[Math] Expected number of coin tosses to get one head and one tail consecutively

expectationprobabilityrecurrence-relations

An unbiased coin is tossed repeatedly and outcomes are recorded. What is the expected no of toss to get HT ( one head
and one tail consecutively)?

My approach–
e=expected number of tosses
e=[if first tail comes] + [if first is head and second is head] + [required probability of first head and second tail]
e= 1/2(e+1) + 1/4(e+2) + 1/4

is it correct?

Best Answer

If the first comes down heads, the expected value is $3$ since you get $HT$ the next time you flip tails, which will take an average of two more flips. If it comes up tails, then you start over. So the recursion can be written $$T = 3/2 + (T+1)/2 $$ which has the solution $T=4.$

The problem with yours is the middle term $(T+2)/4.$ You don't have to start all the way over in the case of $HH,$ you could get $HHT.$