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Re: functions

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg45757] Re: functions
• From: drbob at bigfoot.com (Bobby R. Treat)
• Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 03:15:50 -0500 (EST)
• References: <200401100500.AAA02409@smc.vnet.net> <btthrc$so2$1@smc.vnet.net>
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Unfortunately, a randomly chosen real number that ISN'T irrational
according to this test still has probability 1 of being irrational. 
(If the probability measure is anything reasonable, anyway -- if the
CDF has only countably many points of discontinuity, for instance.)

The probability that a user intended the number to be rational, on the
other hand, is completely imponderable.

Bobby

Selwyn Hollis <sh2.7183 at misspelled.erthlink.net> wrote in message news:<btthrc$so2$1 at smc.vnet.net>...
> On second thought, I think this is a better idea:
> 
>    IrrationalQ[x_] := Denominator[Rationalize[x,.0001]] > 50
> 
> With it, IrrationalQ[Random[]] returns True most of the time, as it 
> should (probability approx .85), but returns False often enough to be 
> interesting.
> 
> -----
> Selwyn Hollis
> http://www.math.armstrong.edu/faculty/hollis
> (edit reply-to to reply)

• References:
  • functions
    • From: lorenzo.keegan@handbag.com