Applied Math

Source: Futility Closet

Each term in the Fibonacci sequence is derived by adding the two preceding terms:

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 …

Remarkably, you can use successive terms to convert miles to kilometers:

8 miles ≈ 13 kilometers
13 miles ≈ 21 kilometers

This works because the two units stand in the golden ratio (to within 0.5 percent).

peace out \m/

Perspective Test - I

My friend and I have been discussing about stuff which I shall explain in upcoming posts. In order to get a better understanding, I decided to conduct this small "survey", if you will...

I know that this is not how most of you would like to spend 600 seconds, but I would really appreciate it if you would comment on the following 3 images. I drew these in college today when I realized something that my friend had been talking about since a month (dat's hw much attention i pay in class btw...)

I ain't the best artist on the block, but I'm looking forward to the comments I may receive :D

A little heads-up, please write a considerable in for the benefit of many... :D


Adiós Amigos!

Identity Flush

Hey guys. Let me start by apologizing for the huge delay in my material. I have had some difficulties in coming up with decent topics.

All that changed today as I lay in bed. It is 1.23am and I had been listening to some music (metal, of course) and I had just then bid good night to a close friend. I realized that I have this unusual epoch, every couple of months, where I start to wonder "What was I like a month ago?". And not only that, but I get into this weird frame of mind where I recompute every aspect of my life and emerge on the other side, a slight variant from what I used to be.

It takes a lot of time and effort for a person to figure out who she/he is and who she/he wants to be. usually this time and effort is spent before joining college or work so that one can build a new/stronger/different identity for a fresh start. And so I did too. But then I realized that my identity is subject to change by my own identity. Sometimes, I am in a geeky kind of framework where all I think and talk of is programs (software programs) and sometimes I'm this laid back, lethargic lad who lives life in the moment. There are probably many other frameworks too but I still haven't got a bird's eye view of them. This identity of mine holds good for a while and then I enter the space of introspection. I have no idea of what badge I carry during these turbulent times (probably, someone who knows me well can fill in the details).

At the end of the process, I emerge, from mental chaos, a slightly modified person possessing an identity which is a hybrid of my base identities. As I write this, I started to wonder whether I own multiple personalities. I hear that people with multiple personalities are frowned upon. yikes... But in my defense, I am not in control of this cycle. I do not decide to flush my identity and build a new one. It just happens and today, out of no where, I was able to get a worlds' view of my condition. Now, I do not know if my friends also experience the same or whether it is common amongst people, but all I want to do now is to investigate very deeply as I feel that this is the "critic" element that is present in humans that make humans humans. If this feature is modeled precisely into well formed algorithms, Artificial Intelligence gets a whole new dimension.

I hope I did not ruin the cycle by exposing it to the world ('cos das hw somethings in the world works) but I want to get an intricate analysis into it ('cos, to be honest, i njoy the whole process somehow).

It's 2.01 am. I know u must be like, "Boy! is he a slow typist." but I wanted to make the right choice of words (not the most complicated; but right, at least of wot i cud think of) to precisely put forth my experience.

Any and all comments are most welcome.

take care fellows... :)
Adios

Time Warp

Have you ever had a friend who say, "I use firefox cos its faster then IE"? Well i do. And in my experience i feel that this premise is not always true. I found that firefox is faster than IE when you open previously opened sites. sites like google, facebook etc. which i use on a regular bases. When a new site is requested for, i found that firefox takes a lot more time than IE.

/* time i'm referring to here is the amount of time that elapses from when the request is placed to the time when the first glimmer of response appears on the browser. */

not to rekindle the great browser wars.... :)



I tried to make sense out of the status reports that flashes in the status bar and sortof arrived at a conclusion: I feel IE paints the screen as and when a considerable amount of packets arrive. hence the page loads in parts. the text appears a lot before all the images load. firefox paints only when most of the response is aquired and the remaining is refreshed a short time later.

now, normally i would have let this go by but this bugs me when i stumble. when you stumble, you request for a lot of new web pages that, chances are, you have never seen before. ergo, firefox gets me waiting for a good 30 seconds before my enthu is back.

