bonanova Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 In one village boys are desired, to work the land. And so couples are told to be sure they have a boy and then stop having children. In another village girls are desired, to increase the population. In that village, couples must bear a girl and then stop having children. The villages are of equal size, and heterosexual monogamy is practiced. By symmetry, there will a girl in each village for every boy in the other village. But marriages are permitted only within one's own village. What percentage of children in each village therefore can be expected not to find a mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 harey Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 If you take n=8 families: 4 families have b => 4b 2 families have gb => 2g 2b 1 family has ggb => 2g 1b 1 family has gggb => 3g 1b (or gggg, but does not matter much) Total: 7g 8b For a large n, g -> b. Limits: A woman cannot have an infinity of children and twins may not obey to the rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 bonanova Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 If you take n=8 families: 4 families have b => 4b 2 families have gb => 2g 2b 1 family has ggb => 2g 1b 1 family has gggb => 3g 1b (or gggg, but does not matter much) Total: 7g 8b For a large n, g -> b. Limits: A woman cannot have an infinity of children and twins may not obey to the rule. I'll mark this solved. Is there a more succinct solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 harey Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 Is there a more succinct solution? There is: just the formula giving the number of boys. But it is quite unreadable and to understand it, you have more or less to go thru what I have written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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bonanova
In one village boys are desired, to work the land. And so couples are told to be sure they have a boy and then stop having children.
In another village girls are desired, to increase the population. In that village, couples must bear a girl and then stop having children.
The villages are of equal size, and heterosexual monogamy is practiced.
By symmetry, there will a girl in each village for every boy in the other village.
But marriages are permitted only within one's own village.
What percentage of children in each village therefore can be expected not to find a mate?
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