The Weight of a Ten-Pound Bag of Potatoes

SummaryThe weight of a ten-pound bag of potatoes is almost certainly not exactly ten pounds. Rather, it is a random variable with a minimum of ten pounds. We investigate the distribution of these weights in the context of a renewal theorem from the theory of stochastic processes and provide a straightforward demonstration of this theorem using basic tools from calculus. Additional informationNotes on contributorsRus MayRus May (r.may@moreheadstate.edu) teaches math at Morehead State University. He is interested in probability and combinatorics, especially the burgeoning field of analytic combinatorics in several variables. Outside of the classroom he enjoys cooking and eats a lot of potatoes.