## Journal of Applied Probability

### Optimality results for coupon collection

#### Abstract

We consider the coupon collection problem, where each coupon is one of the types 1,…,s with probabilities given by a vector 𝒑. For specified numbers r1,…,rs, we are interested in finding 𝒑 that minimizes the expected time to obtain at least ri type-i coupons for all i=1,…,s. For example, for s=2, r1=1, and r2=r, we show that p1=(logr−log(logr))∕r is close to optimal.

#### Article information

Source
J. Appl. Probab., Volume 53, Number 3 (2016), 930-937.

Dates
First available in Project Euclid: 13 October 2016

https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.jap/1476370787

Mathematical Reviews number (MathSciNet)
MR3570105

Zentralblatt MATH identifier
1353.60089

Subjects
Primary: 60K99: None of the above, but in this section

#### Citation

Brown, Mark; Ross, Sheldon M. Optimality results for coupon collection. J. Appl. Probab. 53 (2016), no. 3, 930--937. https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.jap/1476370787

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