Kremstar's Blog

Lab 10!!

2007-04-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

Well boys and girls this is it. the last lab, and boy was it a fun one. I did enjoy these labs and i did learn some stuff actually. which is definitely not the case for all of my class. anyways to the lab material...

Shannon's method vs. Harley method on how they measure information

Alright, well to start off, we need to know what these two guys are trying to even do. We must ask ourselves how do you measure information? Well the most simplistic form of measuring information is by representing the information in strands of zeros and ones, or binary. This encoding is a sequence of trues or falses, yes or no, or whatever you want it to represent. By doing this, you can represent information clearly, and everything has its own special code. What Shannon and Hartley are trying to accomplish is figuring our the amount of bits of binary will need to be used to encode something. In the lab we were trying to see how much code would need to be used to represent the grades a teacher is most likely to give out. Here is where the two methods are different. Basically, using Hartley's method, you take in account only what you have there as in raw data, you don't look at probability or anything else that might sway what information might be displayed. On the contrary, Shannon's method takes in account probabilities. For example if there is a 0% chance that a student can get an A in a class, Shannon would not even count it in his representation of information for that class. Hartley however would take it as part of the information even though there is no chance that it could ever happen. This difference makes Hartley's method a lot more inconsistent, and also less accurate and concise.

Well i guess this means goodbye to the labs, i guess all i can do now is thank the A.I.s and all their hard work and answering my questions even if they are colts fans. i guess that is ok.

until next time...
Chris Kremser

Lab 9

2007-03-29T16:37:00.001-05:00

This lab was pretty interesting as far as learning further how to integrate excel into data management and overall collection. It was cool to realize how much an average person can do with the help of a computer, if everyone knew how to use these tools well, the jobs of many people such as accountants and things like that would easily be replaced. Also, modeling is a cool feature that can be done simply in excel as well. Being able to trace graphs with the simple click of the button is a great tool.

Lab 8

2007-03-29T16:33:00.000-05:00

Understanding excel and other spreadsheet programs is very useful in the field of statistics and the analysis of data. These programs help by allowing quick sorting techniques and efficiant ways to compute different algorithms.

Lab 7 part 3

2007-03-01T18:24:00.000-05:00

In this circuit, if one output is true or "1", then the other one is always true or "1" also. DeMorgan's law is true because both of the outcomes are the same on either output.

Lab 7 part 2

2007-03-01T18:15:00.000-05:00

This Circuit is fairly simple if you take just a second to look at it. First the two switches run into a XOR box. This box returns a "0" if either of the two are the same. Then the circuit passes through a NOT box. This NOT box essentially just flips the result from "0" to "1" or positive to negative. So in essence, all the circuit does is register if the two switches are the same, if they are then it returns a "1" in the output, if they are different then it returns a "0" in the output.

Lab 6

2007-02-22T12:18:00.000-05:00

BINARY CONVERSIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This might just be the greatest point in my life as a nerd. But it is sort of interesting.... alright here is a crash course in converting binary to decimal and the other way around.

1. convert 110010101 to decimal form.
first what i would do would be map out a table with 2 rows and a column for every number in the binary code. The top row would be the binary numbers, and the bottom row would be the factors of 2 corresponding to the number of ones in the code. Sort of like this....

1	1	0	0	1	0	1	0
2^7	2^6	2^5	2^4	2^3	2^2	2^1	2^0

Now, forget the columns that have zero in them completely. For every column that has a one, calculate the factor of two that corresponds to it. Then add all of the added up factors of two, so you get something like this.

1	1	0	0	1	0	1	0
128	64	0	0	8	0	2	0

The final step to converting the binary to decimal is adding up the bottom row.
128 + 64 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 0 + 2 + 0 =
202!!
simple right!
Now lets go in the opposite direction.

1000010001

To convert from decimal to binary, there are just a few simple steps.
First, divide the number by 2, and keep the remainder separate from the answer, so you do not get a decimal.
Next, repeat the first step again until you reach the number 1.
Last, when you have reached one, just place 1 in front of the binary number, and put all the remainders together and this will be your string of binary numbers.

to see this process view the below steps.

529/2= 264 remainder 1 ........ 1
264/2= 132 remainder 0 ........01
132/2= 66 remainder 0.......... 001
66/2= 33 remainder 0............0001
33/2=16 remainder 1.............10001
16/2=8 remainder 0...............010001
8/2=4 remainder 0................0010001
4/2= 2 remainder 0...............00010001
2/2= 1 remainder 0..............000010001
1/2= 0 remainder 1..............1000010001
so the binary code is 1000010001

Positional Vs. Non-positional Number Systems
The difference between positional and non-positional number systems is simple. A positional number system is based on where exactly the numbers lie in the sequence of numbers. A positional system needs a base (n) which each number on the line relates to based on its position. Numbers on the left are equal to the value of the numbers to the right of them times n. Inversely, the numbers to the right are equal to the numbers to the left of them divided by n.

