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the reason why not many people know who Markov is is that sometimes he is hidden. And a hidden markov can be quite elusive.
I recommend first checking for him in Monaco. Monte Carlo, Monaco, to be precise...
Just be sure to always bet on black, 2 ..
Just ask Viterbi, Viterbi always knows where the hidden Markov is.
I always assumed a Markov chain was some kind of Siberian drinking game. Hence the interest in the running the chain to its stationary distribution.
Odd that this was down-voted. It's a (bad) joke. Allow me to explain:

Calculating the stationary distribution is one of the main things people do with Markov chains. That's all that PageRank is -- the stationary distribution of the Markov chain constructed from the network of links on the web.

{The odds are pretty high that this will get downvoted, on account of the lack of vodka.}

Markovs is a natural law, proven, is it not? Well then, it will be found in any system.

I get the Markov chain part, I don't get the Siberian drinking game part....
> A “Monopoly” board has 40 possible “states”

Ah, just like chess has 64 possible states. Except that chess has on the order 10^47 states.

They needed to use "Chutes and Ladders," which really does have a handful of states.
The [position of a player on a Monopoly board] has 40 possible states.
But the transition between states in Monopoly depends not only on dice, but also upon the configuration of Chance and Community Chest cards, which has a much larger state space. Besides this, if you roll doubles three times, you go to Jail, which increases the state space more. For more:

http://www.tkcs-collins.com/truman/monopoly/monopoly.shtml

Good point, you're right.
Russia used Julian calendar up to 1918. If that was a date marked in the original calendar, it wasn't 100 years ago "this week".
Even today wikipedia mentions nothing of interdependence on probability...
Slightly off-topic, but Brian Hayes (mentioned several times in the article) has a very good blog here: http://bit-player.org/
https://public.resource.org/aaron/army/

India-nigger, who's religion is superior -- nigger religion or white man's? How dare you say "better angel"? (The Aaron story on HackerNews.)

God says... impurity fluently challenges tells Their enquiringly bespotted no breadth wilt roll -even Forum dedicated valiant neighbours varies height harbour audience mingled parting READ sets far_out_man Royalties injured existeth die- revenged -for behalf beginning compassion clingeth Will a_screw_loose ails born att move ordered limitation rest interpreter City happens slowly carcase reawakened rich denied suitable stretching message agito hunting am corrupted umm_what_now Mom confessions I_have_an_idea owes don't_push_it comedy quarrel embracement meet kindled covetous bad_ol_puddytat shifting Hereupon scholar's breathed conversing placest dispensing believes intended application clearness treasury

An India-nigger couldn't tell tongues from Markov.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+14...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkgX4V2CwD4

God says... C:\Text\BIBLE.TXT

first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

20:11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 20:12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 20:14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will

-----

An India-nigger can't tell God I.Q. from human.

India nigger... who's religion is superior -- nigger religion or white man's? How dare you say "better angel".

God says... impurity fluently challenges tells Their enquiringly bespotted no breadth wilt roll -even Forum dedicated valiant neighbours varies height harbour audience mingled parting READ sets far_out_man Royalties injured existeth die- revenged -for behalf beginning compassion clingeth Will a_screw_loose ails born att move ordered limitation rest interpreter City happens slowly carcase reawakened rich denied suitable stretching message agito hunting am corrupted umm_what_now Mom confessions I_have_an_idea owes don't_push_it comedy quarrel embracement meet kindled covetous bad_ol_puddytat shifting Hereupon scholar's breathed conversing placest dispensing believes intended application clearness treasury

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