Re: Random number generator without duplicates?
Re: Random number generator without duplicates?
- Subject: Re: Random number generator without duplicates?
- From: Bill Briggs <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 19:55:57 -0300
At 8:47 AM -0700 18/04/01, Michelle Steiner wrote:
It is apparently a program to generate numbers to bet on a state lottery.
In these lotteries, you choose six numbers from a pool of a given
number; apparently, in this case, the number is 56. If you match all six
numbers drawn by the state, you win the jackpot; if you match five, you
win a smaller amount, and if you match four, you get an even smaller
token amount.
Same game where I live, except it's 6 of 49, so the odds are better. :-)
Only slightly less than the likelihood of being hit by lightning.
The state draws the numbers the same way; a number is randomly selected
from the pool of 56; then a number is selected from the remaining pool of
55, etc. usually, they do it by drawing balls from a Bingo machine or
something similar.
The same method is used in the lottery here.
My reaction, though, is "Why bother?"
Precisely. We have the "quick picks" available where the lottery
machine does that for you. Saves time filling in a card for your
"dream tax". Though most people seem to play the same "lucky" numbers
week after week.
Any sequence has as much a chance
of winning as any other sequence. If I would bet on the lottery, though,
I'd avoid having more than three of the first six numbers, more than
three of the last six numbers, and have at least three numbers greater
than 31. Not because any of those numbers have a greater or lesser
chance of winning, but because the most commonly chosen numbers by those
who bet are the first six, last six, and dates (birthdays, anniversaries,
etc.), and by having no more than three numbers that match those choices,
the number of duplicated winning entries tends to decrease--and that's
important because in cases of ties, the winnings are split evenly among
all the tied bets.
And if you live long enough to win, you are less likely to have to
share the winnings. ;-) Altruism is well and truly dead.
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