Find the Correlation Between Two Die-Face Counts
Company: Squarepoint
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Statistics & Math
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Technical Screen
# Find the Correlation Between Two Die-Face Counts
A fair six-sided die is rolled independently `n` times, where `n` is a fixed positive integer. Let `X` be the number of rolls showing `1`, and let `Y` be the number of rolls showing `5`. Calculate `Corr(X, Y)` and explain why the two counts are not independent even though the rolls themselves are independent.
### Constraints & Assumptions
- Each roll has exactly one outcome in `{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}`.
- The die is fair and rolls are mutually independent.
- `n > 0`, so both variances are positive and correlation is defined.
### Clarifying Questions to Ask
- Is `n` fixed rather than random?
- Can one roll contribute simultaneously to both `X` and `Y`?
```hint Check one roll carefully
Contrast dependence between the two face indicators on the same roll with independence across different rolls.
```
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- Correct expectations, variances, covariance, correlation, and interpretation of the negative dependence.
- A derivation that shows whether and how `n` cancels.
### Follow-up Questions
- What is the correlation if the two counted categories have unequal probabilities?
- How does the covariance change if `n` itself is random?
Quick Answer: A fair six-sided die is rolled independently `n` times, where `n` is a fixed positive integer. Explain the assumptions and derivation clearly, check edge cases, and show how the result changes when those assumptions no longer hold.