'Infinite monkey theorem' challenged by Australian mathematicians
bbc.com
Australian researchers have poked holes in an old thought-experiment known as the "infinite monkey theorem".
  • ShareMySims@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    Yeah, no, using a finite number to try and disprove a theory that is all specifically about infinite numbers isn’t poking holes in anything…

    • saltesc@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      the time it would take for a typing monkey to replicate Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets and poems would be longer than the lifespan of our universe.

      Which means that while mathematically true, the theorem is “misleading”, they said.

      Gotta read the articles 👍

      • ShareMySims@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        Gotta read the articles 👍

        No, you…

        As well as looking at the abilities of a single monkey, the study also did a series of calculations based on the current global population of chimpanzees, which is roughly 200,000.

        (E: never mind that, as has already been suggested to you, the theoretical thought experiment in question specifies not only infinite monkeys, but infinite time too, so they’ve not stuck to either parameter)

        • saltesc@lemmy.worldEnglish
          01·
          2 months ago

          (E: never mind that, as has already been suggested to you, the theoretical thought experiment in question specifies not only infinite monkeys, but infinite time too, so they’ve not stuck to either parameter)

          Whoah, whoah, whoah… Big critical thinker here thinks the paper is about disproving a thought experiment?

          You understand that this is impossible? Even if it were attempted, such a venture is more a philosophical one, not a mathematicians forte.

          Obviously the paper is not looking at that, it’s doing math

          “Yes, it is true that given infinite resources, any text of any length would inevitably be produced eventually. While true, this also has no relevance to our own universe, as ‘reaching infinity’ in resources is not something which can ever happen.”

          That needing to be pointed out to you is… Well you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t waste my energy “critically thinking” yet 👍