MathDB
Dividing possible outcomes into two groups

Source: Simon Marais MC 2019 A3

October 14, 2019
probability and stats

Problem Statement

For some positive integer nn, a coin will be flipped nn times to obtain a sequence of nn heads and tails. For each flip of the coin, there is probability pp of obtaining a head and probability 1p1-p of obtaining a tail, where 0<p<10<p<1 is a rational number. Kim writes all 2n2^n possible sequences of nn heads and tails in two columns, with some sequences in the left column and the remaining sequences in the right column. Kim would like the sequence produced by the coin flips to appear in the left column with probability 1/21/2. Determine all pairs (n,p)(n,p) for which this is possible.