Delta Inductions 2007
Posted by Cyber as Uncategorized
After a grueling session of interviews from 10 am in the morning to 3 am at night, we finally selected 16 people into Delta.
My enthusiasm of working in Delta has surged recently. So I scheduled a meeting for the newly inducted very early, i.e: the next day itself.
So today we had our first meeting. I had this ppt to show it to them. I had planned a neat prank. We started with taking the oath of the 10 commandments of Delta, (the 10 was in Octal base because I could only cook up 8). I explained them the hierarchy of the delta team, and then gave them very tough CPC questions alongwith 10 algo questions to solve in 20 minutes. The last question of the paper was to actually write a search engine, including the crawling, indexing, ranking and querying algorithms. Finally, I dropped the bomb that it was all a prank.
Then we had introductions and lots of leg pulling. :)
We gave them Harry Potter themed pamphlets too :P
I had thought of more serious issues to discuss after that, but we ran out of time, so we went to the gate dhaba, where we get tasty (but not very hygienic) food.
Got loads of snaps and videos. Check them out here.
Popularity: 3%
College off to a start
Posted by Cyber as Uncategorized
College has reopened today. But ho! I was back to college 2 weeks ago. I am working on Dalal Street. We have put in our everything. “We” being Sahil Ahuja, my room mate and me. I have the feeling it is going to be great.
The results were out yesterday. I got 9.21, my lowest by far. My first B Grade, and the list goes on. But I am not as disappointed with my results as much I am disappointed with myself. I did not study last semester, nor paid attention in the class, was the among the last to complete and submit assignments, almost had short attendance, got addicted to Counterstrike, watched hell lot of movies, worked for Pragyan.
This semester I want to change all of this. And I am going to change.
“Few people in this world get to do what they would have done for free and get paid for it”
I yearn to be one of those.
And for that I must quit time-passing. And I think, maybe stop working for Pragyan CSG, Delta, etc after Pragyan 06 is over. Because I dont think I can take it any more.
Popularity: 7%
Things that happened first time
Posted by Cyber as Uncategorized
I went to Lakhimpur last week. A new experience. I did not know any roads in Lakhimpur because my father used to take me everywhere. But here I was all alone. The journey was quite interesting. I got up at 5 am (It is a very rare event) . And had to catch the train at 6:20 am. I had new experiences in my life. First was walking down the looooong road from Hall 5 to the IITK main gate (cos autopullers dont work at 5:45 am). I was lucky and got a tempo as soon as I reached the gate. For the first time, I saw the sun rising in Kanpur. I got off at the station. I was going for the first time in General compartment. My father told me that Lucknow is just 1:30 hrs from Kanpur. So I had to take tickets on the station. I had the first time experience of standing in a queue for a ticket. I began to understand why it is said that “Life is not a bed of roses”. There broke out a fight there as people got more desperate as the train arrival was announced. I, luckily, just managed to get my ticket.
Journey was very good. My father has risen from the ashes. My grandfather was a peasant, and my father earned his diploma from Allahabad university under circumstances that I cannot find words to describe. But he has truly shown why adversity brings out the best in a human being. He became an electrical engineer. He has given all of us, whatever we asked for, everytime. I am very proud to be his son, and always work hard enough. So, in the train, I luckily got a seat, and a beautiful girl sat next to me. I kept on reading my newspaper. (Sagar, where art thou? Why did we sign the pact of not talking to girls first in VIII std?? ). Then, she started by asking where I was going… I answered Lakhimpur. She was going to Bareily. Then I was about to get down on Lucknow (Char Baugh) when her mother suggested that I better get down at Aish Baugh to get a train to Lakhimpur. I followed her idea. Got down on the next station (Aish Baugh) and the Ticket Checker caught me cause I had ticket only till Lucknow Junction. So was fined (first time) cursing that old lady.
