Probability and statistics

pickaname · Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

I am assuming this calculator is able to simulate rolling dice and drawing cards but I cannot find it

bluesuit · Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 42

For rolling dice:

enter:

rand(x)

and it will return a value between 1 and x, inclusive

For drawing cards
I am not aware of any functions for a card deck simulation, however, I think it wouldn't be hard to make. You would have to make a list with 52 string values for each card in the deck. For example

mellamokb · Joined: 10 May 2007 Posts: 124

Hi,

This would probably be a little easier to program.

bluesuit · Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 42

I think the code you posted might work but it would be harder to control how many times a particular card came up. for example, you couldn't keep a 2 of spades from coming up as easy in a game of solitaire.

mellamokb · Joined: 10 May 2007 Posts: 124

Hi bluesuit,

I think you're right. You would somehow need a list of 52 somethings to keep track of which cards have already been selected. I might suggest a compromise: use my method to generate the list of the 52 cards instead of typing them in by hand, and then use your idea to simplify tracking which cards have already been used, like this:

bluesuit · Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 42

Wow, it's cool that people actually respond quickly at the forum. This seems kind of like a dead site.

Yes, the code seems like it would work, but is the function that reads the number sequence along with the number sequence generator actually smaller than just creating a list with all the cards?

Bluesuit

--
I have photographic memory, I just ran out of film

mellamokb · Joined: 10 May 2007 Posts: 124

Well, let's liven things up a bit! I'm willing to spend a little spare time to answer questions, but there needs to be users to ask them Wink

.

I entered all of the functions, programs, lists, etc. into my calculator, and these are the file sizes:

cardlist: 797 bytes
cardnum: 160 bytes
cardmat: 805 bytes (this can be deleted after the first piece of code is run)
cardrank: 69 bytes
cardsuit: 41 bytes
getcard: 116 bytes
getrank: 56 bytes
getsuit: 64 bytes

Using cardlist needs a total of 797 bytes--and there doesn't seem to be an easy way to determine the rank and suit of a specific card for a game without using the index of the card in the list and applying my cardrank and cardsuit functions anyway.

Using cardnum needs a total of 160 (cardnum) + 69 (cardrank) + 41 (cardsuit) + 116 (getcard) + 56 (getrank) + 64 (getsuit) bytes for a total of 506 bytes. Your idea is easier to conceptualize for a beginner programmer. Mine may be smaller but it is more advanced and less clear, and I could probably shave off even more bytes if I didn't write such redundant code and use such long variables for clarity.

I know I'll have some spare time in my first two classes tomorrow, so maybe I'll try to write a simple card game and post it. Hmm...should I do FreeCell, Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Golf, Pyramids, Hearts, or Black Jack? I think I'll try Solitaire, it'll probably be the simplest. But it'll be slow in BASIC.

~ mellamokb

bluesuit · Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 42

When I was first reading your post, I didn't realize that the code you posted was a function. I had been thinking in terms of a BASIC program.

I've been reading some of your posts. Before this, I hadn't realized that it was possible to define functions. Cool.
_________________
~bluesuit

"I have photographic memory, I just ran out of film"