Comments for New Adventures in Software http://blog.uncommons.org Rants and opinion interspersed with awe-inspiring tales of heoric software engineering endeavours. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:22:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Teach Yourself with University CS Resources by Andy http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/06/23/university-cs-education-resources/#comment-1773 Andy Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:31:28 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=90#comment-1773 Great find with that GOOG cs curriculum search! Thanks Dan. Great find with that GOOG cs curriculum search! Thanks Dan.

]]> Comment on Teach Yourself with University CS Resources by Teach Yourself with University CS Resources http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/06/23/university-cs-education-resources/#comment-1764 Teach Yourself with University CS Resources Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:08:34 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=90#comment-1764 [...] http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/06/23/university-cs-education-resources/ [...] [...] http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/06/23/university-cs-education-resources/ [...]

]]> Comment on Scholarpedia: Wikipedia with better standards? by New Adventures in Software » Teach Yourself with University CS Resources http://blog.uncommons.org/2007/06/16/scholarpedia-wikipedia-with-better-standards/#comment-1756 New Adventures in Software » Teach Yourself with University CS Resources Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:02:42 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=27#comment-1756 [...] Another resource that may prove useful is Scholarpedia, which I have mentioned before. [...] [...] Another resource that may prove useful is Scholarpedia, which I have mentioned before. [...]

]]> Comment on Java Archaeology: Revisiting 20th Century Code by henk http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/06/20/java-archaeology/#comment-1751 henk Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:33:44 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=88#comment-1751 Good post! And then to think that if we left matters in the hand of some 'purists', today's Java would have been exactly like Java 1.1. You know, those kind of people who complain with every change in Java and constantly complain the Java library is supposedly so bloated etc... Good post! And then to think that if we left matters in the hand of some ‘purists’, today’s Java would have been exactly like Java 1.1. You know, those kind of people who complain with every change in Java and constantly complain the Java library is supposedly so bloated etc…

]]> Comment on Software That Won’t Die: FSA goes Open Source by New Adventures in Software » Java Archaeology: Revisiting 20th Century Code http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/06/18/fsa-goes-open-source/#comment-1734 New Adventures in Software » Java Archaeology: Revisiting 20th Century Code Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:18:54 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=85#comment-1734 [...] Software That Won’t Die: FSA goes Open Source [...] [...] Software That Won’t Die: FSA goes Open Source [...]

]]> Comment on A Java Programmer’s Guide to Random Numbers, Part 3: Seeding by Dan http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/04/10/a-java-programmers-guide-to-random-numbers-part-3-seeding/#comment-1711 Dan Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:09:27 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=68#comment-1711 Dominic, from your description, it's not clear how the numbers are generated. If there are actual physical balls that are picked out of a machine (as in the UK National Lottery), then which balls get picked is a result of physical factors and timing. I don't think it would be very easy to predict but, if you are interested, see the book Fortune's Formula by William Poundstone. There is a section describing how Claude Shannon and Ed Thorp built a device to predict roulette wheels. If the numbers are the result of a PRNG then, to reverse engineer it, you would need to find out what algorithm it uses. As I mentioned in the article, it would probably be an algorithm that is difficult (almost impossible) to reverse engineer. Also you are assuming that the device is not re-seeded from week-to-week. That's probably not the case. Are you suggesting that the lottery is rigged? Detecting bias in the results can be done with statistics but it would probably require a very large sample of outputs to be worthwhile. The best plan is not to play. Even when they are fair lotteries are designed to make the players lose money. That's because their primary function is to raise money for some other purpose. This means that only a fraction of the money paid in goes into the prize pool. In the UK National Lottery, for example, only about 50% of the money is paid out in prizes. Compare this 50% expected return to the 99.4% you'd get playing Blackjack in a casino, and it's clear that if you like to gamble, you should chose something other than the lottery. Dominic, from your description, it’s not clear how the numbers are generated. If there are actual physical balls that are picked out of a machine (as in the UK National Lottery), then which balls get picked is a result of physical factors and timing. I don’t think it would be very easy to predict but, if you are interested, see the book Fortune’s Formula by William Poundstone. There is a section describing how Claude Shannon and Ed Thorp built a device to predict roulette wheels.

If the numbers are the result of a PRNG then, to reverse engineer it, you would need to find out what algorithm it uses. As I mentioned in the article, it would probably be an algorithm that is difficult (almost impossible) to reverse engineer. Also you are assuming that the device is not re-seeded from week-to-week. That’s probably not the case.

Are you suggesting that the lottery is rigged? Detecting bias in the results can be done with statistics but it would probably require a very large sample of outputs to be worthwhile.

The best plan is not to play. Even when they are fair lotteries are designed to make the players lose money. That’s because their primary function is to raise money for some other purpose. This means that only a fraction of the money paid in goes into the prize pool. In the UK National Lottery, for example, only about 50% of the money is paid out in prizes. Compare this 50% expected return to the 99.4% you’d get playing Blackjack in a casino, and it’s clear that if you like to gamble, you should chose something other than the lottery.

