Re: The Double or One Half Paradox
From: Carl Cotner (cfc-usenet_at_tau.aauetiu.net)
Date: 07/06/04
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Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2004 11:50:37 -0400
On 2004-07-05, David C Ullrich <ullrich@math.okstate.edu> wrote:
> On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 14:10:54 -0400, Carl Cotner
><cfc-usenet@tau.aauetiu.net> wrote:
>>
>>In any case, you are also missing the discussion of the definition of
>>the word "random", in which I gave it a standard definition that does
>>not depend on the word or concept "distribution".
>
> I didn't miss the definition you quoted from the OED. I
> don't see how that definition has any mathematical
> content - you said you assume that the word "random"
> usually means something like that in a colloquial
> description of a problem, but I don't think it
> usually does, I think it usually refers to
> the notion as in probabilty. (Or to a fuzzy
> understanding of that notion.)
I do not recognize the meaning of my words in your paraphrase. :-)
Just to be clear: I was not making a statistical statement about the
meaning of the word "random" in real math problems; I was attempting
to make a cautionary statement about assuming too much into the
meaning and implications of the word "random" in *recreational* math
puzzles. It often leads to difficulties of one sort or another.
By the way, neither I nor the original poster used the word or concept
"random" to describe the amounts in the envelope problems. Actually,
you were the one who used the word with respect to the amounts in the
second problem (in the middle of an incorrect statement).
Regards,
Carl
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