Darren New wrote:
> Mueen Nawaz wrote:
>>     What's a "truly random" sequence?
> 
> This is a well-defined concept.  It means that (basically) the
> probability of you being able to predict the next item in the sequence
> is unchanged by any knowledge you might have.

	OK. Not how I was interpreting it...

>>     (And be careful when you say Normal. The distribution called "normal"
>> in probability is the Gaussian distribution, which I think is not what
>> you meant).
> 
> I meant what are called "normal numbers" in math, not normal statistical
> distributions. Check wikipedia.

	I know - just thought I'd point out it could be confusing.

	Anyway, your original assertion was that a truly random sequence is
necessarily a normal sequence. That doesn't match up with your
definition of normal.

	If I have a sequence derived from a Gaussian distribution, then it is
truly random by the way you defined it. Given the whole sequence, up to
a point, it doesn't tell me anything about what the next element could
be (other than what is obvious - that it follows a Gaussian
distribution). However, for this sequence "every block of a particular
length occurs with equal probability" does not hold.

-- 
"Now we all know map companies hire guys who specialize in making map
folding a physical impossibility" - Adult Kevin Arnold in "Wonder Years"


                    /\  /\               /\  /
                   /  \/  \ u e e n     /  \/  a w a z
                       >>>>>>mue### [at] nawazorg<<<<<<
                                   anl

Post a reply to this message