random

[Darren New]

Nick Perkins wrote:
> 
> "Darren New" <dnew at san.rr.com> wrote:
> > how random is the binary string "1001010010011100100"? How random is the
> > binary string "0000000000000000000"? Such questions don't make any
> > sense.
> 
> They do make sense, according to Chaitin.

Well, sure, with Chaitin's definition (redefinition?) of the word
"random", that makes sense. But in what sense is Chaitin's "random"
different from "compressible"? Why does he use a different word when we
already have a perfectly good word for it? 

It sounds wierd to me to say "'Pi' is more random than 'e'."  Even
stranger to say "'Pi' is more random than 'e' *because* they are both
algorithmically calculable." But if that's how you want to redefine the
word "random" then go for it. :-)

This is obviously not the sense of "random" that JVN was talking about.

-- 
Darren New / Senior MTS & Free Radical / Invisible Worlds Inc.
       San Diego, CA, USA (PST).  Cryptokeys on demand.
     This is top-quality raw fish, the Rolls-Rice of Sushi!