Solving maths problems using Wolfram Alpha

Recently, I won a maths challenge (ok, I am kidding... but anyways), and the secret sauce behind my quick problem solving ability was - Wolfram Alpha.



Lets look at how it solves some complex high school maths problems -
1. Find LCM (least common multiple of 5, 21, 87) = LCM(5,21,87) = answer

2. Remember quadratic equations ? Lets give it a try, solve 3x^2 + 6x -15 = 35
3. Moving on - solving linear equations? Lets try to find values of x, y and z from following :
7x + 8y - 3z = 80, 2x - 3y + 4z = 35, 6x + 2y + 3z = 50 - here is the answer
4. Finally, (I was lost by this point) - remember chain rule for solving differential equations ? Lets try differentiating (4x + x ^ -5) ^ 1/3 and the answer (Tip: All steps included)

Btw, here is complete list of examples. Wish I had this cool tool when I was in school - and the case for not having one, and a smart get away.

Entrepreneurs

Last week two of my friends launched their own businesses - this blog is a tribute to their promising ventures -

My Carnegie Mellon friend Ankush Gupta - recently launched his venture Vigyaapan technologies - a targeted advertising product focused on leveraging social networks. Unlike most ventures of ad-targetting on social networks, Vigyaapan is building product based on social connections (network) formed over a "phone" network.. His venture was also featured under "top 10 hottest start ups" in India.


My high school friend Vipul Shah has also launched a very promising business - Trias Advisory - Firm aimed at providing financial advisory solutions. Vipul and his partners hold an MBA from reputed institutes and vital experience in wealth and financial management.

So, if you want to market your product, contact Ankush, or if you are rich and need a new and promising money manager contact Vipul. My best wishes to both these ventures...

Miles Miles Miles

If you are a "semi frequent" flyer - or a frequent flyer but not really loyal to an airline - there is a good chance that you will end up with "miles" way away from 20000 or 25000 miles required to get your free round trip.. This is your dead beast - essentially of no use but the savings number. Recently I figured out a way to use this dead beast rather meaningfully -

It turns out we can subscribe to many news papers and magazines at relatively cheap miles! Here is a quick summary of what you can get for round trip miles that you have earned on your last NY-SFO flight...

Fortune Magazine for 12 Months (1200 Miles)
Forbes Magazine for 12 Months (1400 Miles)
Wall Street Journal (Daily) for next 8 Months (2600 Miles)
Barrons for 12 Months - (1200 Miles)
Your Local news paper for 2 Months (600 Miles)
Econmist (51) - 3100 Miles

I guess thats an impressive list - if you are one like me - who loves reading all these business articles - and specially in a print format this is a free treat with your dead miles - Enjoy!

(Btw, now you know secret behind my daily wall street - Also eventually no one is going to pay any money for this - you can read this case here)

Trust and Fraud

Today, Bernanrd Madoff gets lifer for his gigantic fraud/ ponzi scheme that hammered US Financial system. Madoff's fraud was discovered only 6 months ago - and verdict is already out with 150 years of punishment.

Perhaps, what Madoff is to US, founder of Satyam - B Ramalinga Raju is to India. Satyam's fraud came in light around similar time as Madoff's, and he did exactly what Madoff did - took trust out of the system...

Looking back - Madoff is already convicted and is in jail, and as our Indian judicial system goes - matters are still under investigation, at least few light years away from final conviction...

Story of the Graduation Commencement Speeches

Update: 50 Must Watch - Incredible/ Historical Speeches

Today I graduated from Carnegie Mellon, and as part of the commencement, we had a chance to listen to the finest commencement speech by Google CEO - Eric Schmidt



It was a great speech - and definitely the one that will make every single Carnegie Mellon graduate proud.

But speaking of commencement speeches - Steve Jobs commencement address at Stanford remains historic one




Just blogging - two of the the finest commencement speeches together - connecting the dots, and graduating with the Information...

