Math with Bad DrawingsCartoon Archive

Random Walk

May 28, 2018

A spouse heading out on a 'random walk' gives answers that are technically correct: return is certain, but the expected time is infinite.

Use this cartoon

Free for classrooms, worksheets, slides and other non-commercial use under CC BY-NC 4.0, with credit to Ben Orlin.

Cartoon by Ben Orlin, Math with Bad Drawings. https://cartoons.mathwithbaddrawings.com/2018-05-28-random-walk/ (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Transcript

A: "Where are you going?" B: "A random walk."

A: "When will you be back?" B: "Finite time."

A: "Are you sure?" B: "Yes, 100% sure."

A: "How long will it take?" B: "Best guess, infinity seconds."

A: "You're infuriating."

[Caption] "The key to any marriage is good communication."

Topics
Probability › Random WalksProbability › Expected ValueSets & Infinity › Infinity
Level
College
Themes
Family & Relationships