Can I take on your challenge and also switch every time? I'd like that :)

/Gustav

Tyson Mao skrev:

>No, I'm not pointing to you.  It's a general "you," though at this 
>point, I'm surprised that no one has taken up my offer.  Especially the 
>people who claim that the probability is even at 1/2 and 1/2.
>
>At the end of this, I'll even give back the money that you lost if you 
>concede that the probability is indeed 1/3 and 2/3.  Look, there's no 
>money lost here.  I'm giving people who believe that the probability is 
>1/2 and 1/2 a risk free opportunity to prove themselves, and make a 
>little money while they're at it if they're correct.
>
>Tyson Mao
>MSC #631
>California Institute of Technology
>
>On Dec 28, 2005, at 2:25 PM, Gustav Fredell wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Hey,
>>
>>You're not pointing on me when you say "you", do you?  I'm all with you
>>(and pretty much the rest of the world) on this.  I now my statistics
>>and probabilities well. University well :)
>>
>>/Gustav
>>
>>Tyson Mao skrev:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>It's a hilarious idea, but with the sad undertone that this discussion
>>>has even gone this far.  The probability of winning the game if you
>>>switch the door is 2/3.  We make several assumptions:
>>>
>>>No one is "out to get you."
>>>The host offers you the switch every single time.
>>>The host knows which door the prize is behind.
>>>Psychics are full of crap.
>>>
>>>Just play the game yourself.  This "law of large numbers" not applying
>>>is false.  Probability doesn't mean that something will or won't
>>>happen, it's how often it should happen.  If we carry out an infinite
>>>number of tests, well, and I think it's called the central limit
>>>theorem but I'm not certain, the probabilities should even out to 
>>>about
>>>2/3 and 1/3.  If you do it 1000 times, the probability will generally
>>>come out to 2/3 and 1/3, but it won't be exact, and it could come out
>>>weird... you could win 1000 times in a row.  At the same time, I could
>>>tunnel through a brick wall.  That's probability.
>>>
>>>Play the game yourself.  Work out the probability, read the actual 
>>>text
>>>of the problem as stated on that website, and if we can agree on the
>>>text of the problem, and the manner of which the game is played, there
>>>is no doubt that probability is 2/3 and 1/3.  There is no +epsilon or
>>>-epsilon because for the sake of a math problem, no one is right 
>>>handed
>>>or left handed.  No one has a preference, pure randomness is possible.
>>>
>>>Honestly, if you were playing the game, would you actually stay with
>>>the door you chose because you believe the probability of you winning
>>>is 1/2?  If so, you deserve to lose that car.  In fact, why don't we 
>>>do
>>>this.  I'll be the host of this game and I'll give you 100 trials.  
>>>The
>>>prize behind the door in my game will be $5 USD.
>>>
>>>Then, you be the host, and you give me 100 trials.  The prize behind
>>>the door in your game is $4 USD.  I'll switch the door every time, and
>>>you keep your door every time.  If the probability is 1/2, I think you
>>>stand to make $50 USD in this game.  Who's up for it?
>>>
>>>I'm putting up money here.  Those who are convinced of their answer
>>>should step up.  I'm convinced of my answer, and I'm putting my money
>>>where my mouth is.
>>>
>>>Tyson Mao
>>>MSC #631
>>>California Institute of Technology
>>>
>>>On Dec 28, 2005, at 1:00 PM, Gustav Fredell wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Thats a hilarious idea. Go Tyson! I just wish I could be there. I 
>>>>have
>>>>a
>>>>certain tactic I'm sure works, unless you pull the Lindsey Lohan card
>>>>mentioned by Marco.
>>>>
>>>>/Gustav
>>>>
>>>>Tyson Mao skrev:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>>>I'm going to set up this game, but instead of a car as a prize, as 
>>>>>I'm
>>>>>obviously not that wealthy, I'll give away free cubes.  We'll do 
>>>>>this
>>>>>in San Francisco during the break and we'll just call up random
>>>>>members
>>>>>of the audience who are there spectating the competition.  If I have
>>>>>enough cubes, I'll do it 10 times.
>>>>>
>>>>>Tyson Mao
>>>>>MSC #631
>>>>>California Institute of Technology
>>>>>
>>>>>On Dec 28, 2005, at 12:46 PM, Rune Wesström wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>>>"Good thinking Stefan!" ? He is contradicting himself when saying:
>>>>>>"you can gain some knowledge this way and be more sure that 
>>>>>>changing
>>>>>>would be better...but... the probability stays at 2/3". But if we 
>>>>>>had
>>>>>>a probability of 2/3 whithout this knowledge and then bettered it,
>>>>>>how
>>>>>>can we still stay at 2/3?  He is discussing the a priori
>>>>>>probabilities
>>>>>>before the first choise, *I* am discussing the probabilities before
>>>>>>the second choice, that is, when the host has opened one door. 
>>>>>>There
>>>>>>is some concensus here that the probabilities are 1/3 or 2/3. But 
>>>>>>if
>>>>>>we accept the theoretical assumtion (Pochmann apparently does) that
>>>>>>the host has an "easy" door and a "difficult" door and he chooses 
>>>>>>the
