Snakes on a math problem

[pbray]

There are n Snakes on the Plane. There are k Passengers on the Plane. Each Snake will Bite One Passenger at Random. What is the Probability that The Target, Mr. X, does not get bit?

Click here to see the solution.

Comments

[aeriedraconia.livejournal.com]

Without looking at THE answer:
Mr.X doesn't get bitten at all 'cause he missed the flight after I told him that I had a vivid premonition that his life would be in danger if took that flight. He listened and took a later flight.

(And because I can't do algebra worth beans). :-)

[janni.livejournal.com]

Now if you really wanna have fun, assume each person can only get bitten once ('cause the snake victims die instantly, and since these are genetically engineered SmartSnakes, they know, and go off looking for someone else to kill).

[larryhammer]

And the math major scores again! w00t!

Well, sorta scores. I did the right math then flubbed the arithmatic. Which is, yanno, the math major's way.

I love prob/stats. The universe runs on combinatorics.

---L.