Sample size and confidence interval

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We want to produce a $0.90$ confidence interval for the proportion of vegetarian recipes at one cookbook. We will use simple random sampling without replacement to select a sample of $2311$ recipes in the book. We want the interval length is at most $0.06$. Find the minimum sample size so we can build the interval.

We have that confidence interval for proportion is $$\overline{Y}-z_\frac{\alpha}{2}\sqrt{(1-f)\frac{\hat{P}(1-\hat{P})}{n-1}}\leq\mu\leq \overline{Y}+z_\frac{\alpha}{2}\sqrt{(1-f)\frac{\hat{P}(1-\hat{P})}{n-1}}$$

where $f=\frac{n}{N}$, $n$ is the size of the sample and $N=2311$ is the size of population, but since we don't know the values of $\hat{P}$, I did a conservative confidence interval, replacing $$\hat{P}(1-\hat{P})\Rightarrow \frac{1}{4}$$ so the interval is $$\overline{Y}-z_\frac{\alpha}{2}\sqrt{\frac{(1-f)}{4(n-1)}}\leq\mu\leq \overline{Y}+z_\frac{\alpha}{2}\sqrt{\frac{(1-f)}{4(n-1)}}$$ then the length is $$2z_\frac{\alpha}{2}\sqrt{\frac{(1-f)}{4(n-1)}}=0.06$$ $$2z_\frac{\alpha}{2}\sqrt{\frac{(1-\frac{n}{N})}{4(n-1)}}=0.06$$ $$2*1.64\sqrt{\frac{(1-\frac{n}{N})}{4(n-1)}}=0.06$$

but I could not solve this equation, and also not sure if this is indeed the correct reasoning.

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Given the type of confidence interval specified in your first inequality, your logic seems fine. (I might have used 1.645 in stead of 1.64, but that's a quibble.)

Set $N = 3211$ and square both sides of the equation to get a fairly messy (but certainly solvable) linear equation in $n$. Solve for $n$. The result will not be an integer; round up to the next larger integer.

If you have software available, you could easily search for the integer you need. Sometimes this is called a "grid search'. In R, the computation is as follows:

 n = 1:2311
 mess = 2*1.64*sqrt((1-n/2311)/(4*(n-1)))
 min(n[mess <.06])
 ## 566
 2*1.64*sqrt((1-566/2311)/(4*(566-1)))  # to check
 ## 0.0599538