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Mavensecurities·Software Engineer·Technical Phone Screen·Intermediate

Intermediate
Jun 2026

Summary

Interviewed for a quant engineer role at Mavensecurities. Just one probability question from what I can tell, pretty focused on combinatorics fundamentals.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

A bag has 3 green, 4 red, and 2 blue cubes (9 total). You draw 3 without replacement. What's the probability all 3 are the same color?

Algorithms & Data Structures
Author's notes

Counted the favorable outcomes for each color separately: C(3,3) for green, C(4,3) for red, C(2,3) for blue (which is zero).

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Break the problem into mutually exclusive cases: all green, all red, or all blue. Compute the probability for each case using combinations or sequential probabilities, then sum them since the events are disjoint.

Pro tip: State your assumptions clearly (e.g., 'assuming each cube is equally likely to be drawn') and mention that you're using combinations because order doesn't matter. This shows attention to detail and mathematical rigor.

1. Understand the problem

Identify that we need the probability of drawing three cubes of the same color from a bag with 3 green, 4 red, and 2 blue cubes, without replacement.

2. Identify possible cases

Recognize that the only possible monochromatic draws are all green, all red, or all blue. These events are mutually exclusive.

3. Calculate total number of outcomes

Compute the total number of ways to draw 3 cubes from 9 using combinations: C(9,3) = 84.

4. Calculate favorable outcomes for each case

For each color, compute the number of ways to draw 3 cubes of that color: green: C(3,3)=1, red: C(4,3)=4, blue: C(2,3)=0 (impossible).

5. Sum favorable outcomes and compute probability

Add the favorable outcomes: 1+4+0=5. Then divide by total outcomes: 5/84 ≈ 0.0595 or about 5.95%.

Key Points to Mention

  • Use of combinations because order doesn't matter.
  • Mutually exclusive events: all green, all red, all blue.
  • Total number of outcomes: C(9,3) = 84.
  • Favorable outcomes: C(3,3) + C(4,3) + C(2,3) = 1 + 4 + 0 = 5.
  • Final probability: 5/84 ≈ 0.0595 or 5.95%.
  • Alternative method: sequential probability multiplication (e.g., for red: (4/9)*(3/8)*(2/7) = 24/504 = 1/21, then sum with other colors).

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.