Discrete vs. Continuous Functions

I have finally found a way to use my $100,000 math degree. I never thought I'd use it in basketball to prove why the Celtics will win Game 6 tonight but here goes.

First some brief background. As LaCelt will hopefully attest, (that's attest, not the ever so lucky Artest) once you get into calculus and above, you get introduced to discrete and continuous functions. Discrete has to do with things you can count. Continuous has to do with limits and what happens to functions f(x) as your input, x normally, approaches a certain number or infinity. OK, have I lost everyone yet? That's it for the background math lesson. On with the proof.

Since the Celtics have lost Game 4, (actually since after they won Game 3 since that's when things began to look eerily like the Boston Bruins series,) the press and everyone non-Celtic has been selling a continuous function idea. The Boston Bruins did this, the Celtics have been behaving like that, therefore the Celtics will do this. Each discrete game, games we can count, the Celtics keep fulfilling what the Bruins did. But the Bruins over continuous time blew a 3 game lead. They are selling the end result, hoping the Celtics do exactly what the Bruins did and bring gloom, doom and finally death again to the city of Boston and its sport fanchises.

The good news is, the Celtics and Doc Rivers don't think like that. The Celtics need to win only one game. Nothing is going to change the fact that the series is 3-2. Nothing is going to change that Game 6 is in Boston. Each game is a discrete game in and of itself, unrelated to the previous game. The press is selling momentum. Momentum only exists under a continuous concept and in this case seen in retrospect. Within a series, everything is discrete, one game at a time.

The team that wins tonight is the one that takes it as just one game and not looking at it as the press does with momentum. ORL, is all over the momentum idea. SVG has bought into it. "We're going to be the first team to be down 0-3 and win. But within a series, I claim there is no momentum, since each game stands by itself. It is only after the series is complete, like with the Bruins, that you see continuity. The Celtics just happened to win 3 games in a row. The Magic just happened to win 2 games in a row. But there is no connection between any of them within the series. There is no "momentum".

The Celtics and Doc know this. All they know is it's 3-2, they are ahead and this Game 6 is on our court. They know they are the better team. We win this one and it's over. Dwight Howard is going to learn a huge lesson tonight. I personally hope he gets decked and the refs don't see it and I mean clocked, accidently of course, just like his. While their comback has made this a series, (and by the way, this is the ECF, it should be this close) it will end tonight simply because the Celtics are focused on 1 game and ORL is focused on completing history and destiny. Celtics win in a laugher. Momentum within a series is a figment of the press and our imaginations.

Dbrown,
That was funny: application of higher math to ECF 2010.
In reality, I think, it's a little bit simpler. Doc has to impound in the brains of all Celtics to stop chasing ball handler and cover perimeter shooters(8-12 points is huge in a close game), plus hack D12. And hack him hard. Stop treating the last possession of a quarter, if we have the ball, as a free-bee with PP or RR iso.
I hope BBD will be able to play and RR is free from spasms.

AK

Dbrown

Yesterday on ESPN radio Colin Cowherd was discussing the illustion of momentum. That basically what you did yesterday has no bearing on what you will do today and today no bearing on what you do tommorow.

Go to any casino and look at the roulette wheel. Many black and red numbers (couple of green too) Casinos have installed these long posts next to every table that show the previous 15-20 numbers that have been landed on.

many people walking by may glance at these and see that at a certain table a black number has appeared 6 stright times so they think that RED is due and bet heavy on the color red. With a table full of 38 total numbers 18 red 18 black and 2 green.................the odds are against them by somewhat less than .05%.

The little ball could care less that black has come up 6 straight times.

The previous spin has no bearing on the next one.

Only thing about the prior game that would matter is an injury or an ejection and possible suspension.

C's win tonight not sure how or by how much but that doesn't matter.

beat

I think Sheed will be big tonight.

Sheed plays good defense on Howard AND forces Howard to actually pay attention to him on C offense. I looked at game 4 some and it seems to be too easy for Howard to slack of Perkins to help out cause Perkins is not a threat anywhere outside the direct paint.

Not saying that Sheed should start chucking them 3s but if he lurks far enough from the basket so Howard can not easily help he can help the offense a bunch. Just midrange jumpers that Sheed will drain all night.

We gotta make Howard work on defense too, both in having to foul and also in having to actually move away from the basket.

With that being said the Celtics should just play Celtics basketball with good hard working D.

dbrown,

Look at that; you do get to use your degree in the future! And we thought they all told us that just to get our tuition money.

