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Infinite-Monkey Theorem


Infinite-Monkey Theorem: n. "If you put an infinite number
   of monkeys at typewriters, eventually one will bash out the script
   for Hamlet."  (One may also hypothesize a small number of monkeys
   and a very long period of time.)  This theorem asserts nothing about
   the intelligence of the one random monkey that eventually
   comes up with the script (and note that the mob will also type out
   all the possible *incorrect* versions of Hamlet).  It may be
   referred to semi-seriously when justifying a brute force
   method; the implication is that, with enough resources thrown at
   it, any technical challenge becomes a one-banana problem.

This theorem was first popularized by the astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington. It became part of the idiom of through the classic short story "Inflexible Logic" by Russell Maloney, and many younger hackers know it through a reference in Douglas Adams's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".