Tickets to a lottery cost $1. There are two possible prizes: a $10 payoff with probability 1/50,

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Tickets to a lottery cost $1. There are two possible prizes: a $10 payoff with probability 1/50, and a $1,000,000 payoff with probability 1/2,000,000. What is the expected monetary value of a lottery ticket? When (if ever) is it rational to buy a ticket? Be precise—show an equation involving utilities. You may assume current wealth of $k and that U (S k) = 0. You may also assume that U (S k+l0) = 10 x U (S k+l)) but you may not make any assumptions about U (S k+l000000)). Sociological studies show that people with lower income buy a disproportionate number of lottery tickets. Do you think this is because they are worse decision makers or because they have a different utility function?

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Artificial Intelligence A Modern Approach

ISBN: 978-0137903955

2nd Edition

Authors: Stuart J. Russell and Peter Norvig

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