I write, therefore I am

With this variation on a famous statement by the philosopher Descartes, I would like to express that writing about what happens in my life is important to me.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Little snow

This morning around 11:20, it started to snow, but only very light. It continued for some hours, and also in the evening there was some more, but the total was just a few milimeter of snow. In the rest of the country there was a lot snow leading to second worse evening traffic jam (and fourth worse overall) on record and problems with the trains.

Improved sorting algorithm

I found, what I think is, an improvement on the algorith that I talked about yesterday. The idea is that once you have concluded that the element at c needs to placed before the element at i, you move it to the front and compare it with every element that you encounter. If there is an element that needs to be placed before it, you keep it in front and also move it with you. The elements b to e are the elements that are moved to the front. With every step moving it to the front, you try to move the next element before it through the group, while comparing it. If it moves through, it is okay, otherwise it is made part of the group that of elements that moves to the front.

for (int c = 1; c < n; c++)
  for (int i = 0; i < c; i++)
    if (before(a[c], a[i]))
    {
      int e = c+1;
      for (int b = c; i < b; b--)
      {
        int j;
        for (j = b; j < e; j++)
          if (before(a[j-1], a[j]))
            break;
          else
            swap(a[j-1], a[j]);
        if (j == e)
          e--;
      }
      break;
    }

However, this algorith is not stable. I think that the next algorith is:

for (int c = 1; c < n; c++)
  for (int i = 0; i < c; i++)
    if (before(a[c], a[i]))
    {
      int e = c+1;
      for (int b = c; i < b; b--)
      {
        bool pass = true;
        for (int j = b; j < e; j++)
          if (before(a[b-1], a[j]))
          {
            pass = false;
            break;
          }
        if (pass)
        {
          for (int j = b; j < e; j++)
            swap(a[j-1], a[j]);
          e--;
        }
      }
      break;
    }

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Sorting with partial relation

In the afternoon, I improved a sorting algorithm written by a colleague for sorting an array with a partial relation, which might be non-transitive. The traditional definition of partial order (see Wikipedia) includes the transitivity requirement. The algorithm here works on a smaller-than relation (which is also not reflexive) and sorts an array of unique values such that afterwards there are no two elements placed in the wrong order with respect to the smaller-than relation. The non-transitive partial relation is comparable to acyclic directed graphs with labels. The number of such relations on n elements is given by the integer sequence A003024: "Number of acyclic digraphs (or DAGs) with n labeled nodes." I think that the algorithm is also stable, meaning that it doesn't unnecessary changes the position of elements. The following C++ fragment gives the algorithm, where "a" represents the array to be sorted and "n" the number of elements. The function "before" returns true when the first argument should appear before the second and the function "swap" swaps the contents of the two arguments.

for (int c = 1; c < n; c++)
    for (int i = 0; i < c; i++)
        if (before(a[c], a[i]))
        {
            for(; i < c; c--)
                swap(a[c-1], a[c]);
            break;
        }

I haven't tested the above implementation yet. The central idea of the algorithm is that all elements from 0 to (but not including) c are correctly sorted. I am not sure whether this is the optimal algorithm.

Link

2: YouTube: Vi Hart - Mathemusician

Monday, January 30, 2012

Drainage for natural wells

Last week they started to install drainage for a natural well along Hendrik Ter Kuilestraat in Enschede. I reported about some natural wells on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. I made mentioning of three natural wells. In the mean time two of these wells seem to have dried-up. I guess that the three wells have a common source, and that the newest well (which occured after reconstruction of the road crossing with Kanaalstraat) has caused the two older wells to dry-up. In the past years the new well (picture) has been causing a lot of problems and several times have seen some ground work taking place along this area, possibly trying to find a 'leak'. I guess that they finally have realized that it is a natural well and that installing drainage is the only solution.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Thin layer of snow

This evening, a thin layer of snow fell on the ground. Now more snow has been predicted and the prediction says temperatures are going to be low the coming week.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Book sale

At bookshop De Slegte they were selling all the books that were on sale for just one Euro each. At 12:47, I bought the following books (in random order):

Eiland 34 by Annette Pehnt. ISBN:9789025419752.
Gids voor hedendaagse architectuur in Nederland / Guide to contemporary architecture in the Netherlands by Paul Groenendijk and Piet Vollaard. ISBN:9789064505072.
The Rough Guide to Beijing. ISBN:9781843532422.
Water | Wasser | Eau by Joachim Fischer. ISBN:9783833150241.
Aan het einde van het Alfabet (The End of the Alphabet) by C.S. Richardson. ISBN:9789069748948.
Uit de tweede hand by Peter Langenberg together with a drawing by him made on September 8, 2003.
Uit de tweede hand by Peter Langenberg together with a drawing by him made on March 7, 2004.

Of the last book, they had still five in store. Only two had a drawing that I liked. I think I will cut one of the books (I already bought one three weeks ago) in loose sheets and give away the other. Of course, I keep the drawings. The seller told me that they never sold one of the books for the price of € 20.

I also bought the book Intimiteit by Willy Pasini (ISBN:9027428220) for € 6.95.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Link

Sightseeing heatmaps .

