# Versatile Coins

Year of Award: 1994

Publication Information: The American Mathematical Monthly, vol. 100, 1993, pp. 26-33

Summary: This article discusses the problem of one probability $$p$$ simulating a second probability $$q$$, meaning that with a coin that comes up heads with probability $$p$$, we can simulate in a finite number of tosses the behavior of a coin that comes up heads with probability $$q$$. The particular question throughout is to characterize the sets of probabilities for which there is a single coin that simulates every element in the set.

About the Authors: Dan Velleman was at Amherst College at the time of publication, and Istvan Szalkai was at University of Veszprém, Hungary.

Author (old format):
Dan Velleman, Istvan Szalkai
Author(s):
Dan Velleman and Istvan Szalkai
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Publication Date:
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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This article discusses the problem of one probability $$p$$ simulating a second probability $$q$$, meaning that with a coin that comes up heads with probability $$p$$, we can simulate in a finite number of tosses the behavior of a coin that comes up heads with probability $$q$$. The particular question throughout is to characterize the sets of probabilities for which there is a single coin that simulates every element in the set.