edumacational - fun with binomial theory

[doyle]

I was posting a comment about this on icafreak's journal and I thought "it's maths! Random pointless maths! Who wouldn't love that!"

So anyway, I was talking about my love of odd pairings.

I'd love to have written all the possible pairings, even if it's only for a ficlet, but even just counting the major characters there are *so many*. (If we're talking Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Dawn, Anya, Tara, Oz, Riley, Spike, Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, Wesley, Fred, Illyria, Lorne, Harmony, Doyle, Faith, Lindsey and Lilah - 22 people equals (22*21)/2 pairings. That's 231 pairings, unless my maths is shoddier than I think. And it would mean writing something like Lorne/Dawn or Giles/Lindsey...)

I'm sure I'm missing a major character. Connor! How could I forget my boy! And Andrew! Okay, add them. And Snyder, for swmbo. That gives us 25 characters. The number of possible pairings goes up to 300 (25*24/2). 300! I've got a long way to go before I've done all of them.

If our 25 characters are bored with twosomes then there's a gigantamous 25*24*23/6 = 2300 possibilities for hot threeway action. Okay, might be just a bit impossible to do them all.

The moral of this is: more randomness in our pairings is what we need. To start with, someone should write Cordelia/Dawn/Riley. Or, as icafreak suggested, Anya/Illyria.

Disclaimer: should be taken as an estimate only. I may well have screwed up the maths, in which case the mathematicians on my friendslist will point and laugh.

Comments

[soundingsea.livejournal.com]

To start with, someone should write Cordelia/Dawn/Riley. Or, as icafreak suggested, Anya/Illyria.

Hee! Talk about arbitrary. Well, that will have to be someone else; I've done my duty for odd pairings with Wes/Drusilla. :)

[sangpassionne.livejournal.com]

That would mean writing Fred/Illyria which, whilst not impossible, seems a tad on the freaky side.

Apart from that, it all looks good and I'm looking forward to reading them. Every single one (except maybe Snyder/Buffy cos ewwww) :-D

[swmbo.livejournal.com]

Anya/Illyria is SO MEANT TO BE!

omg, I can't believe you forgot Connor for a second, hee! Thank you for adding Snyder. Balding principals need their love, too! Plus what would Angel do without him?

Pls write me Anya/Illyria, stat, thank you.

Hee! But I am so with you on the more random pairings. GO TEAM!

[chartophile.livejournal.com]

Your math makes me happy.

[mosca.livejournal.com]

I did that once, albeit in E.R. fandom and on a smaller scale: 4 characters, every possible pairing thereof. And was going to do more, but started doing the math.

I have this sinking feeling that Darla and Drusilla should be on the list. And if I put on my sad puppy eyes, will you add the Grooselugg? I'll-- I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll write Lorne/Dawn.

[octopedingenue]

The problem with a fandom populated by ageless immortal powerful demons with low moral standards is that a pairing like Illyria/Anya (Anyanka) is actually PLAUSIBLE. Dawn/Illyria, even, with Lo & Behold I Am A Shiny Immortal Key.

[ros-fod.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I'm missing a major character. Connor! How could I forget my boy!

You're outta the club!
Heeeee. *snurfles you*

[jennyo.livejournal.com]

*giggle* What's disturbing is how Lilah? Is still the sluttiest. I'm all, "Hmm, Lilah/Devon...he opened for some indie band, they're backstage after a concert, he says she kind of looks like this girl he knew back in high school, he's the prettiest thing around, they get all bump and grindy..." and then "Lilah/Andrew: Andrew finally finds someone who likes to order him around as much as he likes" and then I laugh and laugh, because dear God. My character is a big ol' ho.

And the Devon/Lilah actually sounds kind of fun and plausible. God save me.

[thesecondevil]

To start with, someone should write Cordelia/Dawn/Riley. Or, as icafreak suggested, Anya/Illyria.

I actually asked for Anya(nka)/Illyria as one of two possible pairings for a ficathon but I doubt I'll get it. :-( Then after that I started thinking about how cool an Illyria/Glory pairing would be with Illyria standing around observing the human muck and Glory hoping it wouldn't stain her shoes that Illyria made her from the skin of their enemies. Clearly I've put too much thought into this. *is weird*

Still, that's some very impressive maths right there, do you reckon you'll ever be able to write them all?

[gwynnega]

Hmm, how about Lindsey/Tara? Doyle/Faith? Dawn/Gunn? Anya/Lilah?

(I once had an idea for a Wishverse Vamp!Giles/Vamp!Willow/Human!Harmony fic...)

[settiai]

*cough*

You do realize that the list can go on forever?

[hpchick.livejournal.com]

Um...what about Gwen, Joyce, Ethan, Amy, Clem, Dr. Walsh, Forrest, and Graham.

Xander/Illyria? Knox/Holden? Caleb/Cordelia? Caleb/Lilah? Gwen/Xander? Riley/Fred? Clem/Lorne? Wishverse VampXander/Buffy?

Sorry. It's late and I'm over-tired. These pairing just came spewing out of my poor sleep-deprived brain.

[jedi-penguin.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about this, and you would go nuts using every recurring character. But every character that ever appeared in the opening credits, even if only once? That should be doable.

First season: Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia
Second season: add Angel
Third season: add Oz
Fourth season: add Riley, Spike and Jonathon (only one episode, but he's in there)
Fifth season: add Anya and Dawn
Sixth season: add Tara (again, only one episode, but...)
Angel season one: add Doyle and Wes
season two: add Gunn
season three: add Fred and Connor
season four: add Lorne
season five: add Illyria and Harmony

Unless I'm missing someone, that's 21 people, thus 210 pairings. Yes, that takes out popular favorites such as Lilah and Ethan, but it's a doable spread. If you got seventy people to take three pairings apiece (each ficlet no less than 500 words), it would be done already!

_{do it, do it! You know you want to do it}

[makd.livejournal.com]

Put the calculator down, NOW. Place it in the lowest drawer of the desk, way in the back, underneath some papers, where you'll never find it again.

Walk away from the desk, slowly - very slowly. Now, leave the building, go off to a nice, quiet, place and have a nice cup of hot tea and some cookies.

[accidentalwords.livejournal.com]

One web-page that lists all possible pairings from any given list of characters? Check (http://www.this.nu/steal/pairings.htm).

Yes, I have no life.