Scantlings

I found the math referenced in this article to be well beyond me. But the story surrounding the "who" and the "what" that it took for the proof to get noticed is fascinating.

Check it out HERE

BeauV wrote:I found the math referenced in this article to be well beyond me. But the story surrounding the "who" and the "what" that it took for the proof to get noticed is fascinating.

Check it out HERE

If Keith chimes in, and says he can’t follow the math either, I’m not going to bother to click the link.

Well, this article is the "human interest" article about the guy who did the hard math. You're safe reading the first link. Just take some Advil before digging into the actual math the guy figured out.

A math wonk friend of mine said the line he liked was: “In mathematics, it occurs frequently that a seemingly difficult special problem can be solved by answering a more general question”. I sure have found that to be true in the technology world. Returning to first principles and getting the general problems solved almost always ends up simplifying the specific problem.

I can follow the math, as probability happens to be my field. Seems easy enough for a PhD qualifying exam but clearly it isn't. I probably couldn't follow the proof without a fair bit of study.

I can visualize it in my head enough to see the requirement for convex sets, centered, and that the distribution is Gaussian, or at least has equal probability contours on ellipses.

You made my morning with this Beau!

My bass is on it's way from Santa Rosa and it seems to be unaccounted for since it was put on a train. If it's lost I don't want to wait another year for one. This little math diversion took my mind off it.

BeauV wrote:A math wonk friend of mine said the line he liked was: “In mathematics, it occurs frequently that a seemingly difficult special problem can be solved by answering a more general question”.

This is true, but the more general proof, by definition, is harder as it covers more cases. The usual mental masturbation we math guys use is to prove the special result and then see what we really needed for the proof, so that we can make it as general as we can.

The problem with this is that the general statement usually sounds even more irrelevant to anything practically useful than the simple case.

This gaussian projection proof to me clearly has practical utility, however.

We tried out a new bass player the other night, I think he's going to be good, but when he opened his case I took a double take, I thought at first he had an Alembic, it was an Elrick, with similar cosmetics, active PU''s (EMG), but a bot on neck. Stunning looking though, and really good tone.

Looked up Elricks. Beautiful basses.

As you can tell from my bass, I was looking for a short scale that's form-follows-function, not artisan looking as with many Alembics and other luthiers' offerings. Alembic builds can be highly customized. Mine's quite plain looking.

As for sound Ron Wickersham is clearly a soul mate.

kdh wrote:My bass is on it's way from Santa Rosa and it seems to be unaccounted for since it was put on a train.

Maybe its hanging out with your old boom....

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Anomaly wrote:

kdh wrote:My bass is on it's way from Santa Rosa and it seems to be unaccounted for since it was put on a train.

Maybe its hanging out with your old boom....

Sorry, couldn't resist.

As you can imagine, I've thought of that.

kdh wrote:Looked up Elricks. Beautiful basses.

As you can tell from my bass, I was looking for a short scale that's form-follows-function, not artisan looking as with many Alembics and other luthiers' offerings. Alembic builds can be highly customized. Mine's quite plain looking.

As for sound Ron Wickersham is clearly a soul mate.

14629_bodybackNRL.jpg

When he pulled it out I said "wow, an Alembic!" He said "what's an Alembic?"

That really surprised me, because even before I started playing guitar, Alembic was on my radar as THE bass. Jack Casady, Stanley Clarke.

If it's with the boom, be careful, it may also be with every missing sock from your entire life.

Rob McAlpine wrote:

kdh wrote:Looked up Elricks. Beautiful basses.

As you can tell from my bass, I was looking for a short scale that's form-follows-function, not artisan looking as with many Alembics and other luthiers' offerings. Alembic builds can be highly customized. Mine's quite plain looking.

As for sound Ron Wickersham is clearly a soul mate.

14629_bodybackNRL.jpg

When he pulled it out I said "wow, an Alembic!" He said "what's an Alembic?"

That really surprised me, because even before I started playing guitar, Alembic was on my radar as THE bass. Jack Casady, Stanley Clarke.

If it's with the boom, be careful, it may also be with every missing sock from your entire life.

And a few from SA.

Rob McAlpine wrote:

kdh wrote:
If it's with the boom, be careful, it may also be with every missing sock from your entire life.

I think that is a different problem, I understand martians only have one foot....

The bass is in Chelmsford MA, on schedule to be delivered to the office tomorrow. Stoked.

I can do without the socks.

Rob, I got into Alembics because I wanted a short scale. Phil Lesh, of the Dead, played a Guild Starfire which is a short scale that was modified by Ron Wickersham. Alembic just stayed in the business of working with short scales.

Look at all those knobs!

[quote="BeauV"]A math wonk friend of mine said the line he liked was: “In mathematics, it occurs frequently that a seemingly difficult special problem can be solved by answering a more general question”.

If you are working on a hard math problem, there is a chance that it's a special case of a much more general question. Fermat's Last Theorem is an example. In other words, it may not be simply that a proof of the more general question suffices, it may also be necessary.

Keith,

I'm glad the math article was entertaining.

Oddly, I was just looking at a Guild Starfire bass built in the late '60s. I have memories of playing a friend's, and I've never forgotten the sound. If I remember correctly, the only downside was that it was extremely difficult to control the feedback at high volumes. But I don't play anything at those volumes anymore. I'm deaf enough already .

B

I saw Lesh play that bass many times. I can't imagine what all the knobs are for.

Glad they found yer thumpstick! I keep a Les Paul in the for 30 minute practice breaks. Had some guys walk in the other day to close a deal, I was playing Kind Hearted Woman Blues "I've got a kind hearted woman, she studies evil all the time".