Posts

Posted on

New Word for Friday

The prime number theorem is a statement of a quantuplicity: there are about N/log N prime numbers in the first N numbers.

quantuplicity noun. The quantitative relationship between two amounts. Usually referring specifically to the case when this is expressed as a ratio giving the number of times that one contains another (or vice versa.)

Calculating quantuplicities for different sociological quantities can lead one to a very complicated poset.

Posted on

Reminder Seattle: 1 Millionth Comment Party

Reminder that Sandra, Maria, Grrl, and I will be Ozzies this Saturday. Translation: beer! That’s Saturday, Sept. 27th at 4 pm in the upstairs mezzanine at Ozzie’s. The address is 105 W. Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98119. That’s in lower Queen Anne just east west of that gigantic need with a spaceship stuck on top of it.

Posted on

What These Days Remind Me Of…

“Dreams of poverty excited universal enjoyment in Berkeley, coupled with the hope that the political and economic situation would worsen, throwing the country into ruin: this was the theory of the activists. Misfortune so vast it would wreck everyone, responsible and not responsible sinking into defeat…” – from The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by Philip K. Dick

Posted on

Dickian Physics Abstract

An entry into the “best abstract ever” subcompetition of the “best title ever” competition, arXiv:0809.3979:

Counterfactual Quantum Cryptography
Authors: Tae-Gon Noh
Abstract: The ‘quantum counterfactuality’ is one of the most striking counterintuitive effects predicted by quantum mechanics. This manuscript shows that the counterfactual effect is not merely an interesting academic theme, but that it can also provide practical benefits in everyday life. Based on the quantum counterfactual effect, the task of a secret key distribution between two remote parties can be accomplished even when no particle carrying secret information is in fact transmitted. The secret key obtained in this way may be used for secure communications such as internet banking and military communications. This manuscript also shows that, in some cases, the mere possibility that an eavesdropper can commit a crime is sufficient to detect the eavesdropper, even though the crime is not in fact carried out. In a sense, part of the story of the SF film Minority Report seems plausible.

Emphasis mine. Horselover Fat would be proud.

Posted on

Holevo Additivity Falls? The Quantum Universe Gets Even Stranger

Major news from the quantum information front. Today I see posted on the arXiv a paper by M.B. Hastings: arXiv:0809.3972 “A Counterexample to Additivity of Minimum Output Entropy.” If correct this resolves one of the most famous open problems in quantum information theory, and, even more interestingly says that in a quantum world, transmitting classical information down quantum channel defies your classical intuition. Blessed be our quantum world, which just continues and continues to amaze.
Continue reading “Holevo Additivity Falls? The Quantum Universe Gets Even Stranger”

Posted on

Theoretical Physics Jobs. Now With Crazy Proposed Solutions!

Over at Information Processing, the bit processor, Steve, has an interesting post up about your chances of getting a faculty job in high energy theoretical physics. (In between the best posts on the financial turmoil around 1, 2, 3.) If you’re a high energy theoretical physics graduate student, and don’t want to get depressed today, I would recommend avoiding the post so as to keep up your illusion of safety, but if you want a good dose of reality, check it out.
Continue reading “Theoretical Physics Jobs. Now With Crazy Proposed Solutions!”