A non-positional number system is not based on the physical position of numbers. For example the Roman Numeral number system is based on a symbol that changes according to the amount of the number.

Lab 5 cont.

2007-02-16T16:37:00.000-05:00

Andy Clark's Chapter 6-"Global Warming"
This chapter was a very interesting chapter that had a lot to do with trends and how animals, humans, and computers follow different trends to collaborate systems of efficient life. Clark uses the the idea of "positive feedback" similar to how ants use pheromones to create paths to the closest food source. When the food source runs out, the path to the next closest food source will then have the most pheromones. The same concept applies for how the internet websites such as amazon.com market their products sold. They use a method called "collaborative filtering." This filtering notes what people buy and compare to other people that buy similar things. To me, it is sort of like the website creates a proposed "shopping list" for each shopper. It will give a list of things which other people purchased along with the item you are interested in. This system is interesting but has an obvious flaw. All people are different, and not everyone likes the same things, but it is useful because it is all based on trends.

Another key part of this chapter was the advancement of search engines. In the older days of search engines such as yahoo or infoseek, searches were based on text. These searches were very inaccurate in terms of what we have now. Search engines today have a more powerful way to search. These searches are based on hypertext and links. This strategy is similar to the pheromones of the ants and amazon.com. With this technology mastered every person could potentially have a special "list" of different websites that the computer would have previously planned for your to visit.

All in all, this chapter explains a lot of how searches are done, and how simple and natural searches can be. The technology is in our hands we as humans just have to work hard and think uniquely to come up with the most efficient and powerful search tool that can become an everyday tool in our lives.

Lab 5 Post

2007-02-15T15:28:00.000-05:00

Unix commands.
1. The Unix command cal allows for you to see the calendar of a specific month out of a specific year depending on what you type in. In windows the equivalent to cal is just going to date and time on the task bar and right clicking the clock and going to date and time.
2. The Unix command ls is a command that allows you to see what files are in your current directory. The equivalent command in windows is just bringing up a folder and viewing the files on it, because windows is a gui it is much more simple to see what is there.
3. The Unix command cd is a command that allows for you to change directory, in windows it is the same thing as just going to my computer and selecting a new folder, and in dos it is the same thing as using the dir command.
4. The Unix command mkdir stands for make directory. This creates a new directory similar to how in windows you use the new folder function.

Lab 4 Post

2007-02-08T12:53:00.000-05:00

Modeling the World

The world is full of "agents" who are informed by "signs" about certain "things." This is the basic principle discussed in the modeling the world lecture. Signs are everywhere in the world, and are part of the human, every-day life. In fact in my opinion, humans need signs to get through each and every day, and it is our benefit to have signs that help us react to different circumstances. The lecture notes state that a model is "any complete and consistent set of verbal arguments, mathematical equations, or computational rules which is thought to correspond to some other entity, its prototype." The prototype being anything in our world, conceptual or physical. Models are used to explain different things for different circumstances as signs are just representations. Models are used in our world to simplify the vast complexity of life on the planet earth. I guess it is hard to grasp everything that goes on, but modeling is used all over. Some basic examples are weather patterns, such as temperature, pressure, climate trends and things like that. I'm sure reading more into the process of modeling would help, and I am also sure that modeling is not as hard and complex as it seems.

Infoport

Lab 2 post

2007-01-23T15:16:00.000-05:00

Chapter 2 Andy Clark's Book, "Natural Born Cyborgs," intrigued me greatly. I think that the idea of having a computer built in you to search for information would not only be the coolest thing ever, but something that could make everyone more equal. The smartest people would be leveled off for the average joe person would have the same access to the same information. I would think that school would only be needed up through high school, higher education would be able to be reached by the internal search engine that people would have. The idea of "layering" over reality, to help with things like brain surgery would deserve a Nobel prize. This world would be such a good place to live with this technology.
You Are My Friend
Do You Realize?
Keller Williams Video!!!
in other news
DA Chicago Bears vs vs. The Indianapolis Colts in
Superbowl XLI
I will be rooting for my Chicago Bears in this game and i predict a Chicago win with a final score of 31-21

Infoport

Library of babel

2007-01-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

WOW this is a crazy concept to explain human existance, and the infinite universe. The relation between the universe and an infinite library filled with an infinite amount of catalogs explainging everything is pretty out there. I don't really buy it, but i can see how the theory works. The book that when read makes you godlike is a little too silly for me, but then again this library is not real. Although it was crazy in my opinion it was sort of interesting, but one thing i did not get was the random letters that cannot be combined.

Infoport: Library of Babel

What up homeez

2007-01-12T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hey all, this is my weblog... blog for short. I hope to add a lot more to this, so just stay with me, and lets see where this takes us.