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From: ag0@k.cc.purdue.edu (Colin Jenkins)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: British Museum
Message-ID: <1711@k.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: Wed, 21-Jan-87 16:18:51 EST
Article-I.D.: k.1711
Posted: Wed Jan 21 16:18:51 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 22-Jan-87 19:50:29 EST
References: <355@unc.unc.UUCP> <1171@whuts.UUCP> <780@houem.UUCP> <1989@sunybcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: ag0@k.cc.purdue.edu.UUCP (Colin Jenkins)
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 35

In article <1989@sunybcs.UUCP> colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) writes:
>> Put another way: the hypothesis that all the works in the British
>> Museum could have been created by chance is rejected.
>
>But they were created by chance!  Think about the probability that
>all those authors would write just exactly those books!  Change just
>one comma somewhere, and you have a different British Museum.
>
>Remember, the odds against anything that really happens are enormous.
>
>-- 
>Col. G. L. Sicherman
>UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
>CS: colonel@buffalo-cs
>BI: colonel@sunybcs, csdsiche@ubvms

Actually, Col. Sicherman brings up an interesting point.  Assuming an
infinite number of monkeys writing or painting (whatever) with no limit on
the size of the works we would have a countably infinite event space.  If it
is safe to assume a continuous distribution for a probability density function
representing (time) vs (accomplishing the duplication of the museum works)
[is it possible to derive such a function?] then the probability of actually
accomplishing this feat AT A PARTICULAR POINT in time is zero.  If we are 
careful not to discriminate against the actual artists and grant them at 
LEAST as much intellectual and productional capacity as the monkeys, doesn't 
this imply a zero probability of getting anything done at all??  


			Colin (probably)

DISCLAIMER!!--- I never was very good at stats, so there is probably a zero
		probability that anything I said made sense, so please don't
		flame too hard!  I am however aquainted with many people who's
		intellect approaches that of monkeys', and accordingly I expect
		absoloutely nothing from them (I may qualify here too!).