Monday, January 23, 2012

Chinese New Year

Today is the first day of the year of the dragon according to the Chinese calendar. The spring festival has begun.

Leo Vroman

Today, at 16:46, I bought the book Misschien tot morgen (See you tomorrow, maybe), diary 2003-2006 by Leo Vroman (ISBN:9789021485348) for € 2,50 from bookshop De Slegte.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Where is Jelle?

This evening, just like every other evening, I was reading to Andy from one of the reports of the weekend and holiday care that he attends. Today, I was reading from Monday, July 12, 2010. When I was about half way the report, Andy suddenly shouted: "Where is Jelle" (Jelle is a Dutch boy name). I had not read about Jelle being at the care, but it often happens that children come and go. Knowing Andy's excellent autobiographical memory, I expected that the name of Jelle would come up. And yes, indeed it did, suddenly he was mentioned in the evening. I asked Andy when Jelle had arrived. He immediately answered: 12 o'clock (at noon time) with a big smile. It would not surprise me if he is absolutely right. Now it must be the case that I have read this report before in the time in between, but it still it is a remarkable feat for any person to remember this kind of detail. Andy (now 14) is always very keen on noticing who is present and not. He is the one who immediately notices when someone is missing. During the breaks at school he will often walk up to the teacher of another class to ask where this and this child is, if the child is not present. I wonder if these kind of remarkable (almost Savant like) skills are common among people with Kabuki Syndrome.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

More metal

When I arrived at the office yesterday, I noticed that my front tire was getting flat. My boss was so friendly to give me a ride home in the evening. This morning, I inspected the tire and found two pieces of metal, of which one had caused a puncture. Yesterday, I also had found another piece of metal, after I reported having found one. On the right a picture of all the pieces I found so far.

Last seen in Lhasa

Tonight, I finished reading the Dutch translation of Last seen in Lhasa by Claire Scobie, which I started reading on last Sunday, after I bought the book last Saturday. The fact that I finished the book so quickly shows that it made a great impression on me. The book is about the travels the author made through Tibet with a strong focus on the friendship she developed with a Buddhist wandering nun called Ani. The book also shows how Tibetian Buddhism is slowly dissappearing and many (secret) teachings are no longer passed on. Even the Tibetian language is slowly being replaced by Mandrin Chinese, and with this knowledge about Tibatian "religious language" and classical religious texts is disappearing as well. Although I am not a Buddhist, the idea of this makes me sad. In a way I respect a nun like Ani, who travels the country as a pelgrim and meditates in caves like a hermit. She seems to be a free spirit, free to go where she wants, but still she has a lama (a guru) who she visits every year for counsel. Then also why should you escape the sufferings of daily life (which is harsh in Tibet) to endure all kinds of hardships (such as living in cold caves under) only to spend time meditating? Is meditation indeed necessary to become enlighted, to escape the wheel of karma (as Buddhist say)? And is it in a sense not very egoistic to seek enlightment for yourself? Yes, she seeks compassion, yet she often lives as a hermit instead of taking care for others.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Piece of metal

This morning, I found a piece of metal in the back tire of my bike, which is the likely cause of a flat tire that required me to walk home yesterday from the office. It looks like me to be a piece of a "snap-off blade" utility knife. I have no idea how it got in my tire. It is about 4mm (1/6 inch) long, although it might look larger in the picture on the right.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Book sale

I went to bookshop De Slegte and, at 12:21, I bought three books that where on sale. I love book sales, because it makes you look at books that you otherwise would not have looked at. The books I bought are:

Uit de tweede hand with drawings by Peter Langenberg in a box together with a drawing by him made on September 22, 2003. No ISBN. For € 7.50.
Een vriendschap in Tibet (Last seen in Lhasa) by Claire Scobie. ISBN:9789044513035. For € 2.50.
Dit is geen lied songtexts by Frédérique Spigt. ISBN:9789057591167. For € 2.50.

I finished reading the last book.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Disposing of computers

This afternoon, around 16:20, I placed two of our computers, andy and a Compaq LTE 5000 laptop, in a sea container with other electronic equipment at the waste disposal center South in Enschede.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Playing and solving Havannah

On December 16, Timo Ewalds presented his master thesis Playing and solving Havannah, which is about his program for playing the abstract game Havannah. He also solved Havannah for board size four (and smaller). He made the source of his program Castro open source on github.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Notes on a Scandal

I finished reading Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller, which I started reading on November 22. I bought the book through a second hand website after I had seen the film adaptation. Of course, there are some differences between the plots of the film and the book. The most notable, I feel, is that Sheba stays with Barbara at the end in the book, while in the film she leaves her. It seems that the manipulative character of Barbara is far more explicit than in the book, where it seems that Barbara is not actively trying to manipulate situations. Nevertheless, I found the book interesting to read.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Introduction

Diaries
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
2012
2011
Alzheimer's Disease
Trip to China 2010
-- contact --

Family

Frans
Li-Xia
Annabel
Andy
Honeymoon
Faase
Family tree
Friends
Others
Pictures

Kabuki Syndroom

Email

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