Algorithms for Aloos!
Cooking is perhaps a domestic chore that has the most potential application in any field in life - be it science, engineering or anything else. Today, while cutting potatoes, I discovered two separate algorithms for completing the task.
Algorithm 1
This is the less efficient algorithm. I call it the power of two algorithm. It goes like this:
1. cut the potato in half.
2. take each half and cut it in half.
repeat the above two steps until required size is achieved.
It seems simple to describe, yet, it takes a lot of time to get down to a manageable size.
Algorithm 2
This is a lot more parallel processing. It is highly efficient and achieves results faster.
1. Cut the potato into 4 quarters.
2. Take one quarter,make it lie on its flat side and cut it perpendiclar to its lon axis, making several parallel cuts.
3. Now gather these parallel slices together and cut them perpendicular to the previous direction.
The small sizes are achieved much faster!
Perhaps this is where our formal education fails us. Maybe household chores should be part of the curriculum. A lot of new ideas strike you when you are trying to do these as fast as possible. Perhaps the future of this planet lies in the hands of the humble household chore-doer, rather than the rocket scientist!
Algorithm 1
This is the less efficient algorithm. I call it the power of two algorithm. It goes like this:
1. cut the potato in half.
2. take each half and cut it in half.
repeat the above two steps until required size is achieved.
It seems simple to describe, yet, it takes a lot of time to get down to a manageable size.
Algorithm 2
This is a lot more parallel processing. It is highly efficient and achieves results faster.
1. Cut the potato into 4 quarters.
2. Take one quarter,make it lie on its flat side and cut it perpendiclar to its lon axis, making several parallel cuts.
3. Now gather these parallel slices together and cut them perpendicular to the previous direction.
The small sizes are achieved much faster!
Perhaps this is where our formal education fails us. Maybe household chores should be part of the curriculum. A lot of new ideas strike you when you are trying to do these as fast as possible. Perhaps the future of this planet lies in the hands of the humble household chore-doer, rather than the rocket scientist!
posted by Firebringer at 6:36 PM
2 Comments:
hey Bharat...
loved your algorithms for aloos... it is too kewl! so now you know what girls go through? It is so damn difficult to cook ya.. ;)
Howz life ya? how are you finding padai?
Have fun, take care and keep writing such algos!!
All the best :)
-Moushmi
I've a better idea... crush the entire potato. Takes just 2 seconds and the end product still tastes good.
-Varsha
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