PBS Infinite Series | Can a Chess Piece Explain Markov Chains? | Infinite Series @pbsinfiniteseries | Uploaded 7 years ago | Updated 3 hours ago
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: to.pbs.org/donateinfi

In this episode probability mathematics and chess collide. What is the average number of steps it would take before a randomly moving knight returned to its starting square?

Tweet at us! @pbsinfinite
Facebook: facebook.com/pbsinfinite series
Email us! pbsinfiniteseries [at] gmail [dot] com

Previous Episode - When Pi is Not 3.14
youtube.com/watch?v=ineO1tIyPfM

Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards explains Markov Chains and how they can be used to determine the probability of random chess moves, as well as the likelihood your favorite music will pop up on the radio.

Sources include:

Probability: Theory and Examples
amazon.com/Probability-Cambridge-Statistical-Probabilistic-Mathematics/dp/0521765390

Markov Chains
amazon.com/Markov-Cambridge-Statistical-Probabilistic-Mathematics/dp/0521633966

Markov Chains and Mixing Times
http://pages.uoregon.edu/dlevin/MARKOV/markovmixing.pdf

Written and Hosted by Kelsey Houston-Edwards
Produced by Rusty Ward
Graphics by Ray Lux
Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)

Comments answered by Kelsey:

Taylor Kinser
youtube.com/watch?v=ineO1tIyPfM&lc=z13gwfezuyvgxbs2s221wnuhbym0c5nw404

Huy Dinh
youtube.com/watch?v=ineO1tIyPfM&lc=z120z5grjojpxrhdo22pfvajgmbux1ved

Funky Tom
youtube.com/watch?v=ineO1tIyPfM&lc=z12wzxriwuvrj1ab404ccfm4fzjpgppi15c

Steve’s Mathy Stuff
youtube.com/watch?v=ineO1tIyPfM&lc=z12pcjlgey25shhxd04ch5epeojxwf2gey00k.1483698612220851