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From: rcb@rti-sel.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Occam's Razor
Message-ID: <48@rti-sel.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 19:12:49 EST
Article-I.D.: rti-sel.48
Posted: Tue Dec 18 19:12:49 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 00:15:03 EST
References: <217@looking.UUCP> <> <306@aesat.UUCP> <1559@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC
Lines: 16


	Come on guys! Lets get this definition right!

	Occam's Razor:  When considering the relative merit of two theories,
the one that requires the least degree of assumption is the better of the
two.

	Least_degree := assumption_count * assumption_probability ^ 2

	assumption_probability is the probability that an assumption could
be true. The assumption that the observer exists has a very high probability.
The assumption that UFO's exist has a very low probability.

					Randy Buckland
					Research Triangle Institute
					...!mcnc!rti-sel!rcb