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Slide
© 2009 South-Western, a
part of Cengage Learning
Example: Department of Transportation
nPoisson Probability Function:
Distance Interval
Suppose that we are concerned with the occurrence
of major defects in a section of highway one
month after resurfacing. We assume that the probability
of a defect is the same for any two intervals of equal length and that the
occurrence or nonoccurrence of a defect in any one interval
is independent of the occurrence or nonoccurrence in any
other interval. Thus, the Poisson probability distribution
applies.
Suppose
that major defects occur at the average rate
of two per mile.