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Comment Re:Wha? (Score 1) 234

I just read the wikipedia article for Costas arrays, very interesting concept (I know little of discrete maths). I still don't like the way the guy at the talk presented the concept, but thanks for clearing it up :-D.

Comment Wha? (Score 2) 234

It would help if there were some definitions for "random" and "pattern-free" in this context. I find it annoying that he several times says that random music is not pattern-free.

It is true that their definitions are not equivalent, but it seems that he is implying that you cannot generate "pattern-free" music using randomly played notes, and that -depending of the definition of "pattern-free" of course- seems very, very unlikely.

Still, I can appreciate the effort to maximize information entropy, and the divulgation of discrete math.
Operating Systems

PS3 Owner Refunded For Missing "Other OS" 353

Toxicgonzo writes "Amazon has given a European PS3 owner a 20% refund for removal of the PS3's OtherOS feature. (We recently discussed hacker Geohot's efforts to restore this feature.) The owner cited European law Directive 1999/44/EC — which states that goods must (1) comply with the description given by the seller and possess the same qualities and characteristics as other similar goods, and (2) be fit for the purpose which the consumer requires them and which was made known to the seller at the time of purchase. How many other European PS3 owners will follow suit? If Amazon forwards the bill to Sony, how will Sony respond?"

Comment Re:The comet's shape (Score 1) 108

Well, my reply was actually tongue-in-cheek because of the generality of my definition (used in algebra). I assumed the OP was talking about the integers, not the natural numbers. The integers are an integral domain, so the definition of primality becomes the one for integral domains.

So no, it's not redundant, given the conditions I assumed (I feel I have to say it explicitly this time :-P)

Comment Re:The comet's shape (Score 0, Redundant) 108

I'd say it's doubly redundant. Primes are, by definition, both nonzero and positive.

Since the OP is talking about "positive" (meaning that there are also "negative" numbers) he's talking about the integers. And since the integers are an integral domain the definition of primality becomes the definition for integral domain:

If p is a non-zero non-unit, we say that p is a prime element if, whenever p divides a product ab, then p divides a or p divides b

So it's actually not redundant.

 
Oh, god, what have I become...

Comment Idea for a game... (Score 1) 590

Someone should make a game in which you play as an... I don't know, something like a Native American. And, um, maybe something involving killing extraterrestrial life-forms. It would be awesome if you got to kill'em on their ship, actually.

Even better: make it so at the beginning you're in some building and then somehow the whole building ends up on the alien ship.

Oh, and play Don't Fear The Reaper when you're being pulled into the ship.

Oh, wait...

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