It is required to place in order n books B₁, B2, ..., Bn on a library shelf in such a way that readers searching from left to right waste as little time as possible on average. Assuming that each reader requires book B, with probability pi, find the ordering of the books which minimizes P(Tk) for all k, where T is the (random) number of titles examined by a reader before discovery of the required book.

Algebra and Trigonometry (MindTap Course List)
4th Edition
ISBN:9781305071742
Author:James Stewart, Lothar Redlin, Saleem Watson
Publisher:James Stewart, Lothar Redlin, Saleem Watson
Chapter14: Counting And Probability
Section14.2: Probability
Problem 3E: The conditional probability of E given that F occurs is P(EF)=___________. So in rolling a die the...
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It is required to place in order n books B₁, B2, ..., Bn on a library shelf in such a way that readers
searching from left to right waste as little time as possible on average. Assuming that each reader
requires book B₁ with probability pi, find the ordering of the books which minimizes P(Tk) for
all k, where T is the (random) number of titles examined by a reader before discovery of the required
book.
Transcribed Image Text:It is required to place in order n books B₁, B2, ..., Bn on a library shelf in such a way that readers searching from left to right waste as little time as possible on average. Assuming that each reader requires book B₁ with probability pi, find the ordering of the books which minimizes P(Tk) for all k, where T is the (random) number of titles examined by a reader before discovery of the required book.
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