Hole, 2

The existence of X is not a property of X itself. Instead, the existence of X is a property of the bigger system that consists of X.

For example, the existence of a hole is a property of the whole, not of the hole itself. You cannot define a hole without the whole. Without the whole, the hole cannot exist at all.

hole ~ whole

— Me@2012.10.26

2014.04.30 Wednesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Physics Question (2013 DSE MCQ29)

For convenience, I assume that the rod OP is horizontal.

1. Remember, current (positive charges) moves from high potential to low potential outside a battery, but it moves from low potential to high potential inside the battery.

2. An induced emf is a kind of battery. That is why it is called “induced emf”, not “induced potential difference”.

3. Right Hand Rule:

Motion –> downwards

B-field –> into the paper

So

current –> O to P

Then, P is at a higher potential.

4. Left Hand Rule:

Imagine you are a positive charge within the rod. The whole rod moves downloads. So you (the positive charge) move downloads.

current –> downloads

B-field –> into the paper

Therefore, you, as the positive charge, experience a force, pointing to the right. So the induced emf is pointing to the right.

Inside a battery, the direction of the emf is pointing from low potential to high potential. Thus, P is at a higher potential.

— Me@2014-03-19 01:54:04 PM

2014.04.29 Tuesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Free Software 6

自由軟體 6

Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer.

— Richard Stallman

Free software does not have to be free. Free software does not even have to be cheap.

Free Software Foundation sold each Emacs floppy disk copy for 100 dollars.

— based on my memory of a Richard Stallman’s speech in Hong Kong

[The “$100” may be incorrect. But spirit of the whole paragraph is intact.]

— Me@2013.07.17

R: We should use free software instead of proprietary software. My rule is: I will not use any programs that I cannot share with you.

Q: But sometimes proprietary software is more convenient than free software.

R: What if I want both freedom and convenience?

What can I do?

Either turn convenient software free or turn free software convenient. But turning convenient software free is impossible, because we don’t have the source code and the copyright law does not allow us to do so.

So all we should do is to turn free software convenient.

— based on my memory of a Richard Stallman’s speech in Hong Kong

— Me@2014.04.29

2014.04.29 Tuesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

回到過去 3

Cumulative concept of time 20

你想回到過去,重新經歷年青時的生活。但是,你有沒有想過,「經歷」即是「走過」,又名「離開」。「經歷過去」,其實就即是「到達現在」。

(Me:那樣,如果我只是「回到過去」,但不「經歷過去」,我豈不是不會「失去青春」?)

無錯。但是,回到過去,但不經歷過去,即是停止時間。這個現象,學名叫做「英年早逝」。那不是好事。

但是,你亦不用灰心,因為,「經歷過去」或者「到達現在」,並不代表你「失去過去」。「現在」,就是「經歷了的過去」。「過去」,是「現在」的一部分。「過去的你」,是「現在的你」的一部分。你從來也沒有失去過,年青時候的自己。

正如,「使用金錢」的意思是,令它消失,從而換取其他,更有價值的東西。「使用金錢」而不開心,是因為你花太多的金錢,去買了一些,用處不大的東西。

同理,你覺得「失去」青春,是因為你沒有百分百地利用,當時的時光,去賺取最多的經驗,累積最多的財富,創造最多的作品。

— Me@2014-04-24 01:56:35 AM

2014.04.27 Sunday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

心靈報章 1.1

這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

(安:我份工作最困難的部分是,在大部分的時間,我會被迫去,和很多很愚蠢的人士去溝通。)

我可以創作一些「設計對白」,給你去跟隨。那樣,你就不用太費神,也可以應付到他們。

(安:但是,設計給我的對白,並不是「劇本」。大家也必定跟著講的,才算是「劇本」。我不能期望,在我講完一些設計對白後,同事必定以,我心目中的想像去回應。)

