The Birthday Problem in Probability - Computing Probability Through Complements

Learn how to solve the classic birthday probability problem through a 20-minute mathematics lecture that demonstrates why calculating the inverse probability is often more straightforward than direct computation. Explore the challenges of brute force approaches, understand the concept of probability complements, and discover efficient calculation methods for determining how many people must be in a room for a 50% chance of birthday matches. Work through practical examples, tackle homework problems on computing complements, and gain important insights about handling factorial calculations in probability problems. Originally recorded at the University of Washington with support from Boeing Company, this mathematical exploration breaks down complex probability concepts into clear, manageable steps.