Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ut-sally.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!ut-sally!srini From: srini@ut-sally.UUCP (Srinivasan Sundararajan) Newsgroups: net.math,net.games Subject: Re: Party game of chance Message-ID: <973@ut-sally.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-Feb-84 16:21:21 EST Article-I.D.: ut-sally.973 Posted: Mon Feb 20 16:21:21 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Feb-84 04:45:49 EST References: <211@heurikon.UUCP> <838@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 23 The Pigeon-Hole Principle ========================= Why bother with probabilities at all if all you need to be sure is a 100% chance of winning. For those have not heard of pigeon-holing : 1) Assume 365 pigeon-holes - one for each day of the year. 2) Assume P persons in the room. 2) Each person claims a pigeon-hole for himself. ( 2 persons might have the same birthday and thus claim the same hole ). 3) If P = 365, it is possible ( rather slim ) , that they all choose different holes, BUT, if P >= 366, then we are guaranteed that at least 2 persons pick the same box. From: srini@ut-sally