Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2002/ia/paper-2/10f/a/solution

Conditional on , the type indicators are independent random variables with the Bernoulli distribution of parameter . Thus has the binomial distribution and its probability generating function is . The general rule used here is that for a nonnegative integer-valued random variable , ; for a sum of independent such variables, their probability generating functions multiply, since the expected value of the product factors. The law of total expectation then averages the conditional result:
This calculation uses the given independent labeling of objects, including conditional on their number.

New to topics? Read the docs here!