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1 . Let $n$ and $k$ be integers such that $n$ is even, $n \geq 2$, and $1 \leq k \leq n$.
The Carleton Computer Science Society (CCSS) is having their annual Christmas Holiday Season Party, which is attended by $n$ students.
(a) $k$ of these $n$ students are politically correct and, thus, refuse to say Merry Christmas. Instead, they say Happy Holidays.
(b) $n - k$ of these $n$ students do not care about political correctness and, thus, they say Merry Christmas.
Consider a uniformly random permutation of these $n$ students. The positions in this permutation are numbered as $1,2,...,n$.
Define the following random variable $X$:
  • X = the number of positions $i$ with $1 \leq i \leq \left. n \middle/ 2 \right.$ such that both students at positions $i$ and $2i$ are politically correct.
What is the expected value $\mathbb{E}(X)$ of the random variable $X$?
Hint: Use indicator random variables.
(a)
$n \cdot \frac{(k - 1)(k - 2)}{n(n - 1)}$
(b)
$n \cdot \frac{k(k - 1)}{n(n - 1)}$
(c)
$\frac{n}{2} \cdot \frac{k(k - 1)}{n(n - 1)}$
(d)
$\frac{n}{2} \cdot \frac{(k - 1)(k - 2)}{n(n - 1)}$