From: "SHULTZ,BARRY (HP-Israel,ex1)" <barry_shultz@...>
Date: 2001-01-03T06:21:03+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:8540] Re: speedup of anagram finder


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ben Tilly [mailto:ben_tilly@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001 9:22 PM
> To: ruby-talk@netlab.co.jp
> Subject: [ruby-talk:8533] Re: speedup of anagram finder
> 

> Those with some math will know that e=exp(1) is transcendental.
> This was proved by Hermite in 1873.  From that it is trivial
> that exp(0.1) is also transcendental.  Therefore no linear
> combination (with integer coefficients) of exp(0.1), exp(0.2),
> ..., exp(3.0) can be 0 except the trivial one.
> 
> This allows us to come up with a hashing function using floating
> point numbers.  The only issue is what point we will get into
> pain from round-off errors.
> 
> Just map the characters onto convenient fractional powers of e
> and add them together.
> 
Oops. Now I see I'm the one who didn't understand what _you_ were saying.

Thanks for the input.

Barry