in my embargo to use Open Source Software as much as possible, i stuck to using firefox rather than IE. so i had to find a fix to this "time warp" that firefox creates.



feels this this wen we wait for a browser to react or to pick up a date or wen we sit in class... ;)

so; i did some research online and i found the following tweaks:

Reduce the amount of RAM Firefox uses for its cache feature

1. Type “about:config” (no quotes) in the address bar in the browser.
2. Find “browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewer”
3. Set it’s value to “0“;(Zero)

Increase the Speed at Which Firefox loads pages

1. Type “about:config” into the address bar and hit Enter.
(Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.)

2. Alter the entries as follows:
Set “network.http.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.proxy.pipelining” to “true”
Set “network.http.pipelining.maxrequests” to some number like 10.

This means it will make 10 requests at once.

3. Lastly, right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer. Name it “nglayout.initialpaint.delay” and set its value to “0“;.(Zero)

This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives. If you’re using a broadband connection you’ll load pages faster now.
Optionally (for even faster web browsing) here are some more options for your about:config (you might have to create some of these entries by Right Click –> New– > Interger or String

network.dns.disableIPv6: set “false”
“content.notify.backoffcount”: set “5“; (Five)
“plugin.expose_full_path”: set “true”.
“ui.submenuDelay”: set “0; (zero)

Reduce RAM usage to 10MB when Firefox is minimized:

This little hack will drop Firefox’s RAM usage down to 10 Mb when minimized:

1. Open Firefox and go to the Address Bar. Type in about:config and then press Enter.
2. Right Click in the page and select New -> Boolean.
3. In the box that pops up enter “config.trim_on_minimize”. Press Enter.
4. Now select True and then press Enter.
5. Restart Firefox.

This also comes in handy when you open 10 tabs across 2-3 windows. By tweaking the way Firefox handles some caching functions, you can dramatically improve page load speed and even prevent Firefox from hogging your system resources while minimized. just remember to restart Firefox when you’re done.

well, that's that and take care fellows... :)

Target: "Novice"!!!!

Note: This blog can be better appreciated when read slowly

A huge chunk of the IT industry revolves around "novice users". Trying to cater to newbies is what earns meals for thousands and thousands of people around the world. The trend is not only in the field of IT; it, actually , originated in the early 80's when a whole bunch of products was launched like the family car or the vacuum cleaner or the toaster. Consequently, new models of the same were also launched which made people choose on the bases of ease and comfort. These were all meant to be but one company took it to a new level: "Microsoft".

Microsoft and its products is the holy grail for novice software users. In true silicon valley style, Microsoft picked up the concept of user satisfaction from Apple, who first implemented the Graphical User Interface (Gooey).

Up until the launch of Windows Vista, programmers focused on User Interface (UI) to create the "awwww" effect in users. I remember when vista was launched, all my friends did was talk about how good the windows looked, the transparency, the AERO. Vista is the biggest flop after Microsoft Windows Server 2003. As attractive as Vista is, it is resource hungry. You can face speed issues with vista though your box has 2 gigs memory. You combine the greed for resources with the awful UAC, LoL :) , you've got a pig sitting or your drive. As the adage goes: "Every dark cloud has a silver lining", Vista introduced a revolutionary concept: "UX".

For those of you who don't know what UX is, all i need to do is: give you the full-form. UX stands for User eXperience. ;) How about that? This is the future of the industry. Any and all major releases now are centered around UX. Fedora, Solaris, MAC, windows server 2008 and its successors (Hyper-V, R2) have all ditched their believes and switched over to produce a decent UX.

The obese and lethargic vista is now receiving a huge make over that includes a tummy tuck and a face lift to emerge as:

"Windows 7"

(uuuuhuhuuuu)




Windows 7 (project: windows vienna) uses the same system architecture as vista but it is faster and better looking (atleast dats wot they say... pufff ;) ). Features like AERO Shake and a improved taskbar are set to captivate novice users and have them chatting for some time. But i'm really not impressed by this one bit. cos i'm not a noob ;) LoL..... What actually impresses my is MinWin and Libraries (google it... me too lazy to write) . Two extraordinary features introduced that helps me and other tech savvy folks in particular "programmers".