]]> Comment on A Java Programmer’s Guide to Random Numbers, Part 3: Seeding by Duru Dominic http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/04/10/a-java-programmers-guide-to-random-numbers-part-3-seeding/#comment-1708 Duru Dominic Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:47:52 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=68#comment-1708 My name is Dominic from west Africa. I read your article few days ago after a long period of staying in darkness. In fact, we have been deceived by private individual and our Government into believing that the so called lotto machines have "keys" and "plans" which they play and we end up loosing our money on a daily basis. These machines, some computerized and balls are owned by these people. Your article has been helpful.This is how it works; The machines have 90 numbers to select from in a random manner.I.e 1,2,3,4,5,...,.,.,.90 The first five numbers that come out each time the machine is operated are the winning numbers and the last five,I.e,the 86th,87th 88th 89, 90th numbers are called the machine numbers.And all the results are compiled starting from the first time and this is where we llok at to guess the first five numbers to play the next time it is operated,still we loose money. So, is it possible to get accurately the first five.It is played once a week. Can it be solved by Xn+1 = (aXn + b) mod c.If possible, how do we get the constants a,b,and c .How do we get the "seed" PLease I need your help.Below is a sequence of previous results : 1th 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th week1 44 35 27 61 39 71 12 33 89 9 week2 34 77 2 65 62 80 47 74 79 60 week3 5 34 9 40 41 27 3 58 63 76 week4 55 49 87 20 3 48 67 61 65 54 week5 61 45 87 50 38 14 13 71 21 15 I hope you can look at these and tell give a useful information. Thank you very much for you anticipated response. Duru Dominic 0092348035405004 Email: perfectaffairs@yahoo.com My name is Dominic from west Africa. I read your article few days ago after a long period of staying in darkness. In fact, we have been deceived by private individual and our Government into believing that the so called lotto machines have “keys” and “plans” which they play and we end up loosing our money on a daily basis.

These machines, some computerized and balls are owned by these people. Your article has been helpful.This is how it works; The machines have 90 numbers to select from in a random manner.I.e 1,2,3,4,5,…,.,.,.90
The first five numbers that come out each time the machine is operated are the winning numbers and the last five,I.e,the 86th,87th 88th 89, 90th numbers are called the machine numbers.And all the results are compiled starting from the first time and this is where we llok at to guess the first five numbers to play the next time it is operated,still we loose money. So, is it possible to get accurately the first five.It is played once a week. Can it be solved by Xn+1 = (aXn + b) mod c.If possible, how do we get the constants a,b,and c .How do we get the “seed” PLease I need your help.Below is a sequence of previous results :
1th 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th

week1 44 35 27 61 39 71 12 33 89 9
week2 34 77 2 65 62 80 47 74 79 60
week3 5 34 9 40 41 27 3 58 63 76
week4 55 49 87 20 3 48 67 61 65 54
week5 61 45 87 50 38 14 13 71 21 15

I hope you can look at these and tell give a useful information. Thank you very much for you anticipated response.
Duru Dominic
0092348035405004
Email: perfectaffairs@yahoo.com

]]> Comment on Great Innovations in Computing by Gheorghe Matei http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/06/08/great-innovations-in-computing/#comment-1668 Gheorghe Matei Sun, 08 Jun 2008 19:17:14 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=83#comment-1668 The final adventure in the software world will be the Informational Individual!!! This is just my project. Note: My name is not a spam. The final adventure in the software world will be the Informational Individual!!! This is just my project.
Note: My name is not a spam.

]]> Comment on Why are you still not using Hudson? by Michael http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/05/09/why-are-you-still-not-using-hudson/#comment-1633 Michael Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:04:05 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=77#comment-1633 Well, I am using it and am increasingly frustrated with it. My current frustration is that when our unit tests fail it doesn't fail the build. Instead, it goes on to run the coverage tests. Strangely, if the coverage tests (cobertura) fail Hudson will fail the build, but if the unit tests fail and cobertura is happy with the coverage, the build gets marked "yellow". This appears exactly backwards to me. Michael Well, I am using it and am increasingly frustrated with it. My current frustration is that when our unit tests fail it doesn’t fail the build. Instead, it goes on to run the coverage tests. Strangely, if the coverage tests (cobertura) fail Hudson will fail the build, but if the unit tests fail and cobertura is happy with the coverage, the build gets marked “yellow”. This appears exactly backwards to me.

Michael

]]> Comment on Why are you still not using Hudson? by Richie http://blog.uncommons.org/2008/05/09/why-are-you-still-not-using-hudson/#comment-1582 Richie Sat, 31 May 2008 00:48:28 +0000 http://blog.uncommons.org/?p=77#comment-1582 >>Of course, all of these were too mundane for Kohsuke, so he built his own glowing orb. Blogger Jamie Matthews built his Gmail Notifier Lamp cube. He has blogged it at http://www.j4mie.org/2008/02/15/how-to-make-a-physical-gmail-notifier/ >>Of course, all of these were too mundane for Kohsuke, so he built his own glowing orb.

Blogger Jamie Matthews built his Gmail Notifier Lamp cube. He has blogged it at http://www.j4mie.org/2008/02/15/how-to-make-a-physical-gmail-notifier/

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