Re: Roots of AX^2 + BX + C

In article <87abcrizth.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

nils_von_nostrand@xxxxxxxxx writes:
Recently a student and I talked about the probability of the roots a
quadratic equation (AX^2 + B*X + C) to be complex. As we all know, the
roots will be complex if (B^2-4*A*C) is less than zero.

Can someone please explain why three (uniformly distributed) randomly
chosen numbers, A, B, C

Uniformly distributed, eh? On an infinite space?
How does that work?

There is no problem with a random variable uniformly distributed
on, say, the real numbers. Perhaps you are thinking about a
countably infinite space, where, indeed, uniform distribution
does not work.

--
Gerry Myerson (gerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) (i -> u for email)
.