Answer:
(a) P (Y = 3) = 0.0844, P (Y ≤ 3) = 0.8780
(b) The probability that the length of a drought exceeds its mean value by at least one standard deviation is 0.2064.
Step-by-step explanation:
The random variable <em>Y</em> is defined as the number of consecutive time intervals in which the water supply remains below a critical value <em>y₀</em>.
The random variable <em>Y</em> follows a Geometric distribution with parameter <em>p</em> = 0.409<em>.</em>
The probability mass function of a Geometric distribution is:

(a)
Compute the probability that a drought lasts exactly 3 intervals as follows:

Thus, the probability that a drought lasts exactly 3 intervals is 0.0844.
Compute the probability that a drought lasts at most 3 intervals as follows:
P (Y ≤ 3) = P (Y = 0) + P (Y = 1) + P (Y = 2) + P (Y = 3)

Thus, the probability that a drought lasts at most 3 intervals is 0.8780.
(b)
Compute the mean of the random variable <em>Y</em> as follows:

Compute the standard deviation of the random variable <em>Y</em> as follows:

The probability that the length of a drought exceeds its mean value by at least one standard deviation is:
P (Y ≥ μ + σ) = P (Y ≥ 1.445 + 1.88)
= P (Y ≥ 3.325)
= P (Y ≥ 3)
= 1 - P (Y < 3)
= 1 - P (X = 0) - P (X = 1) - P (X = 2)
![=1-[(1-0.409)^{0}\times 0.409+(1-0.409)^{1}\times 0.409\\+(1-0.409)^{2}\times 0.409]\\=1-[0.409+0.2417+0.1429]\\=0.2064](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%3D1-%5B%281-0.409%29%5E%7B0%7D%5Ctimes%200.409%2B%281-0.409%29%5E%7B1%7D%5Ctimes%200.409%5C%5C%2B%281-0.409%29%5E%7B2%7D%5Ctimes%200.409%5D%5C%5C%3D1-%5B0.409%2B0.2417%2B0.1429%5D%5C%5C%3D0.2064)
Thus, the probability that the length of a drought exceeds its mean value by at least one standard deviation is 0.2064.