Re^2: Finding a random position within a long string (Activeperl Build 822)

snopal: you can not have "random" and "equally distributed" without knowing the sampling size after the process

As I see this, if you take samples of length M = k * W (from
the whole string of length W), then the mean ratio of the property
in question ('?' to non '?') in each M-sample should approach the
expected ratio R (e.g. 0.1), if the number of samples taken
is large enough. (The variance of the property in equally sized
M-samples shouldn't depend on their "position" within the whole ensemble.)

But maybe I didn't understand your objection correctly?

Regards

mwa

Comment on Re^2: Finding a random position within a long string (Activeperl Build 822)

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Re^3: Finding a random position within a long string (Activeperl Build 822) by snopal (Pilgrim) on Oct 13, 2007 at 14:03 UTC
By your statement, there is no distribution restriction "if the number of samples taken is large enough." By placing all 10% of your '?' at the beginning and doing a tremendous number of samples, your "data full of ?" or "data of no ?" should even out to 10%. You just have to take a large number of samples. Since neither the sample size, nor the number of samples is defined, it could just as easily be "one sample of ten percent plus one", the result of which would be that virtually every random solution would fail. This looks like homework. The level of sophistication of your request changed dramatically from the original problem statement to the response you gave me.	[reply]

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Re^3: Finding a random position within a long string (Activeperl Build 822)
by snopal (Pilgrim) on Oct 13, 2007 at 14:03 UTC

By your statement, there is no distribution restriction "if the number of samples taken is large enough." By placing all 10% of your '?' at the beginning and doing a tremendous number of samples, your "data full of ?" or "data of no ?" should even out to 10%. You just have to take a large number of samples.

Since neither the sample size, nor the number of samples is defined, it could just as easily be "one sample of ten percent plus one", the result of which would be that virtually every random solution would fail.

This looks like homework. The level of sophistication of your request changed dramatically from the original problem statement to the response you gave me.

[reply]