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How many attempts give at least a chosen success probability $0<\alpha <1$? For a positive-integer geometric distribution with $0<p<1$, completion by attempt $N$ means $T\le N$, soThe logarithm $\log q$ is negative, which reverses the inequality when dividing. The least integer meeting the target is therefore obtained with the ceiling function:For our constructed independent retry mechanism with $p=0.3$ and $\alpha =0.95$,To verify minimality directly, eight attempts give $\mathbb{P}(T\le 8)=1-0.7^8=0.94235199<0.95$, whereas nine give $\mathbb{P}(T\le 9)=1-0.7^9=0.959646393\ge 0.95$. Under the zero-based convention, the same completion event is $F\le 8$, with failure to complete given by $F\ge 9$; saying $F\le 9$ would allow ten attempts. A 95% deadline controls a tail probability, while the expected value $10/3$ describes an average.

At $p=1$ success occurs on the first attempt, so $N_{\alpha }=1$; the logarithm formula is inapplicable. At $p=0$ no finite deadline achieves a positive target. For $0<p<1$, no finite deadline guarantees success with probability one because $q^N>0$. A retry cap at $N$ produces the capped geometric waiting time $\min (T,N)$ as the number of attempts actually spent; reaching the cap can mean either success on the last allowed attempt or failure of all $N$ attempts.

For a nonnegative integer-valued random variable, the probability generating function iswith $0\le s\le 1$ always allowed. Its derivative at $1$ from below gives the expectation when finite.

The waiting time $N$ has the positive-integer geometric distribution $P(N=j)=p{q}^{j-1}$. For the capped geometric waiting time, $X=j<k$ exactly when $N=j$, while $X=k$ occurs whenever $N\ge k$. Thus the terminal mass is $q^{k-1}$, givingThe finite sum is a polynomial; any apparent singularity of the rational expression is removable. This includes $k=1$, where $G_X(s)=s$.

Differentiating the rational form at $s=1$ yieldsAs a second interpretation, the expectation is the sum of the tail probabilities $P(X\ge j)=q^{j-1}$ for $1\le j\le k$. Their finite geometric sum gives the same answer.