D?^? ?? ?? D?^??

If you can’t read that title, it’s because it’s all made of mathematical symbols, which I thought would be clever, but it actually turns out to be stupid. ANYWAY, an article in the New York Times brings up an interesting question that has plagued both normal people and programmers, such as myself:

How does the Deal or No Deal banker come up with his offers?

How the Banker arrives at his offers is the mathematical mystery of the game. As in many games, the offers seem based on the principle of mathematical expectation: the price of a given chance at winning a given amount. But mathematical expectation is a specific calculus: if your chances of winning $1 million are one in a million, for example, it is reasonable to pay $1 for a lottery ticket, but not $2. And the Banker does not appear to use that exact equation.

You can read the whole article at the NY Times, but first head to BugMeNot so you don’t have to register.

New York Times – A Game Show for the Probabilities Theorist in Us All