A Spreadsheet Simulation of the Monty Hall Problem

Autor/inn/en	Patterson, Mike C.; Harmel, Bob; Friesen, Dan
Titel	A Spreadsheet Simulation of the Monty Hall Problem
Quelle	In: American Journal of Business Education, 3 (2010) 2, S.1-13 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1942-2504
Schlagwörter	Spreadsheets; Simulation; Problem Solving; Probability; Mathematical Concepts; Games + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Spread sheet; Spredsheets; Spreadsheet; Tabellenkalkulation; Simulation program; Simulationsprogramm; Problemlösen; Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung; Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie; Game; Spiel; Spiele
Abstract	The "Monty Hall" problem or "Three Door" problem--where a person chooses one of three doors in hope of winning a valuable prize but is subsequently offered the choice of changing his or her selection--is a well known and often discussed probability problem. In this paper, the structure, history, and ultimate solution of the Monty Hall problem are discussed. The problem solution is modeled with a spreadsheet simulation that evaluates the frequencies of the possible outcomes (win or lose) under the two choices or strategies available: switch to the unopened door or do not switch. A Law of Large Numbers approach is also used to graphically demonstrate the long run outcome of adopting one the two available strategies. As is known, the optimal strategy is to switch to the unopened door; the spreadsheet model illustrates why this strategy is optimal. A complete discussion of the spreadsheet logic is included. Pedagogical approaches and applications of the spreadsheet simulation approach are also discussed. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01