我們可以創作不只一組對白。只要我們盡量想像多些,各個可能的情況,從而設計出一系列的對白,那堆「設計對白」就可以,涵蓋到大部分的情況。

(安:但是,人類的愚蠢,實在會超乎你的想像。再多的「設計對白」,也未必能應付得到。

那真是很奇怪的。有些人,在工作技術層面,明明是才幹了得,但是,那些人偏偏會在日常思考時,忽略了現實的一些局限。他們會完全不理會,例如,現實中的「人性」和「政治」是怎樣運作的。)

那要視乎當時人的境界。「境界」的意思是,關心的事情。「境界」越高,即是思考的領域越大,代表關心的事情越多、越重要、越長遠。

而依我的經驗,大部分人的境界,在一生之中,也不會提高。

— Me@2014.04.25

2014.04.27 Sunday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Fact

“Fact” is “事實” in Chinese. Literally,

事 = event

實 = solid

fact

~ event solid

~ past event

~ unchangeable

How about abstract facts?

Abstract facts, such as “2+2=4”, are definitions.

Analytic facts are definitions.

Synthetic facts are past events.

— Me@2012.10.26

2014.04.25 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Information explosion

Story | 故事連線 5

“Point of view” is that quintessentially human solution to information overload, an intuitive process of reducing things to an essential relevant and manageable minimum.

– Paul Saffo

You should not let your thought follow infinite information.

Instead, you should let the infinite information follow your OWN thought.

— Me@2008.10.18

2014.04.24 Thursday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

nCr, 4

這段改編自 2014 年 3 月 22 日的對話。

假設有 7 個蘋果,你要選 3 個出來,總共有多少個選法?

總括而言,「7P3/(3!)」、「7P2 x 5P1/(3!)」和「7C3」都是正確的,等如 35。而「7C2 x 5C1」則等如 105,不是正確的。

(A: 那為什麼把「7P3」拆成「7P2 x 5P1」就可以?那不會「暗地裡加了次序」嗎?)

因為 nPr 根本不是講「組合」,而是講「排列」,本身就要重視次序。

如果你要百分百地通透理解,這一題的運作原理,你不妨試試重組案情 —— 用最原始的方法去思考和運算,而不用排列(nPr)和組合(nCr)的公式。

7 個蘋果中選 3 出來,即是相當於有 3 個格子要填滿:

(_)(_)(_)

第一格有 7 個選擇:

(7)(_)(_)

第二格則有,餘下的 6 個可能性:

(7)(6)(_)

如此類推:

(7)(6)(5)

這代表了 7 個蘋果抽 3 個出來排隊的話,有多少個排列方法(permutation)。但是,現在重視的是組合(combination),而不是排列。亦即是話,重要的是,你究竟要在那 7 個蘋果之中,選了哪 3 個出來。至於它們 3 個之中,哪一個先被選出、哪一個後被選出,並不重要。

所以,你應該把剛才的中途答案,除以(3!),因為,被選的 3 個蘋果,內部總共有(3!)種排列方法。

3! = 6

那 6 個「排列」,都應歸類為,同一個「組合」 。

(7)(6)(5)
—————-
    (3!)

= 35

至於你把這「原始式子」,看成「7P3/(3!)」、「7P2 x 5P1/(3!)」,還是「7C3」,則沒有所謂,因為,你把它們之中的任何一個拆開,都同樣會得到這「原始式子」。

如果你任何「數學科技」也不喜歡,而想再原始一點,直情(乾脆)連「階乘公式」(n!)都不用的話,你可以自行推斷一下,已選了的那 3 個蘋果之中,內部會有多少個排列方法。

那其實就相當於,已知有 3 個人入了總決賽,爭奪冠亞季軍,然後問,總共有多少個,可能的比賽結果?