In terms of UX, i believe windows 7 is 7/10 (ironic?).... I'm still not convinced about the improved UAC.... talkin abt UAC, boy, was it a bitch in vista... puff :

Target: "Novice" is a fact. Programming is now the icing on a piece of cake. Jus ask my frens who hav been introduced to microsoft's latest tools.... UX in programming tools have now become common.... :)

This truly chucks the traditional approach of programming out of the window where employees were locked up in room and asked to tap away lines of codes while their bosses slid pizzas under the door.... :)

well, To sum up:

• Try to elevate from the state of being a novice to become a mature programmer.
  
• Learn and share tech info
• Do not depend on only easy tools. venture out to other areas like: openSource etc.
• i hav my viva tomo and hav not yet touched my books
• i make a lot of grammatical mistakes. also pardon my spellings :)
• Don't call me a geek
• As i sign of change, this blog was completely written using firefox and fedora10 as OS....
• take care and peace out \/m
  

Self Made Man

A very great man once said, "it is the risk taker who ends up with the best head-stone."

Allow me to blabber a lil :)

There are essentially two different and equally important kinds of people when we consider 'career' as a parameter. One would be the person who does a great job in college and reaches a point in life where she/he decides to get a decent job and stabilize their life doing what they do best - u know "taking instructions"; and then there are people who tend to take the extra step and say, "hey! wait a minute. lemme try and achieve a lil more than wot i have or can have". This is a person who probably one day will end up a billionaire and is a true self made man. When i say billionaire,believe me, i don't mean his bank balance, but the brand "Billionaire" - life in his control.

What i'm goin to express here may seem bizarre, but wot the hell! it's my blog... :)

The outcome of this 'trying to achieve success' embargo is totally immaterial. One may end up rich and famous, others may fail and screw up, but it's totally worth the shot cos if u end up where you want to be, there is nothing better. I would present the status of "Billionaire" to any person who even gives a shot at thinking out of the box and be something different. This gamble, if played intelligently, pays off and ultimately benefits the nation.

Let me assert that arriving at a conclusion as to who is going to be happier on their death bed is not ethical nor sensible as it is a matter of perspective. What I'd like to spread out is: do not try to judge a person based on the above. Being as diverse as they are, both, and i stress upon this point, are very very essential to this society as it introduces the great "producer-consumer problem".

As part of Bangalore's youth i urge people to try to take the extra step and make a name for yourself. Think of Sir Richard Branson, think of Dr. Vijay Mallya, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet (2nd richest guy in the world); we are proud of these modern marvels as they reformed and reshaped the world. These entrepreneurs, haven't become what they are over night, it takes some serious hunger for success, a lot of work and above all: GUTS!...

Here are some interesting insights from Mr Warren Buffet:

http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dfv8mm9q_0f2b4r5ch&skipauth=true





In memory of Late L.Prasad (21/5/1956 to 7/4/2008) luv u dad!

A 62 year old slow learner

I'm sure all of us are acquainted with the term "slow learner". Being a slow learner by birth is to no one's blame. She/he is just a slow gifted child. But when capability and intelligence is in over whelming proportions, a negligent attitude would result in being a slow learner and this outcome is absurd and inexcusable.

The slow learner I'm taking about is not a child, woman or man but it is congregation of very capable citizens to make up the so called "cradle of human race" - "India".

This picture brings back into memory the stories we have read in school and the tales told by our elders and kindles a small flame of patriotism within us. To see or hear of the great freedom fighters and leaders of our country who martyred themselves for freedom of the country is very Nobel idea. But how have the later generations really used this freedom?

