[Math] Gaea's Blessing, with arbitrarily large number of Brain Freezes

[oneofchaos]

If the probability is an infinitesimal off being 1, then I'd be willing to concede due to logic.  Eventually, such a scenario would happen, but I have better things to do than wait for it (you know...try to win the next game, match, etc).

[Hatchman]

Math and probability as a rules enforcement tool have no place in a magic game to be completely honest.  If this situation came up at our tournament then you would have to play out the game properly. After turns were called and you and your opponent were still going through the motions I would give you 10 minutes to complete the process and then that game would be considered a draw.  Your not going to hold up an entire tournament because something like this came up.  Of course if this was game 2 and you already won game 1 then you have all the incentive in the world to play it out and stall the game until time.

[Godder]

Math and probability are the foundation of Magic rules as we know them. All sorts of things, including rules and card design, are based on probability. The rule of 4 and various minimum deck sizes are all about probability.

That said, probability and Harlequin have shown that it doesn't actually take a terribly high storm count to win, so the situation has largely been solved from a practical standpoint. If I'm willing to live by probability, and as a combo player, clearly I am, I have to be willing to die by it as well.

[Zwadishim]

A bit from Leibniz... I remembered this from philosophy classes and somehow I think it is relevant in terms of clarifying the concepts.  Before anyone jumps all over the theistic connotations I suggest that they understand enough Liebniz that the notion of "GOD" from his point of view is at least differentiated from anthropomorphic ideas.  I suggest the Monadology as a starting point for this.

Leibniz writes, of truth and proportion simultaneously, as follows:


"  The source (origo) of contingent truths in an infinite progression, on analogy with the proportion between incommensurable quantities:

                 TRUTH                                    Proportion

                                     is containment

                                            __
Of the predicate in the                         of a smaller quantity in a larger
subject.                                               or of an equal in an equal.

                                    It is shown by

Giving reason (for the            ___         displaying the relation
truth)                                _____      (of the numbers)

                               Through the analysis of both
                               terms into common

notions.                           ______      quantities.

                              This analysis is either
                            finite or infinite.  If it is
                             finite, it is said to be

a demonstration, and the     ______    the discovery of a common measure
truth is necessary,               _______  or an commensuration, and the
                                                       proportion is expressible (effabilis)

                              for it is reduced to

identical truths,             ___________       congruence with respect to the
                                                            same repeated measure,

                        that is, to the primary principle

of contradiction or identity.   _______        of equality of those things
                                                             which are congruent.

                     but if the analysis proceeds to infinity
                       and never attains completion then

the truth is contingent,          _____        the proportion is unexpressible, one
one which involves an            _____          which has an infinite number of
infinite number of reasons       ______         quotients,

                       But in such a way that there is always
                        something that remains,

for which we must, again,      ---------          a new remainder that furnishes a
give some reason.               _______          new quotient.

                          Moreover, the analysis continued
                            yields an infinite series

which, however, is known   ________       about which geometry knows
perfectly by God.              _________       many things.

                                      And this is
knowledge by intution,        ______         the doctrine of irrational numbers,
(scientia visionis),               _______         like what is contained in book 10
                                                            of the Elements (of Euclid),

                                 which is distinct

from knowledge of simple         ____      from common arihmetic.
understanding (scientia simplicis  ____
intelligentiae).                       _______

                          However, neither is experiential but
                       both are a priori infallibles, and known
                         each according to its kind

through certain reasons              --------      through necessary demonstrations
evident to God, who alone          --------       known to geometry. However, they cannot
comprehends the infinite.             --------      be captured by expressible numbers,
However, they are not neccessary,  --------

                                  for it is impossible
to give demonstrations     ---------------          for irrational proportions to be understood
of contingent truths.        --------------           arithmetically, that is, they cannot be
                                                             explained through the repetition of a measure."



The difference between matters of truth and proportion divide the stats guys from the DCI, who seem to be practicing a deontilogical ethics, drawing a line they believe they cannot cross.

Anyway, the man invented integral calculus and was a great philosopher to boot, this would have been up his alley.