你可以這樣想,冠亞季有 3 個席位:

(_)(_)(_)

第一格有 3 個選擇:

(3)(_)(_)

第二格則有,餘下的兩個可能性:

(3)(2)(_)

如此類推:

(3)(2)(1)

所以,那 3 個蘋果的內部,總共有(3)(2)(1),即是 6 個排列方法。那 6 個排列,都應歸類為是同一個組合。

(7)(6)(5)
—————-
(3)(2)(1)

= 35

至於你把這「原始式子」,看成「7P3/(3!)」、「7P2 x 5P1/(3!)」,還是「7C3」,則沒有所謂,因為,你把它們之中的任何一個拆開,都同樣會得到這「原始式子」。

但是,而「7C2 x 5C1」則不行,等如 105,不是正確的。不信的話,你可以試試建構一下,「7C2 x 5C1」的原始式子:

(7)(6)|(5)
——— ——-
(2)(1)|(1)

  (7)(6)|(5)
= ——— ——
    (2!) |(1!)

= 105

你會發現,這式子答非所問,並不是題目描述的情況。

— Me@2014.04.21

2014.04.24 Thursday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

Dropbox, 6

In the end, it really came down to one incredibly genius idea: Dropbox limited its feature set on purpose. It had one folder and that folder always synced without any issues — it was magic. Syncplicity could sync every folder on your computer until you hit our quota. (Unfortunately, that feature was used to synchronize C:\Windows\ for dozens of users — doh!) Our company had too many features and this created confusion amongst our customer base. This in turn led to enough customer support issues that we couldn’t innovate on the product, we were too busy fixing things.

— Isaac Hall

2014.04.20 Sunday ACHK

A writer reading books

chris_mahan 24 minutes ago | link

I don’t watch TV (at all) and I game maybe 4 hours a week, usually in 2 sittings.

(I will occasionally watch a DVD, but maybe 2 hours a month, max.)

When people give me grief that I play the games, I tell them I’m a software developer: it’s like a writer reading books.

— Hacker News

2014.04.20 Sunday ACHK

學派

這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

一生的時間很短暫,不足夠寫,所有寫得出,而又對人很有用的文章。所以,我正在思考,如何解決這個問題。其實,應該可以解決,不算是什麼大問題。

(安:用李生的方法,先將最核心的東西寫出來。)

無錯。就是用這個方法。

(安:那樣,自然有後人,發展那些核心東西的技術細節。漸漸地,甚至演變成一個學派。)

然後,根據「假名定律」,你會發現,那個學派中的大部分意見,也不是我原本的學說。「失真」和「僭建」的情況,會十分嚴重。

— Me@2014.04.17

2014.04.19 Saturday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

The fifth floor

回到過去 2 | 幼稚建築論 2 | Cumulative concept of time 19

The fifth floor cannot exist without the first 4 floors.

— Me@2012.10.24

That’s why time travel is logically impossible.

— Me@2014.04.17

If you remove the first 4 floors, the original fifth floor is not the “fifth” floor anymore. Instead, it would become the first floor.

— Me@2014.04.16

2014.04.17 Thursday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

nCr, 3

這段改編自 2014 年 3 月 22 日的對話。

假設有 7 蘋果,你要選 3 個出來,總共有多少個選法?

總括而言,「7P3/(3!)」、「7P2 x 5P1/(3!)」和「7C3」都是正確的,等如 35。而「7C2 x 5C1」則等如 105,不是正確的。

(A: 為何把「7P3」拆成「7P2 x 5P1」就可以,而把「7C3」拆成「7C2 x 5C1」就錯誤?)

如果要變成正確,你就要把「7C2 x 5C1」除以 3。「7C2 x 5C1/3」都會等如 35。為何要把「7C2 x 5C1」除以 3,才會得到正確答案呢?

亦即是話,在這裡,「除以 3」的實際意思,又是什麼呢?

