Probability Machine

[notthecheatr]

This is a simple but hopefully useful probability machine. Its main use would probably be in game AI systems, but it can be used for a lot of things.

This is an object that provides a simple way to do probability simulations and such. It comes with documentation and an example. I've spent all morning working on it, but I can't guarantee that there are no bugs left in it - if you find anything let me know.

http://notthecheatr.phatcode.net/downlo ... _AI_pm.zip

Coin-flipping Example:

Code: Select all

''
''
'' ntc.AI probability machine - coin-flipping example
''
''

#Include "ntc/pm.bas"
Using ntc.AI.pm

Randomize Timer

Dim As pmObject probMachine = pmObject()

'Store how many times heads or tails is chosen
Dim As uInteger ht (1 To 2)

'How many times to flip?
Dim As uInteger numFlips

'Add two choices, each with a 50% chance
probMachine.addChoice(0.5)
probMachine.addChoice(0.5)

'Find out how many times to flip the coin
Print "How many flips do you want?"
Input numFlips

'Flip that many times
For i As uInteger = 1 To numFlips
  'We add 1 to the index because choose() returns 0 or 1.
  ht(probMachine.choose() + 1) += 1
Next i

'How many times was each chosen?
Print "Heads:  " + Str(ht(1))
Print "Tails:  " + Str(ht(2))

'Experimental probability
Print Str(ht(1)/numFlips)
Print Str(ht(2)/numFlips)

Sleep


[vdecampo]

How is the probablity machine different from just using....

ht(int(RND*2))+=1 'Using array base 0

-Vince

[notthecheatr]

It's different in that you can use more than two choices and you can assign varying probabilities to each choice. The coin-flipping example is to show the simplicity, although in reality you're right, you could use that. But if you wanted to do something more complex, such as select from three choices with the following probabilities:

25%
25%
50%

You need something more complicated. That's what this is for.

You can write code to do this yourself, but this is nice because it uses OO features so it will make your code cleaner and simpler.

[maddogg6]

Its main use would probably be in game AI systems

Hmm, I got a 44% chance for that.

Strangely enough it didn't properly predict (100%) that I would use this to determine the likelihood to use this with a game AI tho... I think its buggy :p


j/k - pretty cool. :)

[vdecampo]

It's different in that you can use more than two choices and you can assign varying probabilities to each choice. The coin-flipping example is to show the simplicity, although in reality you're right, you could use that. But if you wanted to do something more complex, such as select from three choices with the following probabilities:

25%
25%
50%

You need something more complicated. That's what this is for.

You can write code to do this yourself, but this is nice because it uses OO features so it will make your code cleaner and simpler.

That IS cool! I missed that the first time.

Thanks
-Vince

[anonymous1337]

Jolly Good!

[JohnB]

Thanks JohnB. Glad someone remembered my post :)

notthecheatr

What made me remember your program is one of the episodes of the twilight zone. The odds on flipping a coin are not 50-50. There is a very small chance the coin could stand on edge. And now I am going back to the twilight zone! The door opens, the door closes.

JohnB

[notthecheatr]

Oh, OK. So 49.99999-49.99999.

Actually, if the imprint on one side is heavier than that on the other side, you might actually have a slightly higher probability of getting the lighter side up. Apparently that's a problem with dice, since 6 is lighter than 1 and so on.