#thanks for the ask! <2< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[gayarograce]

🌻

(Oh man, the mortifying ordeal of actually having to pick something to talk about when I have so many ideas...)

Uh, OK, I'm talking about galactic algorithms, I've decided! Also, there are some links peppered throughout this post with some extra reading, if any of my simplifications are confusing or you want to learn more. Finally, all logarithms in this post are base-2.

So, just to start from the basics, an algorithm is simply a set of instructions to follow in order to perform a larger task. For example, if you wanted to sort an array of numbers, one potential way of doing this would be to run through the entire list in order to find the largest element, swap it with the last element, and then run though again searching for the second-largest element, and swapping that with the second-to-last element, and so on until you eventually search for and find the smallest element. This is a pretty simplified explanation of the selection sort algorithm, as an example.

A common metric for measuring how well an algorithm performs is to measure how the time it takes to run changes with respect to the size of the input. This is called runtime. Runtime is reported using asymptotic notation; basically, a program's runtime is reported as the "simplest" function which is asymptotically equivalent. This usually involves taking the highest-ordered term and dropping its coefficient, and then reporting that. Again, as a basic example, suppose we have an algorithm which, for an input of size n, performs 7n³ + 9n² operations. Its runtime would be reported as Θ(n³). (Don't worry too much about the theta, anyone who's never seen this before. It has a specific meaning, but it's not important here.)

One notable flaw with asymptotic notation is that two different functions which have the same asymptotic runtime can (and do) have two different actual runtimes. For an example of this, let's look at merge sort and quick sort. Merge sort sorts an array of numbers by splitting the array into two, recursively sorting each half, and then merging the two sub-halves together. Merge sort has a runtime of Θ(nlogn). Quick sort picks a random pivot and then partitions the array such that items to the left of the pivot are smaller than it, and items to the right are greater than or equal to it. It then recursively does this same set of operations on each of the two "halves" (the sub-arrays are seldom of equal size). Quick sort has an average runtime of O(nlogn). (It also has a quadratic worst-case runtime, but don't worry about that.) On average, the two are asymptotically equivalent, but in practice, quick sort tends to sort faster than merge sort because merge sort has a higher hidden coefficient.

Lastly (before finally talking about galactic algorithms), it's also possible to have an algorithm with an asymptotically larger runtime than a second algorithm which still has a quicker actual runtime that the asymptotically faster one. Again, this comes down to the hidden coefficients. In practice, this usually means that the asymptotically greater algorithms perform better on smaller input sizes, and vice versa.

Now, ready to see this at its most extreme?

A galactic algorithm is an algorithm with a better asymptotic runtime than the commonly used algorithm, but is in practice never used because it doesn't achieve a faster actual runtime until the input size is so galactic in scale that humans have no such use for them. Here are a few examples:

Matrix multiplication. A matrix multiplication algorithm simply multiplies two matrices together and returns the result. The naive algorithm, which just follows the standard matrix multiplication formula you'd encounter in a linear algebra class, has a runtime of O(n³). In the 1960s, German mathematician Volker Strassen did some algebra (that I don't entirely understand) and found an algorithm with a runtime of O(n^(log7)), or roughly O(n^2.7). Strassen's algorithm is now the standard matrix multiplication algorithm which is used nowadays. Since then, the best discovered runtime (access to paper requires university subscription) of matrix multiplication is now down to about O(n^2.3) (which is a larger improvement than it looks! -- note that the absolute lowest possible bound is O(n²), which is theorized in the current literature to be possible), but such algorithms have such large coefficients that they're not practical.

Integer multiplication. For processors without a built-in multiplication algorithm, integer multiplication has a quadratic runtime. The best runtime which has been achieved by an algorithm for integer multiplication is O(nlogn) (I think access to this article is free for anyone, regardless of academic affiliation or lack thereof?). However, as noted in the linked paper, this algorithm is slower than the classical multiplication algorithm for input sizes less than n^(1729^12). Yeah.

Despite their impracticality, galactic algorithms are still useful within theoretical computer science, and could potentially one day have some pretty massive implications. P=NP is perhaps the largest unsolved problem in computer science, and it's one of the seven millennium problems. For reasons I won't get into right now (because it's getting late and I'm getting tired), a polynomial-time algorithm to solve the satisfiability problem, even if its power is absurdly large, would still solve P=NP by proving that the sets P and NP are equivalent.

