optionsScalper

Star Wars III: Revenge of the Math

(warning:  Mathematics silliness ahead)

Ok, so I'm invited by Microsoft to a showing of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith in Chicago last Thursday (thanks again guys).  As I mentioned here I enjoyed this movie, but did see a few things that didn't sit well with me.  Here's the biggie:

Anakin Skywalker is "the chosen one".  Everyone knows it, including all of the Jedi.  According to prophecy, he is supposed to bring balance to the force.  HYPOTHESIS:  balance means "same amount of badness as there is goodness".  Let's see if we can't apply a little math (I've got to learn how to do math symbology in HTML with MathML or I can't even attempt to be condescending).

• Let A be the set of Sith Lords.  Further assume that each element k of A, has an attribute m, representing the Sith's midi-chlorian count.  (Note:  Insert condescending tuple relational calculus here)
• Let B be the set of Jedi Knights.  Further assume that each element j of B, has an attribute m, representing the Jedi's midi-chlorian count.  (Note:  Insert condescending tuple relational calculus here)
• Let S_A be the cardinal number for the set A.
• Let S_B be the cardinal number for the set B.
• Let F_D be the amount of the force in the universe allocated to the Sith (dark side) and measured as the sum of m for each member of A.  (Note:  Insert condescending sigma notation here)
• Let F_J be the amount of the force in the universe allocated to the Jedi and measured as the sum of m for each member of B.  (Note:  Insert condescending sigma notation here)
• Let t mark time, or the temporal aspect, of the model. t₀ is the initial state at the beginning of Episode III.  t₁ is the ending state at the end of Episode III.

So at the beginning of Episode III (at time t₀), we find our model's state to be:

• S_A = 2
• S_B ≈ 100 (I don't really know, so I'll guess)
• F_J > F_D

At the end of the movie (at time t₁), we find that the model's observable facts show:

• S_A = 2
• S_B = 2 (and 2 infants)
• F_J ≈  F_D

Since S_A = S_B and F_J ≈  F_D, it is clear that we can observe that the final state as described by the term "balance" was met.  What is left to determine is whether the balance that was achieved was causal or coincidental w.r.t "the prophecy".  I'll leave that to you the reader and suggest a look at the Student's T or other statistical measures.  Considering the degrees of freedom, this may be difficult.  As there is a lack of observations on the Jedi data set and their corresponding times of death on an axis with insufficient precision (temporal axis), it may be difficult to apply OLS or other regressions, ARIMA, GARCH (is the conditional heteroskedasticity on midi-chlorian count? or should I be a good capitalist and make a market in options on midi-chlorians?) or other models to this problem.

Analysis

Apparently all of the Jedi in the movie didn't understand that it was a simple math problem.  Yoda even states that the prophecy could be interpreted another way.  While Yoda survives (and could actually introduce survivor bias), it is clear that we must not allow for any subjective interpretation in the model.  No bias allowed.

To move from the initial state at time t₀ to the final state t₁, one or both of the following conditions must be satisfied:

1. Jedi must die to reduce the number of elements in the Jedi set (B).
2. Jedi must be converted to the dark side to simultaneously reduce the elements in the Jedi set (B) and increase the number of elements in the Sith set (A).

These statements can be made under the assumption that a Sith or a Jedi cannot noticably increase their midi-chlorian count at will.

So we find Anakin first converts to the dark side, then says, "Hey, let's bring some balance here.  Let's kill some Jedi."

Yet even in the face of the facts that Anakin will bring "balance to the force", many of the Jedi don't believe that they will die.  Clearly they will die or convert to the dark side.  They, at some point, must realize they are only elements of sets.

Dont' forget that when a Jedi or a Sith dies, their force power just goes back into the universe.  Contrast this with the Highlander model where in death, a being's lifeforce is transferred to the victor in battle.  But that is another math problem.

posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2005 8:07 PM by optionsScalper