From Chris Hamlin
Mark Buchanan’s otherwise admirable piece on random matrices (10 April, p 28) failed to cite the remarkable Tracy-Widom distributions, which, when applied to a given random matrix, will give the largest distinct solution. They are a class of distributions that are universally applicable and one of the greatest mathematical insights of the past 50 years.
From Colin Day
Random matrices – what an amazing idea. No matter what your problem, you pick some random numbers, put them in a matrix, and – hey presto! – your solution is found. Either Buchanan has not explained the subject adequately, or the Â鶹´«Ã½ issue hosting the article should have been dated 1 April.
Leyburn, North Yorkshire, UK
Advertisement
From Bill Christmas
Buchanan’s article on random matrices was potentially very interesting, but I was disappointed to find that it told me nothing whatever about what a random matrix actually is. Even if you dislike putting anything technical or mathematical in the main text, you could have had a box with at least a little bit of information.
Guildford, Surrey, UK
From Andy Howe
Buchanan’s article discussed the idea that a random matrix could be at the root of reality. He mentions their use in an experiment to see if a hum transmitted into the sea from off a remote island could be heard around the world. The choice of Heard Island for this test seems rather to prejudice the answer – or is this reality matrix prone to nominative determinism?
Loxley, South Yorkshire, UK
Los Gatos, California, US