Alright, I think that's enough for now. It has probably taken me over an hour to write this post lol.

[i23kazu]

how i feel when someone reblogs my stuff with a really really nice tag

[twenty-qs]

Everything between Jayce and Viktor can really be traced back to their childhood inciting incidents and it’s killing me.

Jayce: a miracle saves him and his mom, forever imprinting him with the certainty that miracles do exist, they can be controlled, he can save his loved ones no matter how awful things get, if he can just be smart and bold and quick enough.

Viktor: he saw the horror of what Singed had done—of forcing a creature to live against its will, of the degradation and terror of being fundamentally changed. For a while he thought he understood Singed, when he decided that he was willing to throw away all his principles to survive his own body. But he didn’t, really. He didn’t understand. There was still a line he would not cross. He wanted to die human.

It’s fitting, then, and unspeakably tragic, that Jayce is the one who played Singed’s role in the end. Because you can’t ask Jayce to let a loved one go, when he knows there’s a miracle that can save him, the solution is right there, it will work if you will just let him try—and so he forces a change onto Viktor against his will. He traps him into the Arcane, takes apart and reassembles his body, strips him of his selfhood and humanity. All so that Viktor will live. Singed wasn’t talking about the desperation not to die—he was talking about the desperation not to lose someone you love.

And so Viktor is…changed. He lives, whether he wants to or not.

And so Jayce loses him anyway.

[me-beef]

@strangeravatar made a great point

i was gonna focus on the spike-hotboxing-celestia aspect but i got distracted somewhere along the way and i think i forgot what joke i was trying to make

but dont you think its interesting how many guards of the exact same color/body type she's managed to accrue?? i do

ooohh you want to go look at our stickers so bad

[hellsitegenetics]

When I followed you earlier today and then realized this blog wasn't even two days old it made me feel like I invested in a startup.

Do you think if you did the lyrics for Fireflies by Owl City, your database would give us fireflies? (Will also accept owls. And there's a line about sheep too).

String identified:

t t t t a a 'Ca t' t a A a ta ' t t t ta a ta ' t a Tat at at t t' a t a tat ' at ta Aa ' a 'Ca tg a t 'Ca ' gt a ta g t ta gtg g A t t t tac t ac A tt a a A c at A c a t agg a ta ' t a Tat at at t t' a t a tat ' at ta Aa ' a 'Ca tg a t a a a t a cac (a ta aa ) 'Ca c a ac (a ta aa ) t ctg (a ta aa ) ' a t t t a a T t ' 'ca at g gt t a t a a t ' a a a gt a a 'Ca a a a t a a ' t a Tat at at t t' a t a tat ' at ta Aa ' a 'Ca tg a t a a ' t a Tat at at t t' a t a tat ' at ta Aa ' a 'Ca tg a t a a ' t a Tat at at t t' a t a tat ' at ta Aa ' a ca a a tg at t a

Closest match: Sepia lycidas genome assembly, chromosome: 36 Common name: Kisslip cuttlefish

[hinamie]

I'm always pushing you away from me / but you come back with gravity / and when I call, you come home

[halemerry]

In case you were wondering I'm still thinking about the composition of this shot. The absolute split down the middle between light and dark colors. The way that despite that both sides have their own lights and their own shadows because one cannot exist without the other. The fact Aziraphale's side is a warmer sort of light that compliments Crowley's colors and Crowley's is a blueish sort of dark where the windows even look like tartan. The fact Crowley's side isn't the green dark of Hell and Aziraphale's isn't the sterile white of Heaven but are both shades shifted slightly to the left into something distinct and totally their own. It's balance - even in the middle of heartbreak - and it drives me absolutely wild.

[cupcakeruth]

LETS GOOOOOOOOO

[stealingpotatoes]

I know you don’t often get sequels ask but hello

I think Hux invented Starkiller base Because he had a personal vendetta against the Sun (Yk he’s a pasty ginger and all)

[800db-cloud]

PLEASE POST THE ONE MILLION DOODLES YOU ARE SHY TO POST /pos 🙏

sure thang o7 here are some i made that i think are good enough to post. can you tell who my favorite merc to draw is

re: the last comic: i have way too many spy hcs. Way Too Many. anyway here’s (BLU) spy accidentally traumadumping on his teammates. is he Alright.

