A laboratory animal may eat any one of three foods each day. Laboratory records show that if the animal chooses one foodon one trial, it will choose the same food on the next trial with a probability of 50%, and it will choose the other foods on the next trial with equal probabilities of 25%. a. What is the stochastic matrix for this situation? b. If the animal chooses food #1 on an initial trial, what is the probability that it will choose food #2 on the second trial after the initial trial?

Elementary Linear Algebra (MindTap Course List)
8th Edition
ISBN:9781305658004
Author:Ron Larson
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Chapter2: Matrices
Section2.5: Markov Chain
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A laboratory animal may eat any one of three foods each day. Laboratory records show that if the animal chooses one foodon one trial, it will choose the same food on the next trial with a probability of 50%, and it will choose the other foods on the next trial with equal probabilities of 25%.

a. What is the stochastic matrix for this situation?

b. If the animal chooses food #1 on an initial trial, what is the probability that it will choose food #2 on the second trial after the initial trial?

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