Expectation · Breaking a stick · difficulty 5 of 5
The longest piece
A stick 1 foot long is broken at 2 points, each chosen independently and uniformly at random along its length, giving 3 pieces. What is the expected length, in feet, of the longest piece?
Answer with an expected value. First lock in a gut guess with an 80% range, then solve it properly, then watch a simulation settle on the truth.
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