Algebra
The Birthday paradox only seems like a paradox because it unexpectedly challenges our perception of probability. It states that in a group of only 23 individuals, there is more than a 50% chance that at least two are sharing a birthday. Although it may seem counterintuitive, we have the math that proves and supports this statement.
In this article, we will gradually reprogram our intuition and build the knowledge required to derive the expression that proves the paradox. This blog focuses on software engineering and system design so we will follow a real-world example of this problem found in software. But first, let’s start with basic counting.
