Eggheads

[j.sabourn]

A readers letter in todays paper asked the burning question "What is a computer algorithm?" An abbreviated answer from some reader is as follows......According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word algorithm is derived from the surname of the Arab mathematician Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Musa al-Kuwarizmi ( or man of Kuwarizm), through whose work on algebra the Arabic numerals we know eventually became known in Europe. ( Brian maybe your next door neighbour may know of him ). To make a brief example subtract 59 from 87, this confronts us with taking a larger number (9)away from a smaller (7) The algorithm we learned at school was referred to borrow and pay back, tells us to borrow 10 from the 5 in the tens column and add it on to the 7 in the units column. We are then confronted with the subtraction 17-9 rather than 79, then we can put an 8 in the units column. However we now have to pay back the 10 we borrowed in the first place adding it to the 5 in the tens column. The answer is therefore 28. This readily lends itself to automation, so a computer algorithm is simply one that has been written in an appropriate computer language for execution by a computer....... I was lost after the Arab mathematician. Shows however how Brown, his predecessors and his later followers can really hoodwink the general public. The old pounds shilling and pence must have been a big deterrent to these people who play around with a countries fiscal system. We had to learn the hard way on pencil and paper, wasn't as much graft then, as would of been too apparent. Wonder how far up the chain in computer studies some of these Treasurers are, must be a an obvious degree in such they have to have. JS

[John Albert Evans]

Wasn't it called sums when we we at school.

John.

[vic mcclymont]

I remember a few years ago purchasing some goods in a shop. Paying for them the young lady (18ish) got her calculator out typed in the cost of goods. I said to her the amount, (which I can't remember, but was correct), after finish her work on the calculator, she look at me in astonishment, and asked me how I knew the answer. Mental arithmetic, I replied. She took the money and shook her head.

[happy daze john in oz]

Taking A from B is very simple, most governments via the tax office have perfected the way, they have no need of ay fancy methods. They have perfected the system so well that they can even take more than you have ad no doubt do not even need a computer to do it.