| [ Fun ] in KIDS 글 쓴 이(By): greenie (푸르니) 날 짜 (Date): 2004년 7월 29일 목요일 오후 12시 15분 37초 제 목(Title): Erdos Number on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3189039958 구글의 Erdos Number 결과에 ebay(!) 링크가 있길래 가 보았더니... 지난 4월꺼였는데, $1,031에 낙찰되었네요. 뒷북 아니길 바랍니다. DECREASE YOUR ERDOS NUMBER TO 5! Scientific researcher for hire. The briefest of backgrounds Paul Erdos (1913-1996) was a prolific mathematician and frequent collaborator on technical projects in many subjects. If you know his name, then you likely know just what is being sold. If you don't, then you probably don't need to bid, but perhaps you should check Google or other search engines for "Erdos number" or "Erdos number". Paul Erdos himself is defined as having an Erdos number of 0. Needless to say, he is the only person who will ever be assigned that number. Anybody that was a co-author with Paul Erdos of a published paper has an Erdos number of 1. Generally, any person who is a co-author of a published paper with a person who has an Erdos number of N has an Erdos number of N+1. (A large body of additional information -- including detailed explanation of why this trivial-seeming number game is interesting and important -- can be found by simple search on the Web. Look it up.) What you're bidding on You are bidding on a chance to connect yourself to the largest and most-studied social network of scientific and mathematical technical writers. Or to lower your score, if you are already in it. Or, perhaps, to lower mine -- depends on your current score, doesn't it? The seller's coauthorship route from Paul Erdos is as follows: 1. Paul Erdos (0) 2. Mark Kac (1) 3. Robert M. Ziff (2) 4. Mark E. Newman (3) The seller is one co-author of a 1997 paper in Physics Letters A [Volume 228, Issue 3, Pages 202-204 (7 April 1997)] with Dr. Newman -- and thereby has an Erdos number of 4. The seller will make his time available to the winner -- after payment is received -- on a part-time basis not to exceed 40 total hours doled out at a rate of no more than 10 hours per week, distributed to their mutual convenience over the period beginning May 1 2004 and ending on July 31 2004. During that period, the seller will provide expert technical advice on research projects in the fields of evolutionary algorithms, machine learning, agent-based modeling of complex biological and social systems, complex systems research in general, social network theory (including business and marketing applications), engineering design automation using machine learning algorithms, artificial life, and any of a number of other specialties (a more comprehensive list available on request; a complete curriculum vitae will be provided to the winner). If you are uncertain about the feasibility or reasonableness of a particular research collaboration, contact the seller before bidding. Such advice as can be provided within the time-frame is 100% guaranteed to exceed a level of quality which would warrant acknowledgement as "valuable discussion and advice" in a manuscript, but will also not exceed the point at which the winner(s) themselves would only warrant acknowledgement. That is, we will (if at all possible) be coauthors of a manuscript to be submitted for publication. Unless mutually agreed after the end of the sale, collaboration will occur via email, telephone conversation (within the US), online collaboration, postal mail and other indirect modes of communication. The scope and division of writing, computer programming (if any) and research responsibilities will also be determined by mutual agreement after the sale. The project may be one the winner has already begun (or even completed), has planned but never had time for, or it can be discussed and planned after the sale is complete. Note that it will likely end up being a small project and paper (though 40 hours is a lot, it includes writing). Needless to say, research projects in domains significantly outside the seller's field of expertise are at serious risk of failure, though the promised effort level will be provided in earnest, regardless of this risk. However, the seller is very flexible, something of an intellectual magpie and jack-of-all-trades, and learns quickly. Thus, it is feasible that any domain of science or engineering -- and even the social sciences, in a pinch, insofar as complex systems research methods may be successfully applied there -- are potential targets. However, the seller retains the right to refuse (and publicly ridicule) proposals for research in non-scientific fields, such as "Intelligent Design". Such kooks need not apply. In addition it should be pointed out that the winner's new Erdos number of 5 can only be rightfully claimed upon acceptance and publication of the manuscript resulting from the collaboration! Until that time, the winner may consider discussing their Erdos number in public, insofar as it comes up in the course of conversation, as 0+5i. But wait -- there's more! Over the six-month period after the sale, the winner will also be included (at his or her discretion) as coauthor of a narrative account (including a comprehensive technical background and overview) of this auction and its results. This additional manuscript will be submitted to a journal (which may be a peer-reviewed technical journal, or a popular news-stand magazine) for publication, and will be published concurrently online in a number of venues including the seller's blog, and the winner's (if available). The effort contribution of the winning bidder in this case is expected to be at least 4 hours, distributed as convenient over the period