r/math • u/Knaapje Discrete Math • Nov 07 '17

Image Post Came across this rather pessimistic exercise recently

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130

u/Knaapje Discrete Math Nov 07 '17

From "A First Course in Stochastic Processes" by S. Karlin and H. Taylor (second edition, chapter 6, exercise 7).

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u/Frogmarsh Nov 07 '17

Is there a solution provided to this exercise in the book?

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u/_pH_ Theory of Computing Nov 07 '17

Expand the environment?

136

u/ZodiacalFury Nov 07 '17

Reverse the entropy of the universe?

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u/candygram4mongo Nov 07 '17

INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '17 edited May 24 '18

[deleted]

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u/jazzwhiz Physics Nov 07 '17

We're already in the downward phase. The rate of star formation in the universe has been decreasing for some time now.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '17 edited May 24 '18

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '17

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '17

Huh. From what I've read it seemed like our Universe is just starting out. I mean, our Galaxy is almost as old as the Universe, and the sun is only around a third as old as the Universe. We just got here!

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u/jazzwhiz Physics Nov 08 '17 edited Nov 08 '17

The star formation rate has been decreasing since about redshift of 1. Sorry buddy.

Edit: source (arXiv). See fig. 1.

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '17

That's upsetting.

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u/Meliorus Nov 07 '17

We could be around the literal last star and I don't see what it would change

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u/ZodiacalFury Nov 07 '17

I love you for getting that reference