[BNM] [OT] Lottery puzzle

[Richard Grimwood]

http://www.lottery-syndicate-world.com/chances-of-winning-the-lottery.html

Has reasonable explanation. It also shows you are right that spending 
£52 on one game a year  rather than 52 weeks of £1.00  gives better odds 
for an individual.


BNM syndicate anyone?




Alex Farran wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 11:48 AM, Jason Bailey <jasonslbailey at yahoo.co.uk>wrote:
> 
>> Also the one in 14 million answer doesn't account for others
>> winning/participating. That just accounts for you getting the six numbers
>> right. Highly unlikely but for say a 20 million pound jackpot someone might
>> go and buy ~13.84 million tickets to ensure that they have a winning ticket,
>> but then so may someone else (or more) and so the jackpot will be shared.
>> What are the chances of 3 people getting the winning ticket if 60 million
>> tickets are bought etc....?
>>
> 
> I believe someone tried it once.  Not on the UK lottery, but the principles
> were the same.  They calculated that they had a high enough probability of
> winning if they waited for a double rollover.  Though if you have that much
> money and brains there are probably more profitable places to invest it.
> 
> 
>> I think you up your chances of increasing your winnings by accounting for
>> the smaller wins (4 balls etc, if they still happen??).
> 
> 
>  You're right, but that's too much like hard work right now! I think I'll
> have to dig out my A level maths books and revise the permutations,
> combinations and probability chapters before tackling that.
> 
> 
>> This bloke has written a few books on game theory:
>> http://www.maths.sussex.ac.uk/Staff/JH/
>>
>> Thanks. I'll take a look.
>