mentioned above. Are you serious? Yes. Of course, it's a strange auction. Of course it was undertaken in a self-referential and ironic way. But I am quite serious about the final collaboration -- and about the final sale price, too! Bidders are admonished to thoughtfully consider their bids as binding contracts. Because eBay charges us a fee based on the winning bid when the auction closes, the winner will be billed immediately -- that is, before the agreed service is provided! This is no joke. Amusing, perhaps, but no joke. Clearly ridiculous bids will be cancelled immediately, and the bidder blocked. Winners who fail to pay in a timely manner will receive negative feedback. Other expected questions What credentials do you have for this supposed collaboration? More than a decade spent working as an academic and professional researcher in the field of complex systems research, machine learning and operations research. I have organized professional meetings and workshops in these subjects, am a peer-reviewer for a number of scientific journals and conferences, and have also worked as a technical advisor, analyst and research consultant on teams hired by Fortune 500 companies working on projects in this field. Can I consign my own intangible mathematical abstractions for you to sell on eBay as well? In general we take consignments of the kinds of items currently on offer in our Store. However, if you have a lower Erdos number than 4, I would be happy to offer your number on consignment as well. Rates are available through my About Me page. Do I really have to pay for this? If you win, you are expected to pay. Yes. Take that into account. If you're smart enough to want to write a paper with me, you should be smart enough to know that I'm serious about the money, too. Is this just a PR stunt? No, it is not just a PR stunt. I actually do research in the fields described. And I actually sell consignments and personal belongings on eBay as a hobby -- but a serious hobby. Is it OK if I link to this auction from my personal web page/blog/slashdot? If you like, feel free. When you do, though, please pass along that this is a serious offering of service, and not a ghost in a jar. I've tried to avoid including any direct links to sites that would be negatively affected by too much attention. How can I find out what happens to this auction? I will be compiling statistics on page views and referrers as time goes on, and publishing them as they become available in places that should be obvious. You are encouraged to use Google to find them. Isn't it kindof double-dipping to sell your research services, and also reap the great rewards of being co-author of a published paper in a potentially prestigious journal? That is one way to look at it. I commend your high-minded scruples. But... no. It is not. You are welcome to work for free insofar as you are able. Perhaps you would like to donate your prorated hourly salary to charity for the period we're working on this project. If you do, I can assure you that I will sing laudatory verses about you whenever I write or speak about the work thereafter. On Apr-21-04 at 03:01:47 PDT, seller added the following information: Clarification A correspondent reminds me that in this sale I am offering an Erdos number of the first kind (that is, counting all published papers on which any number of authors appear) -- not an Erdos number of the second kind, which only counts papers on which exactly two authors appear. I hope this clarifies. If it will help matters, I will throw in, at no extra charge, a Tozier number of the second kind -- to date a much rarer commodity. On Apr-21-04 at 09:57:23 PDT, seller added the following information: There is apparently some confusion -- you are not bidding for the chance to collaborate with Dr. Mark Newman. Please read the listing carefully. On Apr-24-04 at 05:06:49 PDT, seller added the following information: Additional clarification, April 24: Visitors and bidders interested in the social dynamics of this auction, learning something about its motivation and context, and discovering where it is heading should visit my blog "Notional Slurry" (which can be found easily via Google). On Apr-24-04 at 14:30:38 PDT, seller added the following information: Why: A significant number of people have asked me over the last few days what I will be doing with the money generated by this auction. While more complete details and justification can be read at Notional Slurry, the following summary may help to put it in perspective: A portion of the funds from the auction sale will be the seed capital used to create a non-profit free online community for the promotion of scientific collaboration. As sketched, it will include mechanisms for the distributed review of simple-but-formal proposals, a market for the organization of collaborative effort, transparent data collection and reporting, and publication of final work product under an open access license. This suite of services is not aimed at traditional academic researchers working in their own disciplines, but will rather serve the diffuse community of laymen, technically trained professionals in industry, graduate students and young faculty, and those professional academics who may propose interdisciplinary projects which cultural barriers and time constraints would prohibit. Bidders -- especially those who do not win the auction -- who have serious proposals for collaboration will be among the first to be offered roles in this community if they find it of interest. 저 언덕을 넘어 푸른 강가엔 젊은 나무 한 그루 있어 메마른 날이 오래여도 - 푸르니 뿌리가 깊어 아무런 걱정없는 나무 |