A reinforcement depletion urn problem-II. Application and generalization

✍ Scribed by L.R. Shenton

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 349 KB
• Volume: 45
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1522-9602
• DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8240(83)80036-6

✦ Synopsis

The urn model discussed in part I is generalized so that the random depletion of balls from the urn in any cycle is not necessarily the same as the reinforcement in that cycle. This model is applied to an urn containing balls of three colors (white, red, black) for which the black balls always receive reinforcements, whereas there is only one cycle in which red balls are added. Experimental data are considered in which red balls correspond to radioactive iodine atoms, black balls to stable iodine atoms and white balls" to empty space, all relating to the thyroid gland. Half-life periods for the radioactive iodine in relation to the time of uptake (ten years, fifteen years, etc.) are considered.