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PROJECT EULER · #0430

Range Flips

Statement only · UnsolvedOriginal problem ↗

N disks are placed in a row, indexed 1 to N from left to right.
Each disk has a black side and white side. Initially all disks show their white side.

At each turn, two, not necessarily distinct, integers A and B between 1 and N (inclusive) are chosen uniformly at random.
All disks with an index from A to B (inclusive) are flipped.

The following example shows the case N=8. At the first turn A=5 and B=2, and at the second turn A=4 and B=6.

0430_flips.gif

Let E(N,M) be the expected number of disks that show their white side after M turns.
We can verify that E(3,1)=10/9, E(3,2)=5/3, E(10,4)5.157 and E(100,10)51.893.

Find E(1010,4000).
Give your answer rounded to 2 decimal places behind the decimal point.

Write-up coming later

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