[arealtrashact]

Second Verse

Part 1

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In the world of heavy metals, love is denser than hate!

[popomegranate]

Act 2 of season 2 really reinforces the tragedy of Silco and Vander. To get these flashbacks with Vi and Jinxs mom, to show us they were something of a trio, a family.

The death of Vi and Powders mom is what splits them down the middle for forever.

For Vander it shows him the cost of fighting for their freedom is too much. He’d rather keep his head down to protect his own. Even if that means committing the ultimate betrayal to his best friend Silco because

For Silco their losses likely are what pushed Silco forward. What kept him going because once they achieved their goal their sacrifices wouldn’t be for nothing. But then Vander. And the letter Silco never saw and their fates were set in stone.

[urmomschocolatemilk]

you should totally write abt domestic dad! simon ♥♥♥ and how like having kids just made him love reader more ♥♥♥

“Mama!”  

The door to your shared bedroom bursts open, breaking the peaceful Saturday morning silence and abruptly waking you and Simon. His arm is thrown around you loosely, but your bodies have drifted to opposite sides of the bed overnight.  

You groan, still sleepy as the two toddlers come running in after one another, launching themselves onto the bed, and landing with a thud in between you and your husband. 

“Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!” They yell, scrambling to stand from where they landed on their bellies and knees and beginning to jump up and down on the mattress. You should scold them for jumping on the bed but you’re too tired.  

“We’re up, we’re up.” Simon reassures groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Since the moment they were born there was always a fondness in his tone when he spoke to them, whether he was scolding them or listening to them babble about their day. Even now, when he’s half asleep, you can hear it laced into his words. It's subtle but prominent.  

He pushes himself to sit up, while you stay cuddled under the blanket, trying to savor the warmth of the pillows and blankets

Your daughter giggles, jumping onto Simon. He lets out an exaggerated groan, closing his eyes and sticking out his tongue as if dead. A moment later he pops open one eye. “You’re going to kill your old man if you're not careful sweetheart," He warns her. She grins lopsidedly at his words.  

“You’re not that old daddy," she assures him, and he shakes his head with a chuckle, turning to watch their much calmer son, who's shuffling his way under the covers. You open your little cocoon of blankets, lifting it and allowing him to slide in next to you. 

“Mama,” he starts once he’s comfortably situated, “can we make pancakes for breakfast?” His eyes are big and pleading as he asks. It makes you smile at him. How could you ever say no to such a look?  

“Yes, baby we can,” you lean over pressing a kiss on his forehead. He beams.  

“I want to stir!” He exclaims excitedly. Simon holds back a chuckle at the way you wince at such a loud statement so close to your ears. His eyes gleam with love.  

“No, I want to stir!” Your daughter protests with a pout.  

“You guys can take turns,” you decide for them. Your daughter grumbles a bit but quickly shrugs it off, sliding off Simon and jumping off the bed.  

"The last one in the kitchen is a rotten egg!” She calls, beginning to run out of the room. Hearing her words, her brother quickly clamors out of the bed next to you and runs out behind her.  

The little boy shouts behind her in protest, “Hey! That's not fair. You got a head start!”  

You sigh exasperatedly, watching them go, then glancing at your husband. His eyes are already on you, watching with adoration.  

“What?” you ask, catching his sweet gaze. You can't help the smile that etchs its way onto your face under his eyes. You feel like a school girl with a crush again.

He doesn't respond, reaching for you and gently pulling you towards him so he can cradle your face in his hands. For a moment he just looks at you, a small, soft smile forming on his face as he strokes his thumb on your cheek. He swears he can feel his heart grow tenfold every time he looks at you.

If you had told Simon fifteen years ago that in due time, he’d be married with two rascal toddlers running around his cozy home he would have laughed in your face and called you crazy. He had given up on the idea of a wife and kids for a long time but you changed that. You brought back those dreams and turned them into reality.  

Simon leans down to kiss you gently, a soft whisper leaving his lips.

“I love you.”

[saltpepperbeard]

We're joined to one another. Intertwined. [pic source]

[merverelli]

"you just feel yourself let go."

still thinking about this episode. man. 💪💥