A coin is tossed 7 times. Find the probability of getting

A coin is tossed 7 times. Find the probability of getting more heads than tails in all 7 tosses?
A. 1/2
B. 63/128
C. 4/7
D. 61/256
E. 63/64

Assuming the coin is fair - P(H)=P(T)=1/2

We can do as proposed by the explanation in your initial post:

Total outcomes: 2^7

Favorable outcomes:
4 heads --> combination of HHHHTTT --> 7!/(4!*3!)=35 (# of permutation of 7 letters out of which 4 H's and 3 T's are identical);
5 heads --> combination of HHHHHTT --> 7!/(5!*2!)=21;
6 heads --> combination of HHHHHHT --> 7!/(6!*1!)=7;
7 heads --> combination of HHHHHHH --> 1;

P(H>T)=Favorable outcomes/Total outcomes=(35+21+7+1)/2^7=1/2.

BUT: there is MUCH simpler and elegant way to solve this question. Since the probability of getting either heads or tails is equal (1/2) and a tie in 7 (odd) tosses is not possible then the probability of getting more heads than tails = to the probability of getting more tails than heads = 1/2. How else? Does the probability favor any of tails or heads? (The distribution of the probabilities is symmetrical: P(H=7)=P(T=7), P(H=5)=P(T=5), ... also P(H>4)=P(T>4))

Answer: A.

If it were: A fair coin is tossed 8 times. Find the probability of getting more heads than tails in all 8 tosses?

Now, almost the same here: as 8 is even then a tie is possible but again as distribution is symmetrical then \(P(H>T)=\frac{1-P(H=T)}{2}=P(T>H)\) (so we just subtract the probability of a tie and then divide the given value by 2 as P(H>T)=P(H<T)). As \(P(H=T)=\frac{8!}{4!*4!}=70\) (# of permutation of 8 letters HHHHTTTT, out of which 4 H's and H T's are identical) then \(P(H>T)=\frac{1-P(H=T)}{2}=\frac{1-\frac{70}{2^8}}{2}=\frac{93}{256}\). You can check this in following way: total # of outcomes = 2^8=256, out of which in 70 cases there will be a tie, in 93 cases H>T and also in 93 cases T>H --> 70+93+93=256.

Hope it's clear.

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