[Math] the probability of hitting the exact same spot on a dartboard two times in a row

probabilityprobability theory

What is the probability of hitting the exact same spot on a dartboard two times in a row?
Is it 0? Why? What about the probability of hitting one spot on a dartboard, and hitting that exact spot again in the next ten throws? Is it still zero? What about hitting that spot again in your lifetime? How about hitting that spot again once in an infinite amount of throws?

Best Answer

If by "the exact same spot" you mean a point, the chances are zero even with a countable infinity of throws, as there are uncountably many points. Any countable set of points has no area. If you mean within a small error, take the ratio of the area to the area of the dartboard (presumably you are assuming a uniform distribution over the dartboard and nowhere else) and that is the chance on the next throw. Of course, those who can hit the dartboard every time don't have a uniform distribution of throws over it, so this is unrealistic.

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