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
            StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
            createEditor();
            });
            }
            else {
            createEditor();
            }
            });

            function createEditor() {
            StackExchange.prepareEditor({
            heartbeatType: 'answer',
            autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
            convertImagesToLinks: true,
            noModals: true,
            showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
            reputationToPostImages: 10,
            bindNavPrevention: true,
            postfix: "",
            imageUploader: {
            brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
            contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
            allowUrls: true
            },
            noCode: true, onDemand: true,
            discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
            ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
            });


            }
            });














            draft saved

            draft discarded


















            StackExchange.ready(
            function () {
            StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3010717%2fexpected-number-of-trials-before-i-get-two-out-of-three-types%23new-answer', 'question_page');
            }
            );

            Post as a guest















            Required, but never shown

























            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes








            1 Answer
            1






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            0














            This may help. Clearly the maximum number of draws is $z+x+1$ assuming with no loss of generality that $yleq x.$ Then apply the inclusion exclusion approach in the first answer you linked.






            share|cite|improve this answer


























              0














              This may help. Clearly the maximum number of draws is $z+x+1$ assuming with no loss of generality that $yleq x.$ Then apply the inclusion exclusion approach in the first answer you linked.






              share|cite|improve this answer
























                0












                0








                0






                This may help. Clearly the maximum number of draws is $z+x+1$ assuming with no loss of generality that $yleq x.$ Then apply the inclusion exclusion approach in the first answer you linked.






                share|cite|improve this answer












                This may help. Clearly the maximum number of draws is $z+x+1$ assuming with no loss of generality that $yleq x.$ Then apply the inclusion exclusion approach in the first answer you linked.







                share|cite|improve this answer












                share|cite|improve this answer



                share|cite|improve this answer










                answered Nov 23 at 19:59









                kodlu

                3,380716




                3,380716






























                    draft saved

                    draft discarded




















































                    Thanks for contributing an answer to Mathematics Stack Exchange!


                    • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                    But avoid



                    • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                    • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                    Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.


                    To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.





                    Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.


                    Please pay close attention to the following guidance:


                    • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                    But avoid



                    • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                    • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                    To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                    draft saved


                    draft discarded














                    StackExchange.ready(
                    function () {
                    StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3010717%2fexpected-number-of-trials-before-i-get-two-out-of-three-types%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                    }
                    );

                    Post as a guest















                    Required, but never shown





















































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown

































                    Required, but never shown














                    Required, but never shown












                    Required, but never shown







                    Required, but never shown







                    Popular posts from this blog

                    Plaza Victoria

                    In PowerPoint, is there a keyboard shortcut for bulleted / numbered list?

                    How to put 3 figures in Latex with 2 figures side by side and 1 below these side by side images but in...