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Interesting, and startling to me when I first learned of it, is the probabilistic method [1], now not infrequently used in combinatorics to prove the existence
by todd8 9y ago
Interesting, and startling to me when I first learned of it, is the probabilistic method [1], now not infrequently used in combinatorics to prove the existence of a solution to some question without constructing it. One proves that the probability of existence is strictly greater than zero.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Probabilistic-Method-Discrete-Mathematics-Optimization-ebook/dp/B017JHMKZ4 https://www.amazon.com/Probabilistic-Method-Discrete-Mathema...
- jordigh 9y agoYeah, that's really different, though. It's essentially a way to simplify counting. But the "converse" of the probabilistic method doesn't work: zero probability doesn't mean inexistence in an infinite set.