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Jellby <me### [at] privacynet> wrote:
> Among other things, "Stephen" <mcavoys_AT_aolDOT.com> saw fit to write:
>
> > Not likely, it is an infinite number of chimps on an infinite number of
> > typewriters for an infinite time. If my finite memory serves me well :-)
>
> That's not very interesting. The number of possible combinations of letters
> of a give length, however huge, is finite, so an infinite number of chimps
> would get whatever text in just the amount of time needed to type it
> (assuming they type really randomly).
>
> I believe it was just "a room full of chimps" or something similar.
>
but for want of an argument. You could be right. On the other hand you could
be wrong. True the complete works of Shakespeare is finite but undefined, so
complete works is undefined for two reasons. Firstly the first folio was
compiled in 1623, IIRC and it consisted of 36 plays. Some of these plays
increasing. When I first saw them it was 37 plays and now it is up to 38
with another one under debate. Secondly did he write anything during his
lost years?) Your conclusion that with an infinite number of monkeys you
would get the works in the time it took to type them brings up the question
of *random*. Here I think that you could be right but again you might be
wrong. If things are truly random there is no guarantee that you ever will
get what you want. Or so I believe, I could be wrong, I have been before.
If there was only a room full of monkeys I think that you would have to
think about the possibility of time not being infinite. I could go on and I
often do :-)
interesting. I found it so. Or at least entertaining.
But we are drifting OT
Stephen
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