Comments on: Randomer and dumber http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/ Lollards in the high church of low culture Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:20:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42346 pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør Wed, 11 Oct 2006 14:33:43 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42346 best comments evah! best comments evah!

]]> By: Pete http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42340 Pete Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:54:38 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42340 No, you are right Mark, and more importantly you can prove that any generatable countably infinite string will fit a non-random pattern. A little trick with an analog of the incompleteness theorem it is easy to show that this does not cover all the coutably infinite strings, and hence the ones which are left are truely random BUT impossible to generate... Hence Alan deliberate closing the door on pseudo-randomness... No, you are right Mark, and more importantly you can prove that any generatable countably infinite string will fit a non-random pattern. A little trick with an analog of the incompleteness theorem it is easy to show that this does not cover all the coutably infinite strings, and hence the ones which are left are truely random BUT impossible to generate…

Hence Alan deliberate closing the door on pseudo-randomness…

]]> By: pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42327 pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:29:49 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42327 isn't there some result that ANY finite string of figures is patterned rather than random -- ie that "true" randomness can only obtain in a countably infinite string? (i may have totally misremembered this -- it is a long time since i studied the higher reaches of set and number theor, since when my BRANE has turned to CANTOR'S DUST) isn’t there some result that ANY finite string of figures is patterned rather than random — ie that “true” randomness can only obtain in a countably infinite string?

(i may have totally misremembered this — it is a long time since i studied the higher reaches of set and number theor, since when my BRANE has turned to CANTOR’S DUST)

]]> By: Martin Skidmore http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42321 Martin Skidmore Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:12:47 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42321 This is the usual failure to understand randomness, of course - all the patterns he claims to have found in his and others' iPods are different things with few figures attached. It's like claiming that getting three sevens in the first poker hand you deal proves the cards are non-random, especially as your pal was playing the other day and got a royal flush. This is the usual failure to understand randomness, of course – all the patterns he claims to have found in his and others’ iPods are different things with few figures attached. It’s like claiming that getting three sevens in the first poker hand you deal proves the cards are non-random, especially as your pal was playing the other day and got a royal flush.

]]> By: Steve Mannion http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42178 Steve Mannion Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:42:48 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42178 TARDIS HAETS Doctor but is sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g. with Urf. TARDIS HAETS Doctor but is sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g. with Urf.

]]> By: Pete http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42175 Pete Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:23:13 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42175 I perhaps would prefer to tackle pseudorandomness, and perhaps that human minds, despite the alarming complexity of the pseudorandom algorythmn (or just picking a bit of pi) the human brain can sense something is up... I perhaps would prefer to tackle pseudorandomness, and perhaps that human minds, despite the alarming complexity of the pseudorandom algorythmn (or just picking a bit of pi) the human brain can sense something is up…

]]> By: Admin http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42167 Admin Tue, 10 Oct 2006 10:14:30 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42167 (Queries of pseudorandomness aside, smartytrousers) (Queries of pseudorandomness aside, smartytrousers)

]]> By: Pete http://freakytrigger.co.uk/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42164 Pete Tue, 10 Oct 2006 10:05:14 +0000 http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/science/2006/10/randomer-and-dumber/#comment-42164 I like the idea that the TARDIS actually hates Who and therefore deliberately ends up at planets where he will either get killed, or at least captured for long enough that the Tardis can recycle all the stale air and the the smell of a man WHO ALWAYS WEARS THE SAME THING out of his system. A Rand() function is still not strictly random - but can be easily be made so by adding in a non-computer controlled external operator (like, say, the user). I like the idea that the TARDIS actually hates Who and therefore deliberately ends up at planets where he will either get killed, or at least captured for long enough that the Tardis can recycle all the stale air and the the smell of a man WHO ALWAYS WEARS THE SAME THING out of his system.

A Rand() function is still not strictly random – but can be easily be made so by adding in a non-computer controlled external operator (like, say, the user).

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