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Just an idea

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06-25-2018 , 04:51 PM

Dangh

stranger

Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 9

In a closed system, at time t+1 the set of all possible future events is smaller or equal to the set of all possible future events at time t.

Because:

- Things that are possible can become impossible
- Things that are impossible can’t become possible
- So the probability space shrinks with time

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06-25-2018 , 04:53 PM

DrRobotnit

banned

Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 217

Nice. Not sure explanation was required but still, nice.

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06-25-2018 , 11:54 PM

plaaynde

Poker Historian

Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 20,069

It can also be that time opens up for new possibilities. If time is eternal, the amount of possibilities will stay eternal. If time isn't eternal the possibilities will reach zero at some point, can give you that.

Don't think anything ever gets totally impossible btw. The probability for an event only gets down, often radically. There probably is some probability that Earth in an instant could go 100k years backwards, the Neanderthals reborn. Quantum leaps etc, all atoms and particles just happening to do some improbable things at once.

Last edited by plaaynde; 06-26-2018 at 12:06 AM.

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06-26-2018 , 05:53 AM

DrRobotnit

banned

Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 217

'closed system' I took as meaning there is a fixed set of events/actors within the system, a finite number of interactions.

In reality I think this is untrue since entropy increases with time and therefore the number of possible ways events can happen must also increase.

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06-26-2018 , 07:21 AM

Dangh

stranger

Join Date: Jun 2018 Posts: 9

Systems tends towards equilibrium with time so the number of possibilities decreases. For example, sturing a cup and of coffee.

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06-26-2018 , 10:29 AM

PairTheBoard

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 10,039

Suppose the closed system is a random walk of 4 steps. With each step you go either to the right or to the left with 50% probability (like a pachinko machine). At time t=0, all ending positions from -4 to +4 are possible (have non-zero probability). However, at time t=1, some ending positions have become impossible. For example, if your first step is to the right (+1) then the ending positions of -4 and -3 have become impossible. They now have zero probability.

PairTheBoard

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06-26-2018 , 01:45 PM

ecriture d'adulte

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 5,920

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dangh

Systems tends towards equilibrium with time so the number of possibilities decreases. For example, sturing a cup and of coffee.

Equilibrium is defined as the state with the most possibilities.

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