The Birthday Paradox: Why 23 Babies Have a 50% Chance of Sharing a Birthday

TLDRIn the Birthday Paradox, with just 23 randomly chosen babies, there is a 50% chance that two of them will share the same birthday. This seems unlikely given the number of possible birthdays, but the math proves it to be true.

Key insights

👶The Birthday Paradox states that with a relatively small number of people, there is a high probability of two sharing the same birthday.

🎂The odds of a birthday match increase significantly as more people are added to the group.

🔢The probability calculations for the Birthday Paradox involve multiplying the chances that each person does not share a birthday.

🔐The Birthday Paradox has implications for cryptography, as the probability of hash collisions can be exploited by hackers.

🌐The Birthday Paradox is used to improve internet security and has led to advancements in encryption algorithms.

Q&A

How does the Birthday Paradox work?

The Birthday Paradox is based on the probability that at least two people in a group share the same birthday. It seems counterintuitive, but with a relatively small number of people, the chances are high.

Why is the probability of a birthday match so high?

The high probability is due to the fact that every individual is being compared to every other individual in the group, resulting in a higher likelihood of finding a match.

Does the Birthday Paradox have practical applications?

Yes, the Birthday Paradox has implications in cryptography, where it can be used to exploit hash collisions and crack encryption algorithms more efficiently.

What are the implications of the Birthday Paradox for internet security?

The Birthday Paradox has led to advancements in internet security by highlighting the importance of preventing hash collisions and improving encryption algorithms.

How can the Birthday Paradox be explained mathematically?

The probability calculations for the Birthday Paradox involve multiplying the chances that each person does not share a birthday, leading to surprising results.

Timestamped Summary

00:09The Birthday Paradox states that with just 23 randomly chosen babies, there is a 50% chance that two of them will share the same birthday.

01:34The odds of a birthday match increase significantly as more people are added to the group.

02:02The probability calculations for the Birthday Paradox involve multiplying the chances that each person does not share a birthday.

06:49The Birthday Paradox has implications for cryptography, as the probability of hash collisions can be exploited by hackers.

06:54The Birthday Paradox is used to improve internet security and has led to advancements in encryption algorithms.