Ashoka University, Monsoon 2023

Statistics for Economics (Eco-1400/CS-1207)

Problem Set 1, Due Tuesday, September 26

Max. mark: 30

1. The number of contaminating particles on a silicon wafer prior to a certain rinsing

process was determined for each wafer in a sample of size 100, resulting in the
following frequencies:

Number of particles 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Frequency 1 2 3 12 11 15 18 10 12 4 5 3 1 2 1

(a) What proportion of the sampled wafers had at least one particle? At least five
particles? (1)
(b) What proportion of the sampled wafers had between five and ten particles,
inclusive? Strictly between five and ten particles? (1)
(c) Draw a histogram using relative frequency on the vertical axis. How would you
describe the shape of the histogram? (2)

2. Consider the data on concentration (EU/mg) in settled dust for one sample of urban
homes (U) and another of farm homes (F):
U: 6.0, 5.0, 11.0, 33.0, 4.0, 5.0, 80.0, 18.0, 35.0, 17.0, 23.0
F: 4.0, 14.0, 11.0, 9.0, 9.0, 8.0, 4.0, 20.0, 5.0, 8.9, 21.0, 9.2, 3.0, 2.0, 0.3
(a) Determine the sample mean for each sample. How do they compare? (1)
(b) Determine the sample median for each sample. How do they compare? (1)

(c) Construct a comparative boxplot. Comment on similarities and differences. (3)

(d) Suppose the last two observations for the urban homes had been 21.5 and
43.0 rather than 17.0 and 23.0 respectively. How would the mean and median
change? (1)

3. You want to arrange the letters of the word ”MISSISSIPPI” such that all the ’I’s
come together. How many different arrangements are possible? (1)

4. You are designing a flag with 10 vertical stripes. You have 4 colors to choose from.
How many different flags can you create if you want exactly 3 stripes of the first
color, 2 stripes of the second color, 4 stripes of the third color, and 1 stripe of the
fourth color? (2)

5. An ATM personal identification number (PIN) consists of four digits, each a 0, 1,

2, . . . 8, or 9, in succession.
 (a) How many different possible PINs are there if there are no restrictions on the
choice of digits? (1)
(b) According to a representative at the author’s local branch of Chase Bank, there
are in fact restrictions on the choice of digits. The following choices are pro-
hibited: (i) all four digits identical, (ii) sequences of consecutive ascending or
descending digits, such as 6543, (iii) any sequence starting with 19 (birth years
are too easy to guess), how many different possible PINs are there now?
(3)

6. A production facility employs 20 workers on the day shift, 15 workers on the swing
shift, and 10 workers on the graveyard shift. A quality control consultant is to select
6 of these workers for in-depth interviews. Suppose the selection is made in such a
way that any particular group of 6 workers has the same chance of being selected as
does any other group.
(a) How many selections result in all 6 workers coming from the day shift? (1)
(b) How many selections result in all 6 workers coming from the same shift? (2)
(c) How many selections result in at least two different shifts being represented
among the selected workers? (1)

7. In five-card poker, a straight consists of five cards with adjacent denominations (e.g.,
9 of clubs, 10 of hearts, jack of hearts, queen of spades, and king of clubs). Assuming
that aces can be high or low, in how many ways a straight can be formed
(a) with the highest card being a 10? (2)
(b) with all cards in the same suit? (2)

8. A student is to answer 7 out of 10 questions in an examination. How many choices

does she have? How many if she must answer at least 3 of the first 5 questions? (1)

9. You are painting a fence with 5 sections. You have 4 different colors of paint. How
many different ways can you paint the fence if you use all 4 colors, and no two
adjacent sections can have the same color? (1)

10. A closet contains 10 pairs of shoes. In how many ways 8 shoes can be randomly
selected such that there is
(a) no complete pair? (1)
(b) exactly one complete pair? (2)