finding eclipsing binaries

[Stupendous Man <richmond@a188-l009.rit.edu>]

  Tom wrote

> I recall 180 stars with WS statistic over 100.  Most of these looked like 
> real variables.  Many probable eclipsing binaries.  There is just not 
> enough data yet to come to any real conclusions.  Only 100000 have 10 or 
> more measurements.

  I recall from a conversation some years ago that, in order to find
"a good fraction" of the eclipsing variables in a sample of stars,
one needed at least 30 -- and maybe 100? -- samples at random times.

  It would be an interesting pencil-and-paper exercise for someone
to estimate this number using the properties of "typical" eclipsing
binaries.  That is, figure out what fraction of the time the star
is noticeably fainter than normal, and then estimate how many points
below max one needs to have confidence in the eclipses, and to 
determine the period, etc.

  If someone wants to do that exercise and then tell us about it --
or just point us all to a published work which already exists --
I'm sure we'd all benefit ...

                                      Michael Richmond