Galton’s quincunx - LMSE Christchurch Centre

Estimating the Binomial probability p for a Galton’s Quincunx.

Galton’s Quincunx is a physical device designed to simulate the discrete binomial distribution. we aim to create a physical model of the quincunx that is characterised by the probability of a ball going left is equal to the probability of it going right. From the conceptual model of the quincunx, we derive the binomial probability mass function. In order to evaluate the parameter of interest p, we will derive the maximum likelihood estimator and use this to estimate the actual parameter p of our physical model using 100 samples that are assumed to be independent and identically distributed.

Galton’s quincunx report (PDF 2.7 MB) Pages 47–51

Galton's quincunx The finished physical model