When does redundancy help?
Redundancy can protect a message from independent transmission errors.
Inside this model
A raw bit is wrong with chance p. Repeating it three times and taking the majority is wrong with chance 3p²−2p³, assuming independent flips. A seeded sample transmits one three-bit word.
Out in the world
A practical use
Error-correcting codes help messages survive imperfect storage or communication.
A useful lens. Not a universal law.
- Triple repetition is inefficient and assumes independent bit errors; real codes and channels are more complex.
Associated thinkers
Further reading
Explore the original research or the teaching reference behind this experiment.
Claude Shannon — A Mathematical Theory of Communication ↗