Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Vinay Deolalikar, a mathematician who works for HP Labs, claims to have proven that P is not equal to NP. The problem is the greatest unsolved problem in theoretical computer science and is one of seven problems in which the Clay Mathematics Institute has offered million dollar prizes to the solutions.
The question of whether P equals NP essentially asks whether there exist problems which take a long time to solve but whose solutions can be checked quickly. More formally, a problem is said to be in P if there is a program for a Turing machine, an ideal theoretical computer with unbounded amounts of memory, such that running instances of the problem through the program will always answer the question in polynomial time — time always bounded by some fixed polynomial power of the length of the input. A problem is said to be in NP, if the problem can be solved in polynomial time when instead of being run on a Turing machine, it is run on a non-deterministic Turing machine, which is like a Turing machine but is able to make copies of itself to try different approaches to the problem simultaneously.
Mathematicians have long believed that P does not equal NP, and the question has many practical implications. Much of modern cryptography, such as the RSA algorithm and the Diffie-Hellman algorithm, rests on certain problems, such as factoring integers, being in NP and not in P. If it turned out that P=NP, these methods would not work but many now difficult problems would likely be easy to solve. If P does not equal NP then many natural, practical problems such as the traveling salesman problem are intrinsically difficult.
In 2000, the Clay Foundation listed the “Clay Millenium Problems,” seven mathematical problems each of which they would offer a million dollars for a correct solution. One of these problems was whether P equaled NP. Another of theseseven, the Poincaré conjecture, was solved in 2002 by Grigori Perelman who first made headlines for solving the problem and then made them again months later for refusing to take the prize money.
On August 7, mathematician Greg Baker noted on his blog that he had seen a draft of a claimed proof by Deolalikar although among experts a draft had apparently been circulating for a few days. Deolalikar’s proof works by connecting certain ideas in computer science and finite model theory to ideas in statistical mechanics. The proof works by showing that if certain problems known to be in NP were also in P then those problems would have impossible statistical properties. Computer scientists and mathematicians have expressed a variety of opinions about Deolalikar’s proof, ranging from guarded optimism to near certainty that the proof is incorrect. Scott Aaronson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has expressed his pessimism by stating that he will give $200,000 of his own money to Deolalikar if the proof turns out to be valid. Others have raised specific technical issues with the proof but noted that the proof attempt presented interesting new techniques that might be relevant to computer science whether or not the proof turns out to be correct. Richard Lipton, a professor of computer science at Georgia Tech, has said that “the author certainly shows awareness of the relevant obstacles and command of literature supporting his arguments.” Lipton has listed four central objections to the proof, none of which are necessarily fatal but may require more work to address. On August 11, 2010, Lipton reported that consensus of the reviewers was best summarized by mathematician Terence Tao, who expressed the view that Deolalikar’s paper probably did not give a proof that P!=NP even after major changes, unless substantial new ideas are added.
Turn Back Time With A Pelleve Non Surgical Facelift
by
Hayden Collier
The Pelleve non surgical facelift technique provides a effective option for those who don t want to undergo obtrusive, painful and rather pricey treatment such as surgical facelifts but yearn to greatly enhance their visual appearance and minimize the noticeable signs of aging. Pelleve may be used to target facial lines and crows feet, loose and sagging skin, notably round the neck, decollete area and jaw line and deep set wrinkles and is also a virtually pain free, quick and affordable course of treatment.
The pelleve laser apparatus uses radio-wave frequency which in turn heats up the affected areas and motivates the existing collagen along with encouraging fresh collagen development. The therapy can go deeply within the skin layers, focusing on areas that anti aging treatment lotions and creams alone can t reach. The treatment doesn t entail any sort of needles or other invasive procedures and is totally natural and harmless, Simply just encouraging your body to speed up one of the natural processes that has started to cut down with age.
Based on the area you would like treated the whole procedure will take between forty five minutes to an hour, in fact a full non surgical facelift will take just Sixty minutes to complete and you will be allowed to get back to work right after the treatment. After your initial pelleve treatment you can expect to receive a second treatment around four weeks to 6 weeks after just to boost or enhance the initial one. The effects from the pelleve non surgical facelift should be noticeable following your initial treatment and much more apparent after the 2nd, with a considerable reduction in fine lines and wrinkles in addition to tighter, smoother and more radiant looking skin.
The pelleve non surgical facelift, as apposed to the surgical facelift operation, is not going to leave any surgical marks, bruising or swelling and is pretty much pain free. The end results last for an estimated Six months, after which time you should book in for a subsequent treatment. It s also worthwhile teaming your treatment with some good quality skin ointments and lotions and the practice delivers a wide selection of specifically designed products that can help maintain your new, enhanced look. Your consultant can give you information on the most suitable products to suit your skin type.
Pelleve
non surgical facelift treatment options are extremely competitively priced so you can anticipate paying just a few 100 pounds for the procedure as apposed to a surgical facelift that will cost you thousands of pounds. You can even buy pelleve treatment gift vouchers which provide a great present for someone who desperately wants to get rid of their fine lines and wrinkles but doesn t feel justified in spending the cash on themselves.
The pelleve non surgical facelift treatment plan really is the risk-free, pain free and fast alternative to a surgical facelift procedure.
The
non surgical facelift
treatment method offers a non invasive solution to firm sagging skin, smooth out wrinkles and radically minimize the telltale signs of aging.
Article Source:
ArticleRich.com
Monday, October 9, 2006
Jamie Lee Curtis, 47, has stated that she will end her acting career, but said that she will continue writing.
“I’m not an actor anymore,” she told Access Hollywood host Nancy O’Dell. “I really don’t imagine I’ll do that again.” She later said in the conversation, “I’m just focused on my family and just can’t imagine anything that’s going to pull me away from them right now.”
Curtis appeared on the Access Hollywood show to promote her newest children’s book, Is There a Human Race?. The interview she participated in with O’Dell will appear on the show’s weekend episode.
The picture book writer had this to say about ending her acting career, “No. I don’t want to be somebody else anymore.”
The last film Curtis starred in was the 2005 film The Kid & I.