Origin of 'Soap' Operas - And Great Depression

Today media is filled up with stories of recession and comparisons to great depression. But funny things happened during the great depression. As with the economy Proctor & Gamble - a producer of household items such as soaps, was heavily suffering through economic tumult during the period of great depression. But P&G came out much stronger company towards the end of recession. How did the soap giant beat the Depression? Companies marketing team started heavily advertising on afternoon spots, and even started its production house to create radio shows and TV shows aimed at housewives. These shows turned out to be so successful - that these shows were further recognized with the name of 'Soap Operas'. Of course, P&G came out as much stronger corporation.

Vote Chooser - Indian Version

Recently I came across this interesting site - VoteChooser.com This site is simple way to allow people to decide to vote between Obama and McCain based on their respective policies. Site poses simple 10 questions - and bang you know whom you should support at the end of the questionnaire. (By the way, I was supporting 7 Obama policies out of 10 total questions).

Since, Indian general elections are around the corner, I thought building similar website would be very useful. Despite many differences, most of the Indian politics revolves around UPA, NDA, and Left forming two and half major fronts. So the concept is simple - posing 10 questions, answers to which should lead you to vote for either NDA or UPA alliance.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find 10 differences at policy level between UPA (Congress) or NDA (BJP)! I checked Congress's website - a major party in UPA alliance and BJP's website again a major party in NDA alliance for possible publicly declared manifesto/ policy document. But there is nothing on those two websites.

So my quest for VoteChooser Indian version has hit the major road block in the absence of 10 major differences between two poles of Indian politics. Irony is that parties representing 1.2 billion people do not have policy agendas on things that matter such as infrastructure, education, health care, foreign affairs etc. This is surprising, may be I am missing something. Any suggestions? Can you lead me to form those 10 questions?

Sticky Ads of My Life

We come across many ads during our life time, but there are
some ads which are just pure classics, and for some reason or
the other they just stick with you....

Here is the collection of one the most "Stickiest" ads of my life -

Cadbury - Dairy milk

I just can not forget this ad. Beautifully crafted commercial.
Successfully connects joy of life with Cadbury. In the process
wonderfully captures soft romance and pure unbound
'expression of joy'. Enjoy -




Hamara Bajaj

This is not really a 'classic' type but a nostalgic one .
Representative of the era of 'licence raj' when people
lined up for this scooter for months. 'Hamara Bajaj'
tune is just there somewhere deep down my memory...




Mile Sur Mera Tuhara

This is not really an ad but a filler prasar bharti used
to air between programs. Those were single channel
doordarshan days when watching superstars
on a TV was a rarity. I remember watching this 5 minute
filler for 2 second glimpse of Amitabh Bachhan :-)
This was also an effort to install 'understanding' of united
India. Now looking back, I must say it was immensely
successful effort.....



Yeh dil mange more...
I guess Sachin enjoyed this commercial to the core...
Some fantastic music ending with 'aha' by Sachin
which was Pepsi's earlier slogan... a lingering impact
of Pepsi commercials.



Changing gears.... Commercial representative
of India's mobile revolution -

This is the last one in this series - AR Rehman's Airtel Ad!
This tune is now almost synonymous with Airtel -
call it measure of success for this commercial.

Opera Experience

Yesterday, I watched Opera for the first time in my life. Very rich and interesting experience.
Experience went beyond my initial goal - to check out art form called Opera. AIDA Opera performance takes you to ancient Egypt. Its glamorous, its colorful, and its huge.
Check out program website here.
Why is this different?
AIDA Opera is a spectacular performance - More than 200 on stage performers have put together this show. Show succeeds in taking you to ancient exotic Egypt.
Show brings alive various sets from Royal palace at Memphis to moonlit bank of Nile.

I was wondering how am I supposed to understand "Italic" Opera. But they actually display translations on electric display board.
We are quite comfortable with concept of 'sub titles' for foreign language movies. Actually having sub-titles for 'live' performance was interesting!

Honestly, I could not understand much of the music piece. But visuals were good enough to keep me at my seat for more than 3.5 hours. ( yes its a long show, with 2 intermissions)

I could not stop comparing this show with Marathi Mega Show called "Janata Raja" (Knowing/ Almighty King). Janata Raja was also huge colossal of 200+ artists and larger than life sets.

How Janata Raja performance would scale if given all the resources these opera's enjoy?
-I guess that day is not too far. So for the moment, lets wait and watch