Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / Undated / Prelims / Mathematics III resit / 4 / c / i / Solution

The printed numerical example reverses the digits and contradicts both definitions. With the stated last-digit definition, $[Z]=17$ gives $X=7$, $Y=1$. Use those definitions throughout.

Put $q=e^{-\lambda }\in (0,1)$ and $N=\lfloor Z\rfloor$. The exponential distribution givesThe Euclidean division $N=10Y+X$ has unique remainder $X\in \{0,\dots ,9\}$ and quotient $Y\in \{0,1,\dots \}$. Thus the joint probability mass function isand zero otherwise. This is decimal digit decomposition of a geometric random variable. Following the erroneous example instead would require different definitions and would not answer the stated question.