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Logic & numbers

Two fair, independent coins. What is the chance they match?

One half.

The answer

One half.

The idea

Count equally likely outcomes before grouping them into the result you want.

An example

HH and TT match; HT and TH do not. With three fair independent coins, only HHH and TTT have all three matching: two out of eight outcomes, or one quarter.

Try it

List all eight three-coin outcomes and check the count yourself.

More context

The equally likely outcomes are HH, HT, TH, and TT. Two of four match. Independence and fairness are part of the setup.

the 102 platform · Constructed puzzle

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