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Suppose we have a set of $N$ numbers. At any given trial we can randomly choose $N^{1-a}$ of the numbers where $a\in(0,1)$. We replace the numbers back.

How many trials does it take in average case to have chosen all numbers?

If we use only $m$ trials what is the probability that we will leave out only $N^{b}$ of the set not covered where $b\in(0,1)$ holds?

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  • $\begingroup$ Have you looked at the results on the "coupon collector" problem? For instance, this: arxiv.org/abs/1209.2667 $\endgroup$
    – usul
    Commented Feb 17, 2016 at 9:23
  • $\begingroup$ @usul yes but did not help. $\endgroup$
    – Turbo
    Commented Feb 17, 2016 at 10:12
  • $\begingroup$ Did you see this paper jstor.org/stable/1427566 ? $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 17, 2016 at 12:51
  • $\begingroup$ Also, for this kind of question you frequently either get an "exact" answer which is intractable (the formula is just too hairy), or some approximations and/or bounds which are in much simpler form. So, what are you looking for? $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 17, 2016 at 12:54
  • $\begingroup$ In particular, will it be enough to have a result like "w.h.p. the number of trials should be around $N^a\ln N$"? This should be easy by the usual first moment/second moment technique. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 17, 2016 at 13:36

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Let $Z(m)$ be the number of uncovered (= not chosen) sites after $m$ trials. First, we have $$\mathbb{E} Z(N^a(1+\epsilon)\ln N)=N\times(1-N^{-a})^{N^a(1+\epsilon)\ln N}\approx N^{-\epsilon},$$ so you can use Chebyshev inequality to bound $\mathbb{P}[Z(N^a(1+\epsilon)\ln N)\geq 1]$ from above.

Then, for the result in the other direction, use the Paley-Zigmund inequality, $\mathbb{P}[Z>0]\geq (\mathbb{E}Z)^2/(\mathbb{E}Z^2)$. Clearly, $\mathbb{E} Z(N^a(1-\epsilon)\ln N)\approx N^{\epsilon}$, and you write $Z(N^a(1-\epsilon)\ln N)$ as a sum of indicators, square it etc., to prove that $\mathbb{E} [Z(N^a(1-\epsilon)\ln N)]^2$ is $N^{2\epsilon}+$terms of smaller order.

So, this way you can obtain that $N^a(1+\epsilon)\ln N$ trials will be enough (to choose everybody at least once) with probability at least $1-O(N^{-\epsilon})$, and $N^a(1-\epsilon)\ln N$ trials will be not enough also with probability at least $1-O(N^{-\epsilon})$.

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