SOLVED

14) Miles is considering buying a new pickup truck for his lawn service firm. The economy in town seems to be growing, and he is wondering whether he should opt for a subcompact, compact, or full-size pickup truck. The smaller truck would have better fuel economy, but would sacrifice capacity and some durability. A friend at the Bureau of Economic Research told him that there is a 30% chance of lower gas prices in his area this year, a 20% chance of higher gas prices, and a 50% chance that gas prices will stay roughly unchanged. Based on this information, Miles has developed a decision table that indicates the profit amount he would end up with after a year for each combination of truck and gas prices. Develop a decision tree for this situation and indicate which type of truck he should select. 15) Earl Shell owns his own Sno-Cone business and lives 30 miles from a beach resort. The sale of Sno-Cones is highly dependent upon his location and upon the weather. At the resort, he will profit $120 per day in fair weather, $10 per day in bad weather. At home, he will profit $70 in fair weather, $55 in bad weather. Assume that on any particular day, the weather service suggests a 40% chance of foul weather. a. Construct Earl’s decision tree. b. What decision is recommended by the expected value criterion? 16) Bratt’s Bed and Breakfast, in a small historic New England town, must decide how to subdivide (remodel) the large old home that will become an inn. There are three alternatives: Option A would modernize all baths and combine rooms, leaving the inn with four suites, each suitable for two to four adults. Option B would modernize only the second floor; the results would be six suites, four for two to four adults, and two for two adults only. Option C (the status quo option) leaves all walls intact. In this case, there are eight rooms available, but only two are suitable for four adults, and four rooms will not have private baths. Below are the details of profit and demand patterns that will accompany each option. Which option has the highest expected value?