Mathematics
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Yahoo! researcher breaks Pi record in finding the two-quadrillionth digit
A new record has been broken in the field of mathematics by a team of researchers and a super computer working on creating a very long version of Pi. The team, led by Nicholas Sze of Yahoo!, used the company's Hadoop cloud computing tech to break the previous record by more than double, creating the longest Pi yet. Back in January, the record was set at 2.7 trillion digits using a standard, full mathematical calculation of the problem, but the Hadoop route was different. It set different parts of the computer to work on different sections of the problem, cutting up the problem into manageable-sized pieces (as shown in the formula in the image above). We're sure this record won't survive long enough for anyone to write a song about it, but it's quite an achievement all the same.
Futurama writer devises (and proves) math theorem to save The Professor's and Amy's mind
Sure, you could prove as-of-yet-unsolved mathematical problems (why hello there, P≠NP), but where's the entertainment value for the rest of us? Cue Futurama staff writer Ken Keeler, who used his PhD in "Math Blasters (in N Dimensions)" to create and verify a theorem that served as the crux of the plot for the recent Prisoner of Benda episode, wherein minds and bodies can only be switched in one direction and order must eventually be restored. Thus we are at a crossroads, dear reader: you can either brush up on your Group Theory and related permutations and expressions... or alternatively, just take a chill and enjoy a hilarious moment in science fiction. Next up, let's explore the ramifications of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle being disproven when a peanut butter sandwich fell into the large hadron collider, and by some stroke of luck scientists were able to simultaneously determine its momentum, position, and crunchiness.
HP labs researcher thinks he might have proof of P≠NP, has another Millennium problem been solved?
If you don't know the major problems facing mathematics and computer science, you might not be familiar with the problem of P versus NP. In short, it's a problem which asks, "if 'yes' answers to a yes or no question can be quickly verified, can they also be computed quickly?" Many computer scientists have long suspected that P≠NP, and it's been listed by The Clay Mathematics Institute as one of the Millennium Problems (another of which was solved earlier this year), carrying a 1 million dollar prize if solved. Apparently, HP researcher Vinay Deolalikar has been working on the problem in his spare time, and it seems that he's emailed his preliminary paper in support of P≠NP to the committee tasked with judging the Millennium Prize. His HP profile says he's received several preliminary confirmations of his draft, and that a final paper is currently in preparation. We wish him luck, and we'll keep you updated.
Reclusive mathematician says 'thanks, but no thanks' to that million dollar prize
Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman has apparently turned down a one million-dollar prize which he was awarded in March by the Clay Mathematics Institute. Perelman was awarded one of seven million dollar prizes for solving a "millennium" problem -- the Poincaire conjecture -- which had been puzzling mathematicians for about one hundred years. The problem -- which was a theorem about the governing the properties of three-dimensional spheres -- was one of the most important questions in topology before being solved. While this is not the first time he's turned down a prize, Perelman has seemingly rejected this one because he disagrees with the "organized mathematical community."
TUAW's Daily App: John Enock's Quaso
We've been spotlighting a lot of quick and easy action games in our Daily App feature lately, so here's something a little more cerebral. Quaso is a new kind of Crossword-style puzzle game, except that instead of guessing words, you're trying to figure out numbers in math equations. The game was created by an English mathematics teacher named John Enock, and has been brought to the iPhone by a developer as John Enock's Quaso, now available on the App Store for free. Here's how it works. For every crossword line on the board, you're given a set of math equations with the numbers missing. There's one total number for every puzzle (say, 6), and then for each equation, you need to figure out how another set of numbers fits in to complete the clue and make the equation equal to the total number. In other words, given the clue (*+*) x (*-*), and the answer of 6, you'd eventually work out that the numbers should be (1+2) x (5-3), and then put 1, 2, 5, and 3 in each spot on the answer. But that answer line has to match up to any that it intersects with, so you may need to switch the numbers around -- (2+1) instead of (1+2) -- for it all to work. It's fiendishly clever, and it really puts your brain to work, especially if (like me) you're not that great at casual math. But there are a ton of puzzles to work through, and then you can even buy a puzzle pack via in-app purchase for more. Especially at the current price of free, Quaso is a mathematical brain teaser that you shouldn't miss.
Twist alarm clock has you wring math equations by the neck
Man has striven for centuries to build a better mousetrap, but in the digital age, mice are the least of our worries. No, the modern day rat race requires a better alarm clock instead, and lord knows we've seen plenty, from tickers that chomp your change to clocks that give you target practice. What we don't see that often is a clock that makes you think at the same time it provokes a physical action. Thus, the Twist Alarm Clock, which displays a simple math equation when it's time to wake up, but requires effort to silence. In order to quiet the alarm, you have to twist the numbered dials on either side of its LCD screen into the right position -- in this case, to figure out what minus what equals two. It's no Turing Alarm Clock, to be sure, but this human number cruncher's actually for sale; you can get yours for ¥2,625 (about $28) in Japan.
The systems of battle in Champions Online
We've been getting a generous look under the hood of Champions Online courtesy of designer Brian Urbanek, with the second part of his system-focused developer diary now available. The first part covered the progression and improvement of a player's heroes, while this diary focuses on the mechanics of that ever-present diversion in almost every game -- combat. As one can imagine, with a game whose systems are based on a tabletop roleplaying game dating back more than twenty years, there are a lot of numbers and expressions to be thrown around. Urbanek explains, in detail, how the team set up values for stats and durability with some baseline assumptions. They knew what they could expect for an "average" player to do in terms of damage-per-second at high levels, and they had some idea of how long they wanted each fight to last (the time cited is twenty seconds). From there, the diary goes into the balancing and scaling factors needed to ensure that players and enemies both are dealing reasonable damage and surviving for the preferrable amount of time. If you like numbers and systems, or just a clearer picture of how Champions Online works, this diary should be perfect for you, with promises of still more to come down the pipeline.
