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Old 12-20-2007, 12:23 AM   #18 (permalink)
Hain
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albania, I'd gladly welcome your profs input on this. If you didn't notice, I am an obsessive SOB.

This is my proof that demonstrates the symmetry of the Poisson distribution as the expectancy goes to infinity.

Unfortunately, this only proves that the sum from zero to n-1 is 1/2, as the initial assumption for the symmetry starts from the fact that Pi(n-1,n) and Pi(n,n) are equal. As they are equal, I have a symmetry line at k=n+1/2. I then have to prove that Pi(n,n) goes to zero as n goes to infinity, allowing that the original sum from zero to n is still 1/2. I could just not be so picky about it, and change the symmetry line to exist at k=n, but I know it is not there.

This is why I still don't like this proof, as having the answer before hand allowed me to begin this line of inquiry. I would much rather see an actual proof, that does not require me to know the answer previously.
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