'Infinite monkey theorem' challenged by Australian mathematicians
bbc.com
Australian researchers have poked holes in an old thought-experiment known as the "infinite monkey theorem".
  • saltesc@lemmy.worldEnglish
    01·
    4 months ago

    the time it would take for a typing monkey to replicate Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets and poems would be longer than the lifespan of our universe.

    Which means that while mathematically true, the theorem is “misleading”, they said.

    Gotta read the articles 👍

    • I'll be on [email protected]@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      4 months ago

      Gotta read the articles 👍

      No, you…

      As well as looking at the abilities of a single monkey, the study also did a series of calculations based on the current global population of chimpanzees, which is roughly 200,000.

      (E: never mind that, as has already been suggested to you, the theoretical thought experiment in question specifies not only infinite monkeys, but infinite time too, so they’ve not stuck to either parameter)