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Re: [Phys-l] Monty Hall Revisited.




On 2011, Nov 25, , at 12:16, John Denker wrote:


Modern game theory has been around for 60 years or more. Maybe
in another 100 years it will make its way into the curriculum.


Surely already in the war colleges:


I think it was game theory that enabled Lord Nelson to divide the French(and Spanish) fleet to win the battle of Trafalgar. Theory suggests the exact point to divide that Nelson chose -- I doubt that the Royal Naval College taught that, just Nelson deserved his elevation as Admiral


"...and was achieved in part through Nelson's departure from the prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy, which involved engaging an enemy fleet in a single line of battle parallel to the enemy to facilitate signalling in battle and disengagement, and to maximise fields of fire and target areas. Nelson instead divided his smaller force into two columns directed perpendicularly against the larger enemy fleet, with decisive results."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar


bc read about this in the four V. World of Maths. (Newman), and is too lazy to verify.

p.s. Did; it's an application of the N^2 law. Maths in Warfare (Lanchester, F. W.) pp. 2138ff.