Infinity Theory and Shakespeare

[tantrum]

if you had an infinite number of  monkeys (that really type at random)  sitting at an infinite number of typewriters for an infinite
number of years typing at random then it could be accepted as a probability that one would eventually type the entire works of Shakespeare.


As the entire work can be too much to calculate,

How long we would expect a monkey to type out 1 of the Shakespeare's sonnets? and how can I calculate this?

[Rooky9]

U can't. Its because of the reliability on infinity, you cant then create an actual probability.

This is kios theory isn't it? If I attempt to walk through a wall an infinate number of times, at some point I will be able to walk through it! Something like that anyway. Its a load of rubbish but you can't argue against it....

[matt674]

it is all rubbish - please see my post in the thread from around this time last year!

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=4953.0

[TightEnd]

Interestingly I did this as my doctorate thesis. Sadly the results were immediately classified under the Official secrets act by the then John Major government who actually had infinite monkeys doing this in a basement in Whitehall


the answer is 44.


Glad to be of help

[kinboshi]

Apparently, if I play AA an infinite amount of times, it will eventually stand up.

I think that's nonsense though.

[tantrum]

How long we would expect a monkey to type out 1 of the Shakespeare's sonnets? and how can I calculate this?

You can calculate this, I am very sure of that....

[thetank]

An infinite amount of Shakespeare's Sonnets will be churned out.

I'd also assume, an infinite number of pages of complete gibberish.



Tons of fun to be had there, wrestling with the nature of infinity.

Say you do work it out, and the gibberish is 100,000,000,000 times more likely than the sonnet, we'd expect to find one sonnet for for every 100,000,000,000 pages of gibberish. However, we have infinte sonnets, does this mean me have infinty times 100,000,000,000 pages of gibberish. We can't have that. Infinte is infite, we only multiply it when we are 8 years old and having an argument.

So in the case of infinty, and all things infinte, size would not appear to matter.

[AndrewT]

If you have an infinite number of monkeys/typewriters/bananas, then your monkeys will produce all combinations of characters, so if your monkeys type one character a second, the number of seconds required would simply be the number of characters in the sonnet you're after.

[AndrewT]

This is kios theory isn't it? If I attempt to walk through a wall an infinate number of times, at some point I will be able to walk through it! Something like that anyway. Its a load of rubbish but you can't argue against it....

That's quantum theory and, if you're dealing in infinities, then it's true.

[TightEnd]

Personally I think we must wait for Poppet's thoughts before closing this debate. Her view is likely to be definitive.

[thetank]

Unfortunately she won't be able to get to her computer.

If she moves from where she is now, to her computer she will pass a halfway point. Travelling from this halway point to the computer again, she will meet another halfway point and so on an infinite number of times. On the idea you can get infinately small pieces of space by continuing to halve and halve, a young girl like that, by definition, cannot move through infinite points.

So, in theory, this debate will never end, ever.

[tantrum]

If you have an infinite number of monkeys/typewriters/bananas, then your monkeys will produce all combinations of characters, so if your monkeys type one character a second, the number of seconds required would simply be the number of characters in the sonnet you're after

so let's say that the sonnet has 500 characters, does it mean that it will take only 500 seconds for infinitive numbers of monkey to type a sonnet?

[AndrewT]

If you have an infinite number of monkeys/typewriters/bananas, then your monkeys will produce all combinations of characters, so if your monkeys type one character a second, the number of seconds required would simply be the number of characters in the sonnet you're after

so let's say that the sonnet has 500 characters, does it mean that it will take only 500 seconds for infinitive numbers of monkey to type a sonnet?

If they're typing a one character a second then yes.

Think about it - in the first second, your infinite number of monkeys all type one character. Some of them will type the one you're after - the rest won't. If you then remove the typewriters from all the monkeys who typed the wrong letter, you still have an inifinte number of monkeys left.

Once they type the second letter, you do the same, removing the typewriters from the monkeys who typed the wrong letters. There are still an inifinte number of monkeys left over. There always will be. So you can go on doing this till the sonnet is complete.

Tantrum, can you work out how many copies of the sonnet you'll end up with?

[kinboshi]

If you have an infinite number of monkeys/typewriters/bananas, then your monkeys will produce all combinations of characters, so if your monkeys type one character a second, the number of seconds required would simply be the number of characters in the sonnet you're after

so let's say that the sonnet has 500 characters, does it mean that it will take only 500 seconds for infinitive numbers of monkey to type a sonnet?

No, it will take one second.  An infinite number of monkeys will be able to type the infinite number of combinations required in the first second.

[thetank]

so let's say that the sonnet has 500 characters, does it mean that it will take only 500 seconds for infinitive numbers of monkey to type a sonnet?

No

They'll all type at different speeds. Some pausing to scratch their arse, some tapping away as if possessed by a jungle demon.

What is the maximum speed a monkey can type? As there are an infinte number etc etc, we'll assume an infinite number typing at the maximum speed.

I assume it's more than one character a second. I'd estimate you'd have your sonnet in under 30 seconds. Problem is finding it.