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To: Doctor Stochastic
Thank you for your reply!

me: If an algorithm lies at the root of biological life (state changes, Rocha - self organizing complexity, von Neumann) - then the outcome is planned, directed, not happenstance.

you: An algorithm (as we are using the term loosely in this case) may make use of random choices. There's much literature on the subject. One can plan to make a random choice and follow that choice.

I should have been more specific. When I speak of algorithm, I'm speaking of the Euclid algorithm which includes process, symbols, decisions and recursives.

162 posted on 04/10/2005 9:58:27 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl

The Euclidean algorithm (for the few systems wherein it exists) is way too narrow an example. It only applies to finding a greatest common divisor of a pair of integers. It doesn't even work in many numerical systems.

There are random algorithms for arithmetic problems, though. The Miller-Rabin primality check or Dixon's factoring algorithm are examples. Random algorithms are often much faster than deterministic algorithms for the same problem. Dixon's factoring algorithm was the first sub-exponential algorithm to factor large integers.


168 posted on 04/10/2005 10:32:18 PM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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