Is the target number completely random?!
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:12 pm
Is the target number completely random?! Why do I ask this? Because I don't know the target that haven't a solution.
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With alternative solutions provided by Mark K.Eoin Monaghan wrote:It is random. CECIL (the generator yoke) gives a random target. All Rachel has to do is push the button. (And work it out of course!)
It does give unsolvable (is that a word?) solutions, but that is quite rare and any that have eluded her are usually solved by the brains of our Countdown Forumites!
My first game had these numbers for the third numbers game.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:Is the target number completely random?! Why do I ask this? Because I don't know the target that haven't a solution.
I fear the day when 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 happens.David O'Donnell wrote:
...there are some six small solutions where it is impossible to get within a hundred of some solutions.
I estimate that if 6 small was chosen once per game, this would happen about once every 150 years on average.Jordan F wrote: I fear the day when 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 happens.
The number of different combinations of 6 numbers from 20 is given by 20 ! / (14 ! x 6 !) or 38,760.Ray Folwell wrote:I estimate that if 6 small numbers were chosen once per game, this would happen about once every 150 years on average.Jordan F wrote: I fear the day when 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 happens.
lol !Michael Wallace wrote:Just to add to Mark's post, the x isn't him offering his affection in the form of (several!) kisses, but in fact is a symbol meaning 'multiply'. It's a bit like a short-hand for lots of addition, rather than writing out (say) 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3, you can instead just write 3 x 5.
I think the calculations are correct - 2 of each number 1-10 = 20 in total.JackHurst wrote:There are only two of each small number in the pack. Don't know if you knew that, but I think it might require a rejig of the calculations.
That's ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I just recognized it when I read a "colored tile' message.Mark Kudlowski wrote:The number of different combinations of 6 numbers from 20 is given by 20 ! / (14 ! x 6 !) or 38,760.
Combination 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 is one of them, so the odds of this occurring are 38,759 to 1 against.
Probability genius my hairy pods.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:You forgot to divide this by (2!)^3! This is because there are two 1s, two 2s and two 3s. So the probability of THIS occuring is 1/(C(20,6)/((2!)^3))=1/4,845Mark Kudlowski wrote:The number of different combinations of 6 numbers from 20 is given by 20 ! / (14 ! x 6 !) or 38,760.
Combination 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 is one of them, so the odds of this occurring are 38,759 to 1 against.
I think you are probability not a probably genius.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:You forgot to divide this by (2!)^3! This is because there are two 1s, two 2s and two 3s. So the probability of THIS occuring is 1/(C(20,6)/((2!)^3))=1/4,845Mark Kudlowski wrote:The number of different combinations of 6 numbers from 20 is given by 20 ! / (14 ! x 6 !) or 38,760.
Combination 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 is one of them, so the odds of this occurring are 38,759 to 1 against.
Sorry, I was wrong!Michael Wallace wrote:I think you are probability not a probably genius.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:You forgot to divide this by (2!)^3! This is because there are two 1s, two 2s and two 3s. So the probability of THIS occuring is 1/(C(20,6)/((2!)^3))=1/4,845Mark Kudlowski wrote:The number of different combinations of 6 numbers from 20 is given by 20 ! / (14 ! x 6 !) or 38,760.
Combination 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 is one of them, so the odds of this occurring are 38,759 to 1 against.
Sorry, I was wrong!Jon Corby wrote:Probability genius my hairy pods.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:You forgot to divide this by (2!)^3! This is because there are two 1s, two 2s and two 3s. So the probability of THIS occuring is 1/(C(20,6)/((2!)^3))=1/4,845Mark Kudlowski wrote:The number of different combinations of 6 numbers from 20 is given by 20 ! / (14 ! x 6 !) or 38,760.
Combination 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 is one of them, so the odds of this occurring are 38,759 to 1 against.
About being a probability genius? Yeah, we guessedDmitry Goretsky wrote: Sorry, I was wrong!
No, only about THIS probability! I just recognized it when I read a "colored tile' message. So PM me if you have any problems with probabilities. Genius never makes an error twiceJon Corby wrote:About being a probability genius? Yeah, we guessedDmitry Goretsky wrote: Sorry, I was wrong!
Dmitry Goretsky wrote:Sorry, I was wrong!
I like the double post. I presume it's some sort of reference to getting tails in the Sleeping Beauty Problem.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:Sorry, I was wrong!
Maybe the second "I was wrong" was referring to the first one. So maybe he's saying he wasn't wrong in the first place.Gavin Chipper wrote:Dmitry Goretsky wrote:Sorry, I was wrong!I like the double post. I presume it's some sort of reference to getting tails in the Sleeping Beauty Problem.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:Sorry, I was wrong!
No, I said "Sorry, I was wrong!" to each of the two usersHoward Somerset wrote:Maybe the second "I was wrong" was referring to the first one. So maybe he's saying he wasn't wrong in the first place.Gavin Chipper wrote:Dmitry Goretsky wrote:Sorry, I was wrong!I like the double post. I presume it's some sort of reference to getting tails in the Sleeping Beauty Problem.Dmitry Goretsky wrote:Sorry, I was wrong!
Since it's very rare for things such as this to have a probability of exactly 0 or exactly 1, what do you rate is the probability that you really are a probability genius, in view of the fact that you've admitted to getting things wrong earlier in this thread?Dmitry Goretsky wrote:I'm a probability genius
0.9Howard Somerset wrote:Since it's very rare for things such as this to have a probability of exactly 0 or exactly 1, what do you rate is the probability that you really are a probability genius, in view of the fact that you've admitted to getting things wrong earlier in this thread?Dmitry Goretsky wrote:I'm a probability genius
So do I take it that you think that there's a 10% chance that you're wrong when you give an answer of 0.9?Dmitry Goretsky wrote:0.9Howard Somerset wrote:Since it's very rare for things such as this to have a probability of exactly 0 or exactly 1, what do you rate is the probability that you really are a probability genius, in view of the fact that you've admitted to getting things wrong earlier in this thread?Dmitry Goretsky wrote:I'm a probability genius
Meh, I'd've given the probability of that claim being shot down in flames as 1...Howard Somerset wrote:Since it's very rare for things such as this to have a probability of exactly 0 or exactly 1,
You bastard! I thought I'd pulled Wait, did I just inadvertently multiply your insult?Michael Wallace wrote:Just to add to Mark's post, the x isn't him offering his affection in the form of (several!) kisses, but in fact is a symbol meaning 'multiply'. It's a bit like a short-hand for lots of addition, rather than writing out (say) 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3, you can instead just write 3 x 5.