In: Statistics and Probability
Stan the stochastic southpaw has a pitching algorithm that never changes.
In your excitement to see Stan pitch, you spilled your soda in the concourse and missed the first two pitches of his first plate appearance of the game. You are able to see that his third pitch is a fastball. Given this information, what is the probability that the first pitch was an off-speed pitch?
Let A be the event that Stan has pitched a fastball
Let B be the event that Stan has pitched an off-speed ball
It is given that Stan has pitched a fastball on the third occasion.i.e; third pitch
There are two cases.
Probability of the first pitch being an off-speed pitch= 30/100
Probability of the second pitch being a fastball given that the third pitch is a fastball= 75/100
Therefore,
probability that the first pitch was an off-speed pitch given that the third pitch was a fastball=[(30/100)(75/100)]=0.225
Probability of the first pitch being an off-speed pitch= 30/100
Probability of the second pitch being a off-speed pitch given that the third pitch is a fastball=25 /100
Therefore,
probability that the first pitch was an off-speed pitch given that the third pitch was a fastball=
[(30/100)(25/100)]=0.075
Therefore, total probability that the first pitch was an off-speed pitch
given that the third pitch was a fastball=0.225+0.075=0.3
(P.S. In the question it is given to calculate the probability of 1st pitch being an off speed pitch that is why we are calculating the probability for off-speed pitch for the 1st pitch and not the fastball, and simultaneously for the second pitch)