Mathematics Problem Of the Week

Fall 2006

POW #6

Game Seven?

The baseball World Series is scheduled to start while we are on Fall Break. The champions from the American and National Leagues play a “best of seven” game series to determine the overall champion, the first team to win four games. In the event the series is tied 3-3 after the first six games, a drama-packed seventh game will determine the winner.

(a) Compute the probability that the World Series goes to a seventh game if the teams are well-matched so that each has a 50% chance of winning each game.

(b) In this year’s World Series, the first two games are at the American League (AL) team’s home park, then three at the NL home and the final two (if needed) back at the AL. If the home team always has an advantage, with a 60% chance of winning in its own park, is the series more, the same or less likely to go to a seventh game?

Due Friday, October 27^th at Noon.

Solutions should be submitted to Dr. R. Lock's mailbox in the Math office or sent via e-mail to rlock@stlawu.edu.