24 points

That’s not how that works.

permalink
report
reply
4 points
*

Doesn’t it depends on whether we are talking about real or integer numbers?

EDIT: I think it also works with p-adic numbers.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

No. In the set of real numbers it is still very possible to randomly select a number that can be written with finite digits.

permalink
report
parent
reply
0 points

op is right, infinity is larger than you’re imagining

permalink
report
parent
reply
11 points

No it wouldn’t. You don’t understand how random works

permalink
report
reply
11 points

No, if truly random it could be any number from 0 to infinity. The randomization doesn’t impart any qualities to the selected number.

If you randomly selected numbers from the infinite range of numbers for an infinite number of time, you would get a result of “7” just as often as getting “3.456e11”.

permalink
report
reply
3 points

The probability of getting a finite number is pretty much zero.

For any range [0; n], where n is finite, there are always infinitely many numbers larger than n, so the probability of getting a number in said range is n/(n+infinity). I feel very confident in saying that something with that probability will never happen.

permalink
report
parent
reply
1 point

The probability of getting any number with a given set of characteristics is pretty much 0, but that doesn’t mean the number doesn’t exist once generated.

permalink
report
parent
reply
0 points

If there’s any probability of an event, on an infinite timeline, it occurs infinite times.

permalink
report
parent
reply
7 points

I see what you’re saying (assuming you mean a random integer from 0 to infinity), but it couldn’t really, since there’s no such thing as an integer with infinite digits - any random integer will have finite number of digits.

The real problem is there’s no way to choose a random number from 0 to infinity. Every finite number has a probability of 0, and in fact, for any number you choose, there is 0 probability that it will be less than that number. Note that 0 probability is different from “impossible” - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almost_surely

permalink
report
reply
6 points
*

I think it’s right

Edit:

TIL: when saying random numbers, some people think to integers, others to real numbers.

permalink
report
reply
7 points
*

I also think that’s correct… if we are talking about real numbers.

People are probably thinking about integers. I’m not sure about OP.

EDIT: I think it also works with p-adic numbers.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

Yes real numbers, but as far as I’m aware it’ll happen for integers too almost surely

permalink
report
parent
reply
4 points

I think you’re confusing “arbitrarily large” with “infinitely large”. See Wikipedia Arbitrarily large vs. (…) infinitely large

Furthermore, “arbitrarily large” also does not mean “infinitely large”. For example, although prime numbers can be arbitrarily large, an infinitely large prime number does not exist—since all prime numbers (as well as all other integers) are finite.

permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

For integers I disagree (but I’m not a mathematician). The set of integers with infinite digits is the empty set, so AFAIK, it has probability 0.

permalink
report
parent
reply

Showerthoughts

!showerthoughts@lemmy.world

Create post

A “Showerthought” is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you’re doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. Avoid politics (NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out)
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy’s Code of Conduct

Community stats

  • 7.6K

    Monthly active users

  • 1.4K

    Posts

  • 49K

    Comments