The Paradox of the Proof
On August 31, 2012, Japanese mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki posted four papers on the Internet. The titles were inscrutable. The volume was daunting: 512 pages in total. The claim was audacious: ...
Hasnain says:
The first paper, entitled “Inter-universal Teichmuller Theory I: Construction of Hodge Theaters,” starts out by stating that the goal is “to establish an arithmetic version of Teichmuller theory for number fields equipped with an elliptic curve…by applying the theory of semi-graphs of anabelioids, Frobenioids, the etale theta function, and log-shells.”
Posted on 2013-05-10T11:05:23+0000
Predicting Google closures
Analyzing predictors of Google abandoning products; predicting future shutdowns
Hasnain says:
A thorough analysis, but not for those who are mathematically challenged.
Posted on 2013-05-04T13:04:06+0000
HERE IS TODAY
A look at time...
Help! I am not Robin van Persie
Fans seeking hat-trick hero Robin van Persie bombarded an IT consultant in India on Twitter. It's a classic case of mistaken identity.
Hasnain says:
Note to self: Never use any online handle even remotely similar to that of a celebrity.
Posted on 2013-04-24T13:26:26+0000
Why women should embrace a ‘good enough’ life
Elsa Walsh on success beyond work.
Hasnain says:
This is a really good read. And it applies equally to men as well.
Posted on 2013-04-23T18:04:22+0000
Bill Watterson's Speech - Kenyon College, 1990
I have a recurring dream about Kenyon. In it, I'm walking to the post office on the way to my first class at the start of the school year. Suddenly it occurs to me that I don't have my schedule memorized, and I'm not sure which classes I'm taking, or where exactly I'm supposed to be going.
Hasnain says:
"We're not really taught how to recreate constructively. We need to do more than find diversions; we need to restore and expand ourselves. Our idea of relaxing is all too often to plop down in front of the television set and let its pandering idiocy liquefy our brains. Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery - it recharges by running."
This is really good advice for graduating seniors. Bill Watterson is the guy who writes Calvin and Hobbes.
Posted on 2013-04-22T08:15:47+0000
A Pacemaker Wrecks a Family's Life - NYTimes.com
How putting in a pacemaker wrecked a family’s life.
You're Doing It Wrong - ACM Queue
Improving the performance of complex software is difficult, but understanding some fundamental principles can make it easier.
The Last Question
filer.case.edu
The Square Root of NOT » American Scientist
Digital computers are built out of circuits that have definite, discrete states: on or off, zero or one, high voltage or low voltage. Engineers go to great lengths to make sure these circuits never settle into some intermediate condition. Quantum-mechanical systems, as it happens, offer a guarantee…