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Artificial Intelligence / Unit 6   AI 0286 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds

The Leaf Audit

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The idea

A chance tree is audited in one sweep: multiply along every path, add across the leaves, and confirm the total is exactly 1.

In practice

The ferry trip, drawn whole. Two branchings: on time 0.9 or late 0.1, then ferry running 0.8 or not 0.2. Four leaves, multiplied along their paths: on-time-and-running, 0.72; on-time-and-boat-down, 0.9 × 0.2 — 0.18; late-but-running, 0.1 × 0.8 — 0.08; late-and-down, 0.02. Now add across: 0.72 plus 0.18 plus 0.08 plus 0.02 — exactly 1.00. The books balance, so no case was lost or invented, and any question about the trip is now a matter of picking leaves: the chance of catching the boat at all is the first leaf alone, 0.72; the chance of a wasted ride is the second, 0.18.

Where people slip

A tree whose leaves miss 1 is broken somewhere upstream — run this audit on every chance tree you ever draw.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

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