把「7C3」拆成「7C2 x 5C1」是錯誤的原因是,你暗地裡為那三個蘋果,加了一點次序。

例如,假設原本的 7 個蘋果是 A、B、C、D、E、F 和 G,而你抽到了 A、B、E 三個蘋果。在考慮 7C3 時,

ABE

AEB

BAE

BEA

EAB

EBA

這 6 個次序,要視為一個情況,因為 7C3 的意思是「組合」,重點是你由那 7 個蘋果之中,買了哪 3 個,而不是先拿哪一個,後拿哪一個。

如果你接受不到這一點,你可以想像,現在是要由 A、B、C、D、E、F 和 G 七個人之中,抽 3 個出來,組成一隊 3 人樂隊,即是音樂組合。組成音樂組合的話,

ABE

AEB

BAE

BEA

EAB

EBA

這 6 個選人次序,要視為一個情況,因為這 6 個次序,都代表著同一隊樂隊,都同樣是由 A、B、E 三人組成的。但是,如果你把「7C3」拆成「7C2 x 5C1」,即是把「7 選 3」硬要看成「7 選完 2 後再選 1」的話,運算的結果就會變成:

AB E

BA E

AE B

EA B

BE A

EB A

意思是,

AB E

BA E

會視為同一個情況;

AE B

EA B

又會視為同一個情況;

BE A

EB A

則會視為第三個情況。但是,這 3 類情況,會視為 3 個不同的可能性。亦即是話,原本應視為同一個「組合」的 6 個「排列」,會被誤會為 3 個不同的「組合」方法。

建構樂隊時時,只要被選的是 A、B、E,哪一個是最尾被抽出來,根本不重要。但是,「7C2 x 5C1」卻偏偏重視,哪一個是最尾被抽出來。那就是為什麼,「7C3」和「7C2 x 5C1」的不同之處,在於「7C2 x 5C1」中,你暗地裡為那三個蘋果,加了一點次序。

(A: 那為什麼把「7P3」拆成「7P2 x 5P1」就可以?那不會「暗地裡加了次序」嗎?)

因為 nPr 根本不是講「組合」,而是講「排列」,本身就要重視次序。

— Me@2014.04.14

2014.04.15 Tuesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

openSUSE

openSUSE is a general purpose operating system built on top of the Linux kernel, developed by the community-supported openSUSE Project and sponsored by SUSE and a number of other companies. After Novell acquired SUSE Linux in January 2004, Novell decided to release the SUSE Linux Professional product as a 100% open source project. In 2011 The Attachmate Group acquired Novell and split Novell and SUSE into two autonomous subsidiary companies. SUSE offers products and services around SUSE Linux Enterprise — their commercial offering that is based on openSUSE Linux.

— Wikipedia on openSUSE

2014.04.13 Sunday ACHK

假名定律 1.2

反白論前傳:冠名篇 2.2

Jesus, Buddha, Einstein 3.2

這段改編自 2010 年 4 月 10 日的對話。

(安:經濟學家張五常先生提過,有一篇經濟論文指出,凱恩斯(John Maynard Keynes)的經濟理論,和「凱恩斯學派」的經濟理論,不盡相同,雖然整個學派是以「凱恩斯」來命名。)

那不算出奇,因為有很多類似的現象,例如,甘地講過:

我認同基督。我不認同基督徒。

很多「基督徒」的言行,也和「基督」太不相像。

又例如,「機會率」有兩大學派,「頻率學派」和「貝葉斯學派」。「貝葉斯學派」雖然以數學家貝葉斯(Thomas Bayes)來命名,但是,貝葉斯並不算是,「貝葉斯學派的成員」(Bayesian),因為,「貝葉斯學派」中有很多理論,例如,「貝葉斯學派」對「機會率」的詮釋,也不是貝葉斯本人的意見。

Bayes himself might not have embraced the broad interpretation now called Bayesian. It is difficult to assess Bayes’s philosophical views on probability, since his essay does not go into questions of interpretation.

— Wikipedia on Thomas Bayes

— Me@2014.04.11

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it’s not possible to worship both Mammon and God at the same time.

– Mohandas K. Gandhi

2014.04.11 Friday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK

The smallest possible step, 5

Expecting to finish is expecting to control the future directly.

However, you cannot control the future directly.

You can control the future only through the now actions.

In other words, you cannot finish. Instead, you can get finishing only by keeping starting.

— Me@2010.12.19

— Me@2014.04.07

2014.04.09 Wednesday (c) All rights reserved by ACHK