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From: shaw@lotus.lc.att.com (Andrew M. Shaw)
Subject: Re: Pyramid Schemes (was: Re: Make a $1,00
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References: <Pine.ULT.3.91.951025120503.2315C-100000@rac8.wam.umd.edu>
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 16:29:37 GMT
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In article 100000@rac8.wam.umd.edu, Keith Wiley <keithw@wam.umd.edu> writes:
>> >It's a demonstration of a combinatorial explosion. All pyramid schemes
>> fall
>> >down because exponentially increasing numbers of suckers are necessary
>> for
>> >the previous level to get its money back.
>> 
>> It's actually a popular myth that all pyramid schemes collapse due to
>> exponential growth - perhaps a useful one to induce people not to fall for
>> such schemes, but it's inaccurate.
>
>Exactly, for example, it must eventually fall if it continues long enough 
>without any reptition, but whoever said it can't repeat.  So you get the 
>same chain letter once a week, and then once a day, and then once an 
>hour.  The point is, an exponential number separate existing individuals 
>don't have to receive it, only an exponential number of existing people 
>at all.  The same people might receive several copies of the letter.
> 

Except that as the number of letters each individual receives increases
exponentially, the time available to deal with each one decreases.  Thus
if it takes you 1 sec to process each letter, the scheme will fail when
you have to do more than 86,400.




