olymmath

Putnam 2020 B3

  • Session B

Let x0=1x_0 = 1, and let δ\delta be some constant satisfying 0<δ<10 < \delta < 1. Iteratively, for n=0,1,2,…n=0,1,2,\dots, a point xn+1x_{n+1} is chosen uniformly from the interval [0,xn][0, x_n]. Let ZZ be the smallest value of nn for which xn<δx_n < \delta. Find the expected value of ZZ, as a function of δ\delta.

Curated text Kedlaya Putnam archive. Quoted with source.

Solutions

Human solution Solution 1 by Manjul Bhargava, Kiran Kedlaya and Lenny Ng

The terms of the source let olymmath link to this solution but not copy it. Read the solution (Kedlaya Putnam archive).

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