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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mendo, Luis
Format: Preprint
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.14901
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author Mendo, Luis
author_facet Mendo, Luis
contents An algorithm is presented that, taking a sequence of independent Bernoulli random variables with parameter $1/2$ as inputs and using only rational arithmetic, simulates a Bernoulli random variable with possibly irrational parameter $τ$. It requires a series representation of $τ$ with positive, rational terms, and a rational bound on its truncation error that converges to $0$. The number of required inputs has an exponentially bounded tail, and its mean is at most $3$. The number of arithmetic operations has a tail that can be bounded in terms of the sequence of truncation error bounds. The algorithm is applied to two specific values of $τ$, including Euler's constant, for which obtaining a simple simulation algorithm was an open problem.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2010_14901
institution arXiv
publishDate 2020
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Simulating a coin with irrational bias using rational arithmetic
Mendo, Luis
Probability
Computation
65C10, 65C50
An algorithm is presented that, taking a sequence of independent Bernoulli random variables with parameter $1/2$ as inputs and using only rational arithmetic, simulates a Bernoulli random variable with possibly irrational parameter $τ$. It requires a series representation of $τ$ with positive, rational terms, and a rational bound on its truncation error that converges to $0$. The number of required inputs has an exponentially bounded tail, and its mean is at most $3$. The number of arithmetic operations has a tail that can be bounded in terms of the sequence of truncation error bounds. The algorithm is applied to two specific values of $τ$, including Euler's constant, for which obtaining a simple simulation algorithm was an open problem.
title Simulating a coin with irrational bias using rational arithmetic
topic Probability
Computation
65C10, 65C50
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.14901