ELEC 471: Homework Assignment 5

ELEC 471, Spring 1999
Prof. Rich Kozick

Homework 5

Date Assigned: Thursday, February 18, 1999
Date Due: Thursday, February 25, 1999

Reading: Continue studying Chapter 2.
Please solve the following problems in the text:
Chapter 2: 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5 (draw a tree), 2.2.6, and 2.2.9 (in part d, n refers to the number of tries before generating a busy signal).
Presentations: You may recall from the course syllabus that each student will have the opportunity to deliver a presentation to the class. We will begin the presentations on February 25. I would like the following students to present their solution to Problem 2.2.9. The students will present their solution as a group.
Morning session: Rob Brooks, Tegan Campbell, and Stephen Hajdu.
Afternoon session: Zach Blixt, Kevin Mehaffey, and Eric Sweet.
Develop a MATLAB simulation program for the salesperson model discussed in class. That is, you should simulate a large number of trials, and determine the probability of at least one successful sale in N sales calls, assuming that the calls are independent and that p is the probability of a successful sale on a call. Perform a simulation for the case of N = 10 calls and p = 0.2. Compare your simulation result with the analytical result, and please submit a printout of your MATLAB program.
Please answer the following questions using analysis, not simulation.
- Suppose that p is fixed at 0.2. What is the smallest value for N that will ensure that the probability of at least one success in N trials is greater than 0.95?
- Suppose that N is fixed at 10. What is the smallest value for p that will ensure that the probability of at least one success in N trials is greater than 0.95?
Explain your reasoning.

Thank you.