Then I booked a ticket to Lakhimpur and again, but this time two pretty girls sat next to me. I (again) started reading my newspaper. The train was very crowded. So I enjoyed :-)
I reached Lakhimpur, my hone-wali-bhabhi’s brother had come there to recieve me. I went to my cousin’s home and got his bike: Passion. The rest of my stay was absolute fun. Riding passion at 70+ Kmph speeds (without a driving license and necessary papers of the vehicle with me) was great fun. I visted all my relatives. It was great. I enjoyed it a lot.
On my journey back to IITK, a person asked me where I was going. I replied Kanpur, IIT Kanpur. (I thought that he was a student, which later I found out to be correct). He replied,”ya IT is really booming industry. How is ITI?” Well I mused to myself if I should have told him that I was from NITT (most people confuse it with NIIT which I think is better than doing ITI :-) ).
I returned back on Friday to know that there was no get-together here, but there was a report and presentation on Monday. So I was busy on the week end. The presentation was good. I was the last one to give my presentation. My mentor was too busy to attend it.
I have got some negative reviews about my mentor, which I believe are true. He is a very lazy person. And it is well known that lazy persons are always busy. One of my new friends at IITK had him as the lecturer for some data structures course. They had just one tutorial, while other people had more than 5. Sir’s classic dialogue was:
That says it all about his attitude. But I think he is a good person at heart. I thought of a novel technique of using genetic algorithms for reordering the coefficient matrix. There is professor Deb here who is absolutely great at this . I mailed him if I could meet him. I got a reply within 6 hrs from the US. He is unfortunately out of the country for the rest of the summer. So I am left all alone to do this.
Genetic Algorithms is very interesting. I have a strong Biology background and Genetics was (is) always my favourite. But I have no one here to guide me. I asked Sir if there was anyone working under him on Genetic Algorithms. But no one. So I have to figure out everything myself. I got new headphones, so I can talk on GTalk, listen to songs and watch movies (which is banned) in Computer Center.
I have made new arbit friends Cherian, Riya, et al. They seem to be very nice. I scrapped Cherian about how I tried to hack is guestbook. No SURGE get together this friday because of preparations of Convocation which is on Monday.
Popularity: 7%
Searching for something
Posted by Cyber as Uncategorized
—said by the Oracle in Matrix
Today was a fantastic day. It started well, it starts with me sitting in Computer Center(CC). You know, technically a day starts at 12 midnight. Ya, so I surfed along the net. Did a lot of work for my research. I am beginning to understand how deep this rabbit hole goes. Then went back to hostel at 2:30 am. This lab shuts down at 2 am (”We dont want to waste ACs for a few people”, my mentor, CC head said).
Then I got up at 12 noon. Today there was supposed to be a get together for all the SURGE people. So I was generally feeling very good. Chatted along with Manas, Raja, Gaurav after lunch. ( I generally prefer to have breakfast in my dreams). Then came here to CC (My first home, the other is my hostel room, where I just goto sleep). Then I got a few friends online. Sandhya was online, so I chatted with her for 2-3 hours. The chat went about girls, relationships, NITT, etc. I washed Isli’s (Nitin Isloorkar) dirty laundry in front of her. I told her how I cunningly tricked Isli in FTP to find out that his password was “Ilove**104**” which was a girls roll number. But I spared her (or rather Isli) the exact details. Felt very good. Then I chatted with Muayuri Bhavsar ( an arbit friend I added on orkut, because she was from Kopergaon where I studied till 5th std). She was nice. As I was busy chatting with these damsels I forgot that I had to attend the get-together. So I hurried and exited.
