POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.off-topic : Weekly calibration : Re: Weekly calibration Server Time
6 Sep 2024 11:19:53 EDT (-0400)
  Re: Weekly calibration  
From: Darren New
Date: 21 Apr 2009 12:19:44
Message: <49edf220@news.povray.org>
Warp wrote:
>   In other words, you would have to pop up an infinite amount of numbers
> before you reach the situation where the works must appear. However, no
> matter how many values you pop up, they will never be infinite.

The problem statement presumes an infinite number of monkeys, or an infinite 
duration of typing. Hence, yes, the number of values will be infinite.

If you have an infinite number of monkeys, and each types one page, you will 
have an infinite number of pages.

You're arguing "but you can't *get* to infinity by counting one at a time." 
Of course. But the premise is that you're already at infinity.

>   The monkey analogy is thus flawed. No matter how long the monkey hammers
> the typewriter, at no point are the works of Shakespeare appearing with
> absolute certainty. They may appear, but there's no absolute guarantee.

Because you can't get to an infinite number of keypresses by looking at them 
one at a time.

Would you agree that an infinite number of monkeys each pressing one key is 
identical to one monkey pressing an infinite number of keys?

>   There may be mathematical background for the infinity and the certain
> probability, but the *monkey analogy* is inherently flawed.

Well, yes. Because there aren't an infinite number of monkeys, nor is there 
any way a single monkey will live an infinite number of seconds.

However, if you *presume* either of those has come to pass, you get the answer.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   There's no CD like OCD, there's no CD I knoooow!


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