Rob50 said:In your example the probability of having all the six numbers in a set of 20 is C(20,6)/C(49,6), C(20,6) meaning the possible number of groups of 6 numbers over a set of 20 etc. A simple calculations gives a probability 0f ~3/1000 (exactly 0.0027717).
For different sets, say of N numbers, the probability would be:
C(N,6)/C(49/6).
You can calculate this easily using EXCEL worksheet function COMBIN(number, number_chosen).
johnph77 said:Concur.
There are 38,760 possible combinations in a 6/20 matrix, 13,983,816 in a 6/49 matrix.
Another way of calculation is by using factorials.
6/49: (49!/43!)/(6!) = (49x48x47x46x45x44)/(1x2x3x4x5x6) = 13,983,816
6/20: (20!/14!)/(6!) = (20x19x18x17x16x15)/(1x2x3x4x5x6) = 38,760.
Brad said:You're prob right Kosteczki, the Czechs alone have had a 6/49 running since 1957 with more than 4,500 draws to date.
So adding that to your Canuck estimate makes it about 14,000 draws just for those two countries ... surely there must be more than 17K draws worldwide ...
Cheers
stig holmquist said:johnph77 seems to know probability theory. Can you also
give me a formula for calculating the expected variance
for the mean frequency of the numbers drawn in any
lotto in terms of matrix n/N and total draws D? I've been
given a formula that does not fit the actual data for the
17511 total draws world wide of 6/49.
Stig Holmquist