Manas & co were all ready, so I slipped in to something, and off we were hurrying for the get-together. There we met CVR ( Murthy) Sir. He is the chief co-ordinator of SURGE. Manas had predicted that Sir was going to crack some joke. And he did. He commented on Raja (wearing a cap at 6:00 pm) that the weather was really sunny. We all had no option but to laugh. So we waited for everyone to arrive. Sir decided that we will wait till 6:15, and dump the people coming later than that. We had 3 sumos for travel. He hinted that he did not like that we had formed local groups: One ours, NITians ie: me, Manas,Raja, Gaurav,Vikas,Abhay ; second IITians Sidhant, Gaurav & co and the third girls - Manpreet, Shwetaleena & co. So he decided that he will randomly choose who will go in which sumo. And he chose wisely all groups scattered. I got into one which had Manpreet. I was the unfortunate ( or rather fortunate ) guy who had to sit along with her. So I talked to her. About hobbies, computers, her NIT, reading, singing, etc. I had a good time. I mentioned to her that I sing. But later confessed that only Bathroom singing… She took it as a clue, and asked me to sing something, but I flatly refused. I am a solitary living being (or I like to live wiht people who like to live a solitary life), and I intend to be that way.
So then we reached Kanpur city, the chaat shop. I had aloo-tikki, pani-puri, dahi vada and then mazaa. It was very good. Then we went to have ice-cream. I had Hot chocolate fudge. It was delicious. My tummy was almost full (It rarely is..). So then we got back to our sumos. This time, CVR sir suggested that girls get to choose whom they want company with. So then all the girls chose and there were 4 girls and some 12 boys. So I was left out, and chose myself. Then we went to the Temple here. It was very good, sir explained us the architecture (CVR sir is a civil engineer BTech & MTech at IITM 10 pt CG ) . He was very good with it. I being an atheist just looked around the temple and the idols. But I did not express my atheism. OK So were back again to our sumos, ready to go back to IITK, this time we got our freedom. We were asked whom to sit with. I chose Manas. So we happily sat together. Behind were Shwetaleena and Manpreet. We just chatted along, and there came IITK (Relativity, huh!!! ).
So, I am back here in CC, writing this blog. Tomorrow I have to go to Lakhimpur (Kheri). I am leaving tomorrow morning at 5:00 am. So I better go and sleep fast. I live in 3 or more Multiverses.. There is my one universe in NITT, one at my home in Ahmednagar, one here in IITK, and one more in Lakhimpur. It is where my parents were born and grew up. I have all my relatives (chacha, mama, mausi, giya, etc every blood relation you can think.. there). So I am going there. My brother Sonu got engaged recently. So I have to meet my hone-wali-bhabhi. The wedding I suppose will be in January.
My johari window, shows that no one knows that I have the quality of “searching” in me. Search is the most difficult when one does not know what he is searching. I remember my Lucky Ali’s favourite song:
Tujhko kya chahiye zindagi? “
meaning:
Life, what do thee want? “
Popularity: 5%
Started off finally
Posted by Cyber as Uncategorized
Nowadays mostly whiling away my time chating (chaating) Varshita, isli, et al. Two movies were screened here in IIT K: Hulk (which reminded me of my ex-roommate Tushar Bihani) and Pirates of the Carribean.
The auditorium here is very good.. as good as a multiplex.. and no sex discrimination is inflicted here as in our college (NIT Trichy). The environment here is very free… No restriction for anyone to goto any hostel. That is very good. Had a long debate on this with Varshita. Chatting, orkutting,..
But in the middle of everything I am also researching. Today I met PG Sir. He is going out of station tomorrow.. IIT Delhi and then mauritius I think. I asked him if I could have the permission to go home.
He told me that I was free to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. He wanted only the final result. I am feeling very good. Free. So I am going to live upto his trust.
I coded the Cholesky algorithm. It works in O(n^3). I chatted with Prassanna ( the genius, intership@google banglore) about this. I told him that this algo worked in (n^3)/3 FLOPs while the LU decomposition requires 2*(n^3)/3 FLOPs. So this is twice better. But he told that sometimes a factor of 2 is not worth it. It is possible that the LU algo works more efficiently than Cholesky because of Compiler adjustments. I tested the Cholesky algo on some SSPD matrices of 2,3,4 orders. I want more test data of N=100 or so.. I searched. Found data with N > 10000. Too large. My program will not even take it in.
The ACM portal here is very good. I downloaded all the research papers related to this topic. I have to read through them. I now wonder why I downloaded all of them.. Free net, they are always here…
Popularity: 5%
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