Model user-level ad impression allocation

Quick Overview

This question evaluates probability and statistical modeling skills, specifically binomial occupancy, expectations and variances, event probability calculations, and the use of Taylor and Poisson approximations in count data; it falls under the Statistics & Math domain.

Model user-level ad impression allocation

Company: Meta

Role: Data Scientist

Category: Statistics & Math

Difficulty: medium

Interview Round: Onsite

You have X distinct users and Y ad impressions. Each impression is independently assigned uniformly at random to one user (with replacement across impressions). For a fixed user u: (a) Derive E[Impressions_u] and Var(Impressions_u]. (b) Compute P(u sees at least one impression). (c) Derive E[# of users who see at least one impression]. (d) For large X with Y/X small, give the first-order Taylor approximation and an exponential (Poisson) approximation to part (b), and state when each is accurate. (e) State the precise assumptions that justify using a Binomial model here, and when a Poisson approximation is appropriate.

Quick Answer: This question evaluates probability and statistical modeling skills, specifically binomial occupancy, expectations and variances, event probability calculations, and the use of Taylor and Poisson approximations in count data; it falls under the Statistics & Math domain.

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Oct 13, 2025, 9:49 PM
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Random Assignment of Ad Impressions to Users

Context

  • There are X distinct users and Y ad impressions (X ≥ 1, Y ≥ 0 integers).
  • Each impression is independently assigned, uniformly at random, to one of the X users (with replacement across impressions).
  • Fix a particular user u.

Tasks

(a) Derive E[Impressions_u] and Var(Impressions_u).

(b) Compute P(u sees at least one impression).

(c) Derive E[# of users who see at least one impression].

(d) For large X with Y/X small, provide:

  • the first-order Taylor approximation to part (b), and
  • an exponential (Poisson) approximation to part (b), and state when each is accurate.

(e) State the precise assumptions that justify using a Binomial model here, and when a Poisson approximation is appropriate.

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