Joe P. Chen's Handcrafted Creations of Probability Problems

This web page is a collection of probability problems I have created in connection with timely events which happened at UConn and elsewhere, since 2013. These were actual exam problems or homework problems given in the classes I have taught.

Due to their short shelf lives, I do NOT use these problems again in subsequent semesters (with the exception of the Sara's Pockets problem). This is one reason why I am happy to publicize them.

If you have any question or comment about these problems, please email me at joe-dot-p-dot-chen@gmail (replace the -dot- by the actual dot, and add the dotcom at the end). Please feel free to adapt any of these problems for your own courses. (Again, please beware that these problems can be dated and do not apply to your own schools or settings.)


The UConn-Yale basketball problem (December 8, 2014)

Making the AAC tournament (February 25, 2015)

An entire midterm exam centered around Yik Yak, the anonymous social app (November 5, 2014)

Drinking games at Sara's Pockets (October 2013, given every semester since)

Following @ThanksSusan tweets (April 8, 2014)

The Chipotle problem (February 25, 2015)

A mac and cheese combinatorics problem (October 8, 2015)

#FireGeno (April 6, 2016)

A multivariable calculus problem: No escalators in MSB (May 6, 2014)


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