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π Rabin-Karp Algorithm for finding matching substrings in text
In computer science, the RabinβKarp algorithm or KarpβRabin algorithm is a string-searching algorithm created by Richard M. Karp and Michael O. RabinΒ (1987) that uses hashing to find an exact match of a pattern string in a text. It uses a rolling hash to quickly filter out positions of the text that cannot match the pattern, and then checks for a match at the remaining positions. Generalizations of the same idea can be used to find more than one match of a single pattern, or to find matches for more than one pattern.
To find a single match of a single pattern, the expected time of the algorithm is linear in the combined length of the pattern and text, although its worst-case time complexity is the product of the two lengths. To find multiple matches, the expected time is linear in the input lengths, plus the combined length of all the matches, which could be greater than linear. In contrast, the AhoβCorasick algorithm can find all matches of multiple patterns in worst-case time and space linear in the input length and the number of matches (instead of the total length of the matches).
A practical application of the algorithm is detecting plagiarism. Given source material, the algorithm can rapidly search through a paper for instances of sentences from the source material, ignoring details such as case and punctuation. Because of the abundance of the sought strings, single-string searching algorithms are impractical.
Discussed on
- "Rabin-Karp Algorithm for finding matching substrings in text" | 2018-11-20 | 10 Upvotes 1 Comments
π Ouzo Effect
The ouzo effect (also louche effect and spontaneous emulsification) is a milky (louche) oil-in-water emulsion that is formed when water is added to ouzo and other anise-flavored liqueurs and spirits, such as pastis, rakΔ±, arak, sambuca and absinthe. Such emulsions occur with only minimal mixing and are highly stable.
Discussed on
- "Ouzo Effect" | 2022-04-23 | 13 Upvotes 2 Comments
π Hitler Has Only Got One Ball
"Hitler Has Only Got One Ball", sometimes known as "The River Kwai March", is a World War II British song, the lyrics of which, sung to the tune of the World War I-era "Colonel Bogey March", impugn the masculinity of Nazi leaders by alleging they had missing, deformed, or undersized testicles. Multiple variant lyrics exist, but the most common version refers to rumours that Adolf Hitler had monorchism ("one ball"), and accuses Hermann GΓΆring and Heinrich Himmler of microorchidism ("two but very small") and Joseph Goebbels of anorchia ("no balls at all"). An alternative version suggests Hitler's missing testicle is displayed as a war trophy in the Royal Albert Hall.
The author of the lyrics is unknown, though several claims have been made. The song first appeared among British soldiers in 1939 and was quickly taken up by Allied military and civilians. Its familiarity increased after its use in a scene in the 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai. The song has been cited as an example of morally-correct disrespect that used political mockery to boost morale in wartime.
π Black cowboys
Black cowboys in the American West accounted for up to 25 percent of workers in the range-cattle industry from the 1860s to 1880s, estimated to be between 6,000 and 9,000 workers. Typically former slaves or born into the families of former slaves, many black men had skills in cattle handling and headed West at the end of the Civil War. Though the industry generally treated black men equally to white men in terms of pay and responsibilities, discrimination persisted, though to a lesser extent than in other industries of the time.
Discussed on
- "Black cowboys" | 2018-08-11 | 48 Upvotes 40 Comments
π The Matthew Effect
The Matthew effect of accumulated advantage, Matthew principle, or Matthew effect for short, is sometimes summarized by the adage "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer". The concept is applicable to matters of fame or status, but may also be applied literally to cumulative advantage of economic capital. In the beginning, Matthew effects were primarily focused on the inequality in the way scientists were recognized for their work. However, Norman Storer, of Columbia University, led a new wave of research. He believed he discovered that the inequality that existed in the social sciences also existed in other institutions.
The term was coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1968 and takes its name from the Parable of the talents or minas in the biblical Gospel of Matthew. Merton credited his collaborator and wife, sociologist Harriet Zuckerman, as co-author of the concept of the Matthew effect.
Discussed on
- "The Matthew Effect" | 2019-09-02 | 15 Upvotes 2 Comments
π Martello Tower
Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts.
They stand up to 40 feet (12Β m) high (with two floors) and typically had a garrison of one officer and 15β25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse, and hence fire, over a complete 360Β° circle. A few towers had moats or other batteries and works attached for extra defence.
The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Many have survived to the present day, often preserved as historic monuments.
Discussed on
- "Martello Tower" | 2024-01-28 | 67 Upvotes 26 Comments
π Antarctic English
Antarctic English is a variety of the English language spoken by people living on the continent of Antarctica and within the subantarctic islands.:βviiβ Spoken primarily by scientists and workers in the Antarctic tourism industry, it consists of various unique words and is spoken with a unique accent. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Antarctic English was influenced by Spanish-speaking South Americans and Northern European explorers who introduced new words that continue to be used today.
Discussed on
- "Antarctic English" | 2024-02-28 | 369 Upvotes 158 Comments
π Bicameralism (Psychology)
Bicameralism (the condition of being divided into "two-chambers") is a hypothesis in psychology that argues that the human mind once operated in a state in which cognitive functions were divided between one part of the brain which appears to be "speaking", and a second part which listens and obeysβa bicameral mind. The term was coined by Julian Jaynes, who presented the idea in his 1976 book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, wherein he made the case that a bicameral mentality was the normal and ubiquitous state of the human mind as recently as 3,000 years ago, near the end of the Mediterranean bronze age.
Discussed on
- "Bicameralism (Psychology)" | 2019-07-06 | 51 Upvotes 29 Comments
π Capitol Hill's mystery soda machine
Capitol Hill's mystery soda machine was a Coke vending machine in Capitol Hill, Seattle, that was in operation since at least the early 1990s until its disappearance in 2018. It is unknown who stocked the machine.
Discussed on
- "Capitol Hill's mystery soda machine" | 2023-06-28 | 39 Upvotes 5 Comments
- "Capitol Hill's mystery soda machine" | 2021-07-27 | 434 Upvotes 150 Comments
π Kardashev Scale
The Kardashev scale is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement based on the amount of energy they are able to use. The measure was proposed by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev in 1964. The scale has three designated categories:
- A TypeΒ I civilization, also called a planetary civilizationβcan use and store all of the energy available on its planet.
- A TypeΒ II civilization, also called a stellar civilizationβcan use and control energy at the scale of its stellar system.
- A TypeΒ III civilization, also called a galactic civilizationβcan control energy at the scale of its entire host galaxy.
Discussed on
- "Kardashev Scale" | 2024-05-11 | 34 Upvotes 28 Comments
- "Kardashev Scale" | 2021-10-13 | 14 Upvotes 1 Comments
- "Kardashev Scale" | 2019-08-03 | 74 Upvotes 31 Comments
- "Kardashev scale" | 2011-02-05 | 72 Upvotes 15 Comments