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re: What are the odds of this happening? Combination lock related

Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:07 pm to
Posted by Clyde Tipton
Planet Earth
Member since Dec 2007
38974 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:07 pm to
The combination is... One... Two... Three...
Posted by Swirlchocolate
Member since Jul 2015
77 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:11 pm to
quote:

That is right, but you need to think there is no way to have a blank number...the suitcase always needs to be on a combination. The first one is a freebie.

999 different guesses need to be made.
Correct given that we know the first combination to unlock it.

But I would also bet that the probability is higher than 1/999 given that he is using some prior information to unlock the briefcase. The probability can't be 1/999.

Bayesian probability?
Posted by Clyde Tipton
Planet Earth
Member since Dec 2007
38974 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:15 pm to
Can you eliminate his combo he intended to put it since it slipped, he tried it, and it didn't work before he got his research into cracking it under way?

The bigger odds are that out of the 1000 combos the one it randomly set was his area code. That's what's remarkable.
This post was edited on 7/22/15 at 7:16 pm
Posted by foshizzle
Washington DC metro
Member since Mar 2008
40599 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:18 pm to
Congrats. Now you see how useless it is.

FWIW any thief who steals your old man briefcase would simply slash it open anyway.
Posted by Swirlchocolate
Member since Jul 2015
77 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:23 pm to
quote:

Can you eliminate his combo he intended to put it since it slipped, he tried it, and it didn't work before he got his research into cracking it under way?
Depends. Strictly from a Bayesian perspective, you would factor his guess and the research he did and therefore eliminating his combo.

On the other hand, if we don't factor his research then we wouldn't eliminate his combo to end up with 998 because he doesn't know what the combo is. Every other combo is just a guess.
Posted by East Coast Band
Member since Nov 2010
63948 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:23 pm to
The odds are about the same as man being able to get closeup photos of Pluto.
Posted by Thurber
NWLA
Member since Aug 2013
15402 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:24 pm to
Posted by LesMiles BFF
Lafayette
Member since May 2014
5101 posts
Posted on 7/22/15 at 7:31 pm to
Think about this:

If we assume there are 1000 possibilities for his combo then the likelihood of it being his are code is 1 in 1000.

Still 175,000 times more likely than winning the Powerball.
This post was edited on 7/22/15 at 7:32 pm
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