Re: The Usual Heinlein Thing

: nance@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Anthony Nance)
: If you randomly choose a number from a set of 10, each number has a
: 1/10 chance of being chosen. Choosing one from a set of 100 yields a
: 1/100 chance. But what if the set you choose from is infinite?

A uniform distribution over an infinite set of numbers means the number
you get just about has to have an infinite number of decimal places,
and is therefore a bithard to talk about "choosing" such a number in
a meaningful way.

: Your thought about epsilon approaching zero is a clever effort to
: grapple with a non-intuitive idea, but it doesn't work because there's
: no limiting process involved with "choose one member of a set".[1]

Limit of probability as set size increases without bound.
(And I'm doubtless butchering the terminology, but isn't that
a legitimate "limiting process"?)

Wayne Throop throopw@xxxxxxxxx http://sheol.org/throopw
.

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