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Nothing is something: actions
1. Nothing is something: actions
Many people think of actions as having two choices, "
do it" or "
do not do it" - a logical fallacy called "
false dilemma". There is a third action that is at the heart of computer science.
1. "look and do"
2. "look not do"
3. "do not look" - it may not be necessary.
Efficient algorithms in computer science rely on knowing when to look and when not to look.
Doing nothing is something and can be important.
2. The gambler
In the 1978 hit song "
The gambler", Kenny Rogers sings about card game strategy where one needs to know that, without looking (keeping in the game) it may be necessary to fold. The song hit #1 on the country charts and became Kenny Rogers signature song.
You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away, know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table,
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
3. A third alternative
1 Look and do
2 Look not do
3 Do not look
Many people think of two choices.
1. Look and do it.
2. Look but do not do it.
A third choice is at the heart of computer science and statistics.
3. Do not look. There is a cost to looking. And it may not matter.
It may already be known what is there, or it may have been determined that it is not necessary.
4. Short-circuit conditional evaluation
This idea is used all of the time in computer science and programming. A simple example is that of conditional evaluation of expressions (i.e., no side-effects during evaluation).
In the expression A and B, if A is false, then one need not look at B.
In the expression A or B, if A is true, then one need not look at B.
It may be the case that evaluating
B may cause an error.
In discussions, it may be the case that
B is a "
red herring" and does not matter. The only thing that matters is
A. Here are some tautologies often used in programming (as algebraic transformations).
(A and false) = false
(A and true) = A
(A or false) = A
(A or true) = true
(A = true) = A
(A = false) = false = (not A)
5. Look and do
One action is to look and see if something needs done and then do it.
6. Look not do
Another action is to look and see that something does not need done and then do not do it.
7. Do not look
A third action, at the heart of computer science, is to know somehow that one can ignore something and not even look at it - which takes resources such as time and space.
Much time is spent in computer science education studying algorithms and data structures that allow one to do this.
8. Brute force
A "brute force" method looks at every possibility in order to determine an answer, property, etc.
This is to be contrasted to what might be called and intelligent method that need not look at every possibility.
Note that there are intractable problems (e.g., NP complete, NP hard, etc.) for which there is no known efficient solution that need not look at every possibility.
9. Example
A simple example is that of binary search of a list (e.g., represented as an array structure). If a list is in order (whatever order is defined and present), then if one picks an item in the middle and compares it to the value desired to be found (if it is in the list) then about half the list can now be ignored and one need not even look at that half of the list.
This continues in a recursive divide and conquer way until one either finds that element in the list or determines that the item is not in the list.
10. Twenty questions
The method of binary search is used in the game of "
Twenty questions". Twenty well-asked questions, where each divides the problem space into one part in one million. That is,
220 ≈
1,000,000.
This can be seen in bit terms in the following
210 = 1024 = 2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2*2
220 = 210 * 210 = 1024*1014 = 1,048,576 ≈ 1,000,000
11. Statistics
The field of statistics is based on the idea that one needs only look at a small part of the population (via a random sample) to determine properties of the entire population (to a high degree of certainty).
Those who do not understand this about statistics are tempted to look at every part of the population.
12. Computer science
Those who do not understand this about computer science are tempted to always look at everything, again and again, to determine the desired course of action to take.
13. Catch-22
An interesting sign is the sign in braille that says, "
Do not look at this". Obviously, someone who is blind could not actually look at it and someone who can see (and read) has already looked at it in order to understand the message.
14. Thinking about parking
The first time I saw a street sign that read "
Don't even think of parking here" my first thought was, "
ok, what if I park there without even thinking about what I was doing". Would I then be in violation of the sign?
Literally, one who "
does not think" about it would not have a logical issue parking there. Of course, what do I know. Maybe, like Socrates (or Sergeant Shultz), "
I know nothing". Does that make sense?
Should one be making decisions without considering the matter, or at least thinking about it?
15. Nothing is something in programming
Nothing is something.
Nothing is something.
Zero is a number.
An empty string is a string.
No decision is a decision.
No value judgment is a value judgment.
In computer programming, one should make sure the program works for the nothing part too.
16. Policies
Not addressing something is addressing it.
No policy is a policy.
Not making a decision to a decision.
Not making a value judgment is a value judgment.
17. Identity elements
An identity element for an operation is a value that when applied to an element using that operation returns that element unchanged.
The value 0 (zero) is the identity element for addition.
The value 1 (one) is the identity element for multiplication.
The empty string is the identity element for string concatenation.
x + 0 == x
x * 1 == x
Since an identity element returns the value unchanged, it has the effect of doing nothing.
18. Romans 14:7,9,8
Romans 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. [kjv]
14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. [kjv]
14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. [kjv]
19. Romans 14:7
KJV: For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Greek: ουδεις γαρ ημων εαυτω ζη και ουδεις εαυτω αποθνησκει
20. Romans 14:8
KJV: For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
Greek: εαν τε γαρ ζωμεν τω κυριω ζωμεν εαν τε αποθνησκωμεν τω κυριω αποθνησκομεν εαν τε ουν ζωμεν εαν τε αποθνησκωμεν του κυριου εσμεν
21. Romans 14:9
KJV: For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
Greek: εις τουτο γαρ χριστος και απεθανεν και ανεστη και ανεζησεν εζησεν ινα και νεκρων και ζωντων κυριευση
22. Romans 14:13-15
Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. [kjv]
14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. [kjv]
14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. [kjv]
23. Romans 14:13
KJV: Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
Greek: μηκετι ουν αλληλους κρινωμεν αλλα τουτο κρινατε μαλλον το μη τιθεναι προσκομμα τω αδελφω η σκανδαλον
24. Romans 14:14
KJV: I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Greek: οιδα και πεπεισμαι εν κυριω ιησου οτι ουδεν κοινον δι εαυτου ει μη τω λογιζομενω τι κοινον ειναι εκεινω κοινον
25. Romans 14:15
KJV: But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
Greek: ει δε γαρ δια βρωμα ο αδελφος σου λυπειται ουκετι κατα αγαπην περιπατεις μη τω βρωματι σου εκεινον απολλυε υπερ ου χριστος απεθανεν
26. Romans 14:16-18
Romans 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: [kjv]
14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. [kjv]
14:18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. [kjv]
27. Romans 14:16
KJV: Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Greek: μη βλασφημεισθω ουν υμων το αγαθον
28. Romans 14:17
KJV: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Greek: ου γαρ εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου βρωσις και ποσις αλλα δικαιοσυνη και ειρηνη και χαρα εν πνευματι αγιω
29. Romans 14:18
KJV: For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
Greek: ο γαρ εν τουτοις τουτω δουλευων τω χριστω ευαρεστος τω θεω και δοκιμος τοις ανθρωποις
30. Romans 14:21
Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. [kjv]
καλον το μη φαγειν κρεα μηδε πειν οινον μηδε εν ω ο αδελφος σου προσκοπτει [gnt]
The "
offended" and "
weak" is not in some Greek manuscripts.
31. Romans 14:21
KJV: It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Greek: καλον το μη φαγειν κρεα μηδε πιειν πειν οινον μηδε εν ω ο αδελφος σου προσκοπτει η σκανδαλιζεται η ασθενει
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