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<record version="2" id="9812">
 <title>Bacon number</title>
 <name>BaconNumber</name>
 <created>2007-07-28 17:02:32</created>
 <modified>2007-08-02 12:44:03</modified>
 <type>Definition</type>
 <creator id="13766" name="PrimeFan"/>
 <author id="12996" name="Mravinci"/>
 <author id="13766" name="PrimeFan"/>
 <classification>
	<category scheme="msc" code="01A60"/>
	<category scheme="msc" code="01A61"/>
	<category scheme="msc" code="01A65"/>
 </classification>
 <related>
	<object name="ErdHosBaconNumber"/>
 </related>
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 <content>\PMlinkescapeword{degrees}
\PMlinkescapeword{separation}
\PMlinkescapeword{even}
\PMlinkescapeword{wild}

The {\em Bacon number} is to movie actors what the Erd\H{o}s number is to mathematicians, only the connections are through films, and the central actor to connect to is Kevin Bacon. Because of the play {\it Six Degrees of Separation}, the common wisdom held that most actors could be linked in six steps. In fact, for most actors working today, whether in Hollywood, Bollywood, or anywhere in the world, can be connected to Bacon in just two steps. Even actors from the black and white era can be connected to Bacon in as short as three steps. For example, Nikolai Cherkasov (of {\it Alexander Nevsky} fame) was in {\it Nights of Farewell} with Jacques Ferriere, who was in {\it Le Chainon manquant} with Bill Murray, who was in {\it Wild Things} with Kevin Bacon. </content>
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