Latkes vs. Hamantaschen Prof. Jason Eisner Department of
Computer Science JHU Debate Dec. 4, 2007 Slide 2 Simplicity vs.
Complexity Jewish Slide 3 Simplicity vs. Complexity Jewish Slide 4
Simplicity vs. Complexity Establishing hamantaschic superiority:
1.Informational complexity 2.Linguistic complexity 3.Computational
complexity Jewish Slide 5 Informational Complexity What is the
information content of each food? (measured in bytes) Slide 6
Informational Complexity Asymmetries Alas, orientation is not
reliably transmitted headstails Slide 7 Fine-grained Informational
Complexity n strands of potato * 4 real #s per strand * k bits
recovered per real = 4kn bits? (x 1,y 1 ) (x 2,y 2 ) Strands are
unordered: Slide 8 Fine-grained Informational Complexity n poppy
seeds * 3 real #s per seed * k bits recovered per real (1,0,0,0)
(0,1,0,0) (0,0,1,0) (0,0,0,1) (each points coords sum to 1) Slide 9
Fine-grained Informational Complexity n poppy seeds * 3 real #s per
seed * k bits recovered per real (1,0,0,0) (0,1,0,0) (0,0,1,0)
(0,0,0,1) (each points coords sum to 1) (x 1,y 1 ) (x 2,y 2 ) n
potato strands * 4 real #s per strand * k bits recovered per real
Slide 10 Fine-grained Informational Complexity n poppy seeds * 3
real #s per seed * k bits recovered per real (1,0,0,0) (0,1,0,0)
(0,0,1,0) (0,0,0,1) (each points coords sum to 1) (x 1,y 1 ) (x 2,y
2 ) n potato strands * 4 real #s per strand * k bits recovered per
real Slide 11 Linguistic Complexity Gemetria The Bible Code = 10 =
22 + 50-point length bonus! Slide 12 Point of Order 2007-2008
Chanukah Purim This debate Slide 13 Purim, a.k.a. the Feast of Lots
Slide 14 Slide 15 Computational Complexity NC NP (Nosh Chanukah)
(Nosh Purim) decidable in polylogarithmic time with a polynomial
number of processors decidable in polynomial time with a
nondeterministic processor Slide 16 Computational Complexity NC NP
(Nosh Chanukah) (Nosh Purim) NP is more computationally complex!
But dont want to prove that is NP-hard Slide 17 Computational
Complexity So lets do a direct reduction: This is a poppynomial
reduction Implies existence of a gastric reduction Therefore, if
you can digest a hamantasch, you can digest a latke Therefore, the
hamantasch is the more complex carbohydrate Slide 18 Conclusions
Judaism loves complexity Hamantaschen are more complex
1.Informational complexity 2.Linguistic complexity 3.Computational
complexity And theyll enhance your math!
