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Comment: Heuristic Algorithm (Score 1) 514

by Len (#37006930) Attached to: The Mathematics of Lawn Mowing

Examination of the example in the article suggests a heuristic algorithm that should provide near-optimal solutions and is suitable for real-time execution on neural wetware.

1. Start by mowing around the outside border.
2. Proceed going around, from the outside in.
3. When you reach a strip <= 3 mowers wide, clear it with short back-and-forths.

Proof of an upper bound on excess mowing vis-a-vis the optimal solution is left as an exercise for the reader.

Comment: Not "any" threats (Score 2, Funny) 54

by Len (#32691066) Attached to: 1,400 Megapixel Pan-STARRS Telescope Comes Online

The article says Pan-STARRS can "identify any potential threats to Earth", but it can only find asteroids and comets that are about to hit us. They don't claim to be able to spot other threats, such as:

  • Dalek invasion fleet
  • Berserker machines
  • Chain reaction of supernovae
  • Radiation front from the collapse of the galactic core
  • Borg attack from the future
  • Galaxy-wide iPhone recall

Stupid gadget blogs, over-hyping stuff as usual.

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