BUFFON'S NEEDLE PROBLEM

A needle of length L =
a distance D =

Err:511
1

is dropped on equally spaced parallel lines

apart. The probability that the needle will

cross a line is
2 L / Pi D
This formula makes sense fo L< Pi D/2 for otherwise it gives value > 1
Explanation:
B16
a random number for the x-coordinate of the first end of the needle
C16
a random number for the angle of the needle
D16
the x-coordinate of the first end of the needle, computed as B*D
E16
the angle (in radians), computed as C*2*Pi
F16
the x-coordinate of the second end of the needle, computed as D + L * COS(E)
G16
1 if a line is crossed, 0 otherwise

Err:511

Err:511

x
Err:511

angle
Err:511

x
Crossing?
Err:511
Err:511

Buffon's Needle Problem

1.4
1.2

Crossing Probability

1
0.8
Simulation
Theoretical

0.6
0.4
0.2
0

Length of Needle

Needle
Length

Simulation
Output

Theoretical
Result

0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
1.1

0.06306
0.12701
0.1918
0.25395
0.31649
0.38097
0.44574
0.50852
0.57148
0.63566
0.68121

0.063661977
0.127323954
0.190985932
0.254647909
0.318309886
0.381971863
0.445633841
0.509295818
0.572957795
0.636619772
0.70028175

1.2

0.71454 0.763943727

1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2

0.73942
0.76045
0.77933
0.79475
0.80947
0.81982
0.82794
0.83739

0.827605704
0.891267681
0.954929659
1.018591636
1.082253613
1.14591559
1.209577567
1.273239545

These values give the "Theoretical"

or higher graph, that does not make
sense after it crosses the y=1 line
Simulation
Theoretical

These values give the "Simulation" or lower

graph that approaches y=1 asymptotically

A good agreement between the theoretical

results and the simulation output for L<1

YASAI Simulation Output

Workbook
Sheet
Start Date
Start Time
Run Time (h:mm:ss)
Scenarios:
Sample Size:

Scenario
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Output Name
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency

BUFFON.xls YASAI Version:

VALUES
Use Same Seed?
4/15/2004
Random Number Seed:
3:53:44 AM
0:00:57
20
1000
Parameter
Length
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2

Scenario
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

1.1
Yes
14024.29

These results were copied to L4:L23

and are graphed as "Simulation"

Observations
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000

Standard
Mean
Deviation Minimum
0.063
0.024
0.000
0.127
0.033
0.030
0.192
0.041
0.070
0.254
0.043
0.130
0.316
0.047
0.180
0.381
0.047
0.250
0.446
0.050
0.300
0.509
0.049
0.360
0.571
0.051
0.420
0.636
0.046
0.500
0.681
0.046
0.530
0.715
0.045
0.540
0.739
0.044
0.590
0.760
0.043
0.620
0.779
0.042
0.640
0.795
0.041
0.670

Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency

17
18
19
20

1000
1000
1000
1000

0.809
0.820
0.828
0.837

0.040
0.039
0.039
0.037

0.680
0.680
0.700
0.710

These results were copied to L4:L23 in VALUES

and are graphed as "Simulation"

5th
10th
15th
20th
25th
30th
35th
40th
Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile
0.030
0.030
0.040
0.040
0.050
0.050
0.050
0.060
0.080
0.090
0.090
0.100
0.100
0.110
0.110
0.120
0.130
0.140
0.150
0.160
0.160
0.170
0.170
0.180
0.190
0.200
0.210
0.220
0.220
0.230
0.240
0.240
0.240
0.260
0.270
0.280
0.290
0.290
0.300
0.300
0.310
0.320
0.330
0.340
0.350
0.360
0.360
0.370
0.370
0.380
0.390
0.408
0.410
0.420
0.430
0.430
0.430
0.450
0.460
0.470
0.480
0.480
0.490
0.500
0.490
0.509
0.520
0.530
0.540
0.540
0.550
0.560
0.560
0.580
0.590
0.600
0.610
0.610
0.620
0.620
0.600
0.620
0.630
0.640
0.650
0.660
0.660
0.670
0.640
0.660
0.670
0.680
0.690
0.690
0.700
0.700
0.670
0.680
0.690
0.700
0.710
0.720
0.720
0.730
0.690
0.710
0.720
0.730
0.730
0.740
0.740
0.750
0.710
0.729
0.730
0.740
0.750
0.760
0.770
0.770
0.730
0.740
0.750
0.760
0.770
0.770
0.780
0.790

0.740
0.750
0.760
0.770

0.760
0.770
0.780
0.790

0.770
0.780
0.790
0.800

0.780
0.790
0.800
0.810

0.780
0.790
0.800
0.810

0.790
0.800
0.810
0.820

0.800
0.810
0.810
0.820

0.800
0.810
0.820
0.830

45th
50th
55th
60th
65th
70th
75th
80th
Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile Percentile
0.060
0.060
0.060
0.070
0.070
0.073
0.080
0.080
0.120
0.130
0.130
0.130
0.140
0.140
0.150
0.152
0.190
0.190
0.200
0.200
0.210
0.210
0.220
0.230
0.250
0.255
0.260
0.260
0.270
0.280
0.280
0.290
0.310
0.310
0.320
0.330
0.330
0.340
0.350
0.360
0.380
0.380
0.390
0.390
0.400
0.400
0.410
0.420
0.440
0.450
0.450
0.460
0.460
0.470
0.480
0.490
0.500
0.510
0.520
0.520
0.530
0.530
0.540
0.550
0.570
0.570
0.580
0.590
0.590
0.600
0.610
0.610
0.630
0.635
0.640
0.650
0.650
0.660
0.670
0.680
0.670
0.680
0.690
0.690
0.700
0.710
0.710
0.720
0.710
0.710
0.720
0.730
0.730
0.740
0.750
0.750
0.730
0.740
0.745
0.750
0.760
0.760
0.770
0.780
0.756
0.760
0.770
0.770
0.780
0.780
0.790
0.800
0.780
0.780
0.790
0.790
0.800
0.800
0.810
0.810
0.790
0.800
0.800
0.810
0.810
0.820
0.820
0.830

0.810
0.820
0.820
0.830

0.810
0.820
0.830
0.840

0.820
0.830
0.830
0.840

0.820
0.830
0.840
0.850

0.830
0.840
0.840
0.850

0.830
0.840
0.850
0.860

0.830
0.850
0.850
0.860

0.840
0.850
0.860
0.870

85th
90th
95th
Percentile Percentile Percentile Maximum
0.090
0.091
0.100
0.150
0.160
0.170
0.180
0.250
0.230
0.250
0.260
0.340
0.300
0.310
0.330
0.410
0.370
0.380
0.390
0.470
0.430
0.440
0.460
0.540
0.500
0.510
0.530
0.610
0.560
0.570
0.590
0.670
0.620
0.640
0.650
0.720
0.680
0.690
0.710
0.790
0.730
0.740
0.750
0.810
0.760
0.770
0.790
0.850
0.790
0.800
0.810
0.870
0.810
0.820
0.830
0.900
0.820
0.830
0.850
0.920
0.840
0.850
0.860
0.910

0.850
0.860
0.870
0.880

0.860
0.870
0.880
0.880

0.870
0.880
0.890
0.900

0.910
0.920
0.950
0.940