>>>>>>first with a probability of 1/2 + epsilon and the second with a
>>>>>>probability 1/2 - epsilon (epsilon not 0), the result will be
>>>>>>another.
>>>>>>Ask mister Pochmann to calculate the probabilities for you. Mister
>>>>>>Bayes may help him.
>>>>>>R
>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>From: "pjgat09" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>>>>>To: <[email protected]>
>>>>>>Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 5:41 PM
>>>>>>Subject: [Speed cubing group] Re: (Off topic)3 doors...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Thats the best way I have heard it put for this entire dicussion.
>>>>>>Good
>>>>>>thinking Stefan!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Peter Greenwood
>>>>>>
>>>>>>--- In [email protected], "Stefan Pochmann"
>>>>>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>This doesn't make the argument wrong. Yes, you can gain some
>>>>>>>knowledge
>>>>>>>this way and be more sure that changing would be better. But it
>>>>>>>doesn't make you win more often when changing. The probability for
>>>>>>>that stays at 2/3.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I knew a similar case as yours, but here's a really extreme one:
>>>>>>>After
>>>>>>>you pick your first door, the host opens *all* three doors and 
>>>>>>>let's
>>>>>>>you stay or change. Even with this 100% knowledge (because you see
>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>car), changing is successful exactly 2/3 of the time, namely in
>>>>>>>those
>>>>>>>cases where you were initially wrong.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Cheers!
>>>>>>>Stefan
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>--- In [email protected], Rune Wesström 
>>>>>>><rune.
>>>>>>>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>              
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>A lot of  intuition!
>>>>>>>>You guess on door #1. The host is staying in front of door #3. 
>>>>>>>>Door
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>                
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>#2 is 2 meters away from him, nevertheless he opens that door. 
>>>>>>>What
>>>>>>>would you expect to find behind door #3? A goat?! (Let us exclude
>>>>>>>double-crossing!).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>              
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>>From: "Stefan Pochmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>>>>>>>To: <[email protected]>
>>>>>>>>Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 3:47 PM
>>>>>>>>Subject: [Speed cubing group] Re: (Off topic)3 doors...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Changing wins if and only if you initially chose the wrong door, 
>>>>>>>>i.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>                
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>e.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>              
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>two times of three.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Can you explain why your suggestion makes this wrong?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Cheers!
>>>>>>>>Stefan
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>--- In [email protected], Rune Wesström 
>>>>>>>><rune.
>>>>>>>>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>                
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>In real life the host is Not staying totally symmetrically in
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>                  
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>relation to the doors. (He is right-handed Or left-handed. Maybe 
>>>>>>>>he
>>>>>>>>has to take a halfstep to open a certain door etc.). If he now
>>>>>>>>opens
>>>>>>>>the "easiest" door, Not changing wins more often than one time of
>>>>>>>>three. If he opens the other door, changing will win more often
>>>>>>>>than
>>>>>>>>two times of three.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>                
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>            
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>__________ NOD32 1.1342 (20051228) Information __________
>>>>>
>>>>>This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
>>>>>http://www.nod32.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>__________ NOD32 1.1342 (20051228) Information __________
>>>
>>>This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
>>>http://www.nod32.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>
>>
>>Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>
>
> 
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
> 
>
>
>
>
>__________ NOD32 1.1342 (20051228) Information __________
>
>This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
>http://www.nod32.com
>
>
>
>  
>


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/MXMplB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/speedsolvingrubikscube/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    [EMAIL PROTECTED]

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 


Reply via email to