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From: stekas@hou2g.UUCP (J.STEKAS)
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Apparent vs. "Real" Order
Message-ID: <133@hou2g.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Dec-83 09:42:21 EST
Article-I.D.: hou2g.133
Posted: Wed Dec 21 09:42:21 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Dec-83 01:45:41 EST
References: <14757@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 11

Finding "order" in short random sequences is a tribute to the
human brain's extraordinary powers of pattern recognition.  Standard
tests frequently have "find the next # in the series" type questions.
But given any 4 integers there are an infinity of descrete functions
which could generate them, each giving a different prediction for the
5th # in the series!  Whether the initial set of 4 #s was generated by
a random function (like alpha decay) or a deterministic function chosen
randomly (by a tester) from an infinite number of such function, the
pattern recognition process is the same.

                                              Jim