Of whatever little I have seen in the world, i choose to conclude that, "We, Indians, have not participated in the growth of this country after the freedom struggle". The only country i have visited outside of India (Malaysia) acquired it's independence 7 years after us, is now home to 1) the worlds tallest twin towers 2) the worlds longest multi-purpose tunnel and 3) the second biggest collection of casinos (Las Vegas being no. 1... obviously). Let me share with you an incident that occurred; An Indian was stopped at security check in an airport in Canada and the officers presumed that he was a terrorist ('cos he was Indian). In reply to their accusations, he said, "How did you confuse me to be a terrorist? I'm an Indian. Terrorists hate America but Indians hate each other". (some of u wud know who i'm talkin abt... Its Russell Peters for dos who don't)

I don't mean to strike a cliché discussion here, but it is something i felt is worth addressing. Clearly, we cannot change over night but an effort from the younger generations would do no one bad. The Mangalore Molestation, Fraudulent Intellectuals, burning of property at chance mob gatherings may be news topics for a couple of weeks, but it VERY VERY CLEARLY SHOWS WHAT THE MENTALITY OF PEOPLE IS LIKE.

I propose a dream, just as the Americans have "The American Dream", I would sincerely advice people to have an "Indian Dream" wherein, Indians 1) care for fellow Indians 2) strive to achieve success 3) care for the environment 4) help the nation help you.

India needs about half a dozen "Obama(s)". Lets step up and have an "Obama" in everyone of us.

Hope i din sound boring.... it is something originating deep inside me... :)

Let us turn

Into

Take care fellows!

Style... Illustrated

/* pls don consider to be an official blog... somethin i'm writin for fun... */

Three things a guy (a dude) should always keep in mind at any point of time in a day:

• What brand of clothes he is wearing, down to the very innermost
• How much cash he has in his wallet
• And, how much cash he can manage to get in the following few days to come.

these, and probably some more stuff like: what the back of his head looks like and how good the taste of a black forest is (yumm... :) )

What is life without style? It would be 100% redundant and boring with everybody acting, looking and behaving in the same way. Style of a person is, in essence, her/his identity. By style, I don't mean: showoff or freakin deck yourself in fancy wear - (i'm glad i mentioned this... looking at the response i got frm my earlier blog... 'MC' would appear in 6/10 sentences... :) ). Style can be the manner in which you talk, listen, sit, stand, walk (unable to think of more... shouldn't hav mentioned "black forest"... yumm... :) )

Anyway, I'm sure you guys get the picture of what exactly i mean by "a person should be stylish."

The three things i mentioned above, I'm sure most guys would be using it by now (oh! come on!!!)

See you soon... :)

Maturity Coefficient

inspiration: Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother) LoL:)

when we look back in time and think about the day we met a friend and think about how she/he was, in terms of attitude and gnyan, and then we see a difference in their qualities now, we tend to gauge things like what changes we can expect in them in the following years to come or how (kinda choosin the rite word here...) sensible they are now. And i personally feel that the future of this relationship partly depends on this difference.

Being the programmer that i am, i cant help but think of this difference in people as a simple integer. Let's look into what i call :

(sound_of_thunder)

"The Maturity Coefficient"

(sound_of_evil_laugh)


i paint quite a picture, don't i?
LoL:)

Let's assign the MC of a new born baby the value 0. And as the baby grows, she/he learns enormous amount of wisdom, either by self-experience or in case Indian society experience of the care takers. this growth can be perceived as an increase in the value of MC (not in any progression viz., AP,GP...). MC is time dependent. the value of MC may increase or remain the same with the increase in time. This change in MC can only be understood if the time difference is large (as in: a year or more). when we assign a value for a person, taking the day you met as reference, and assign a probable value for her/him taking the present configuration of the relationship in mind, and figure out the difference, we can fairly judge the person and predict the health of the relationship in future.

The significance of MC and this 'out of the mind, completely loony theory' will probably come into picture when you understand this load of crap and you are probably a year or more into the relationship.

I have a couple of friends whose MC difference is negligible. Not to judge these people or anything, but, I'm not very impressed by them (boo me). on a more serious note, i believe MC is quite accurate and has proved it's word in many instances of my life.

Please don use this on me... ;)
Take care fellows!

Hello World!

Hey folks! Allow me to express my train of thoughts and share with you - my take of the world and my perspective of life. Some of the subjects i'd like to talk about are: Formula-1, Crazy theories which i cook up in free time (usually in college), my experiences and stuff like that.

well, here goes nothing...