4 ms·
Paradox seems like a strong word for this. "Draw a random chord" is almost a pun, draw from what distribution? Until you tell me, there really is no one answer.
by improbable22 8y ago
Paradox seems like a strong word for this. "Draw a random chord" is almost a pun, draw from what distribution? Until you tell me, there really is no one answer.
- chias 8y ago> "Draw a random chord" is almost a pun No more so than 'pick a random point in a circle'. Note in all cases we're talking the uniform distribution. The question of using Cartesian coordinates, parametric coordinates, etc. is what causes the differences.
- improbable22 8y agoI'm complaining that there isn't one uniform distribution. For example uniform in x on [1, 2] is different to uniform in 1/x on the same interval, and which one you draw from may matter. You have to be told. In fact every (one-variable) distribution is uniform in something! "pick a random point inside a circle" comes with an implicit "uniformly according to the ordinary euclidean metric on the paper". I guess it's a judgement call that this is obvious enough, but "a random chord" is clearly not... otherwise we wouldn't be here!