So, for the physics students in the classroom (and I am not one), you are saying momentum is spent and therefore cannot be carried over since a game is a discrete (non-continuous) function. The energy does not carry forward. As a force then, momentum must be restarted and reapplied in each game.

This in turn should be helpful to us because of catalysts in our favor; am I getting it? The catalysts come in the form of our home court, Scal, Shelden and Tony bringing the energy and emotional lift in the absence of Davis, Sheed and Daniels as well as the players and staff ascribing to the theories you mention and having some eighteen fouls to give on Howard, is that right?

OK, I'm good with that. This is hard work. Is there going to be a quiz?

Regards

dbrown4 wrote:I have finally found a way to use my $100,000 math degree. I never thought I'd use it in basketball to prove why the Celtics will win Game 6 tonight but here goes.

First some brief background. As LaCelt will hopefully attest, (that's attest, not the ever so lucky Artest) once you get into calculus and above, you get introduced to discrete and continuous functions. Discrete has to do with things you can count. Continuous has to do with limits and what happens to functions f(x) as your input, x normally, approaches a certain number or infinity. OK, have I lost everyone yet? That's it for the background math lesson. On with the proof.

Since the Celtics have lost Game 4, (actually since after they won Game 3 since that's when things began to look eerily like the Boston Bruins series,) the press and everyone non-Celtic has been selling a continuous function idea. The Boston Bruins did this, the Celtics have been behaving like that, therefore the Celtics will do this. Each discrete game, games we can count, the Celtics keep fulfilling what the Bruins did. But the Bruins over continuous time blew a 3 game lead. They are selling the end result, hoping the Celtics do exactly what the Bruins did and bring gloom, doom and finally death again to the city of Boston and its sport fanchises.

The good news is, the Celtics and Doc Rivers don't think like that. The Celtics need to win only one game. Nothing is going to change the fact that the series is 3-2. Nothing is going to change that Game 6 is in Boston. Each game is a discrete game in and of itself, unrelated to the previous game. The press is selling momentum. Momentum only exists under a continuous concept and in this case seen in retrospect. Within a series, everything is discrete, one game at a time.

The team that wins tonight is the one that takes it as just one game and not looking at it as the press does with momentum. ORL, is all over the momentum idea. SVG has bought into it. "We're going to be the first team to be down 0-3 and win. But within a series, I claim there is no momentum, since each game stands by itself. It is only after the series is complete, like with the Bruins, that you see continuity. The Celtics just happened to win 3 games in a row. The Magic just happened to win 2 games in a row. But there is no connection between any of them within the series. There is no "momentum".

The Celtics and Doc know this. All they know is it's 3-2, they are ahead and this Game 6 is on our court. They know they are the better team. We win this one and it's over. Dwight Howard is going to learn a huge lesson tonight. I personally hope he gets decked and the refs don't see it and I mean clocked, accidently of course, just like his. While their comback has made this a series, (and by the way, this is the ECF, it should be this close) it will end tonight simply because the Celtics are focused on 1 game and ORL is focused on completing history and destiny. Celtics win in a laugher. Momentum within a series is a figment of the press and our imaginations.

Db- When I first saw the post, I thought I had accidently gone on to my assignment page..."Write a paper comparing..." I broke into a cold sweat.... but when I came out of my fog...Well, as they say, no harm, no foul...
I must say, I like your logic...(just between you, me and the proverbial lamppost...I think you are stretching the bounds of mathematics just a bit...)...but like a true Celtic fan, you are seeing the world through emerald glasses. I've got my pair on as I type. If anyone really knew who was going to win tonight, I don't think they would tell a soul but would apply massive amounts of money to their certainty.
That's one of the things I truly love about sports...Everyone is an expert because no one is.(IMHO) This principle allows me to spout off on this site and so far, the powers that be have put up with it....Once again, I must point out, all the moderators deserve a BIG round of applause for the great board they have put together.

It's no longer the dbrown conjecture...it's the dbrown theorem... you nailed it...

NY, the more I thought about it, it is a physics problem like you pointed out. LA, it was a stretch but you get the gist. Newton's 2nd Law or something. The great news is, the Celtics played a great Game 6 to close it out. ORL was a tough team, very physical at times. This will prepare the Celtics for the Lakers. Not going to count chickens, but the match-ups look very good for us.

If all Phil and the boys can come up with is revenge and preserving home court, the Lakers are in for another disappointing Finals. This team is nowhere near the Lakers teams of the 80's that actually beat the Celtics twice in the Finals. They were a great team with Magic et al. Once again, we have seen this show 3 times before in the playoffs. Lock down D smothers the Lakers.