The Proof
 
  • We will show that the coincidence, suspected by the author to have no mathematical significance, was not a coincidence at all.
  • Given: 

     n, the number of days in a year, e.g.,  n= 365;

     k, the number of partygoers needed for the probability of two identical birthdays to exceed  1 - p, e.g.,  k= 23  for  p= .5;

     b, the number of different pairings of  k people, e.g., b= 253  for  k= 23;

     c, the number of partygoers needed for the probability of one of them having  your birthday to exceed  1 - p, e.g.,  c= 253  for  n= 365  and  p= .5;

    and these well-known approximations:

     [A]       if a<< n

     [B]    if i<< j

    we will show that:

    is not a coincidence, but is true for all reasonable values of  n and  p.

     Substitute into [A]  yielding:

    [C] 

     Multiply both sides by n

    [D] 

     Raise both sides to the power k

    [E] 

     Simplify the double exponent

    [F] 

     Substitute b for 

    [G] 

     On the left side, combine the powers of n

    [H] 

    [I] 

    [J] 

     Substitute j = n- 2 , i = k- 2  into  [B] 

    [K] 

    [L] 

     The right sides of [J] and [L] are equal; pair the left sides

    [M]

     Multiply both sides by n-1

    [N] 

     Multiply both sides by n

    [O] 

    [P] 

     Divide both sides by 

    [Q] 

    [R] 

     Substitute p for 
    [S] 

    [T] 

     Substitute c for 

    [U]

     QED.

    I have not bounded the error analytically, but empirically, I have shown the error in:

    to be within 1.0 when n> 4 and p> .04.

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     ©1998 Larry Tesler