I am not a mathematician but I have very much enjoyed reading your manifesto on the web. I am trying to learn more about probability.

I have a quick question that I would very much appreciate an answer to. Please note the following:

If I have 360 balls in a bag that all numbered, obviously the chance of picking any one ball is one out of 360.

Now if I have two bags--one with twelve balls (let's say with the months of the year listed on the balls) and another bag with the numbers 1 through 30 on the balls, what are the odds of me picking one particular combination of two balls if I get one pick from each bag (i.e. what are the chances of picking April from one bag and 25 from the other bag) --My assumption is that the odds are the same 1 out of 360. Am I incorrect, and if so kindly advise why.

I very much appreciate your help.

Thank You.

DAVENEVINS@aol.com wrote:
>
> I am not a mathematician but I have
> very much enjoyed reading your manifesto
> on the web. I am trying to learn more about probability.

If that's really the case, get yourself a good book on probability and work it out as needed. Visit the site of MAA (http://www.maa.org) and their book store. They must have something popular. I may recommend Balakrishnan's "Combinatorics" which is an outstanding text that in addition to elementary probability covers quite advanced topics.

> I have a quick question that I would
> very much appreciate an answer to.
> Please note the following:
>
> If I have 360 balls in a bag that all
> numbered, obviously the chance of
> picking any one ball is one out of 360.

Yes.

> Now if I have two bags--one with twelve
> balls (let's say with the months of
> the year listed on the balls) and another
> bag with the numbers 1 through 30
> on the balls, what are the odds of me
> picking one particular combination of
> two balls if I get one pick from each
> bag (i.e. what are the chances of
> picking April from one bag and 25 from
> the other bag) --My assumption is that
> the odds are the same 1 out of 360.
> Am I incorrect, and if so kindly advise
> why.

You are right.

Events of extracting a ball from two bags are independent. The probability of two independent events occurring together equals the product of their probabilities. Thus you get 1/12 times 1/30 which is 1/360.

> I very much appreciate your help.

Regards