PUTNAM2001Intermediate
By: Saad HassanSystem Entry: Aug 28, 2026

A 2 2001 Putnam

#Recurrence#GeneratingPolynomial#Probability
Problem Statement

Problem Statement

You have coins $C_{1},C_{2}, \dots, C_{n}.$ For each $k, C_{k}$ is biased so that, when tossed, it has a probability $\frac{1}{2k+1}$ of falling Heads. If the $n$ coins are tossed, what is the probability that the number of heads is odd? Express the answer as a rational function of $n$.

Bibliography & References

  1. [1]
    A2, Putnam, 2021