Question: Over time, the number of original basic words in a language tends to decrease as words become obsolete or are replaced with new words. In

Over time, the number of original basic words in a language tends to decrease as words become obsolete or are replaced with new words. In 1950, C. Feng and M. Swadesh established that of the original 210 basic ancient Chinese words from 950 A.D., 167 were still being used. The proportion of words that remain after t millennia is a random variable that is exponentially distributed with a = 0.229.

(a) Find the life expectancy and standard deviation of a Chinese word.
(b) Calculate the probability that a randomly chosen Chinese word will remain after 2000 years.

Step by Step Solution

3.45 Rating (165 Votes )

There are 3 Steps involved in it

1 Expert Approved Answer
Step: 1 Unlock

We have an exponential distribu... View full answer

blur-text-image
Question Has Been Solved by an Expert!

Get step-by-step solutions from verified subject matter experts

Step: 2 Unlock
Step: 3 Unlock

Students Have Also Explored These Related Calculus With Applications Questions!