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Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

quantamagazine.org

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Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#61

Post by jokethrowaway »

molticrystal wrote: post #49

While it is wonderful they are getting closer to solving it, if your problem is a simple and practical you can try some alternative algorithms. For fun, I used pytspsa [0] which uses the simulated annealing method to solve the TSP and applied it to BOTW. Simulated annealing was inspired by thermodynamic free energy involved in crystal formation from annealing metal. [1] I combined it with a Breath of the Wild waypoin…

This is great, thanks for sharing!

I had good results with genetic algorithms as well.

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#62

Post by [deleted] »

happytoexplain wrote: post #9
war1025 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was inclined to comment on the ridiculousness of insisting on using "salesperson" which is a real mouthful to say a hundred times over as is done in the article. But I figured that was just me being cranky and objectionable lately.

From my point of view, having negative emotions about this at all seems "ridiculous", much more describing it as "a mouthful", and framing it as their having "insisted" on doing something, rather than simply having done it.

[deleted]

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#63

Post by mmm_grayons »

root_axis wrote: post #38
mmm_grayons wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, the generally-accepted term has been "salesman" for over a hundred years. Whether or not you approve, it's definitely a conscious choice. As an aside, can someone explain why a generic "-man" suffix is taken to indicate only the masculine by some people? It's no different than using the masculine for indefinite gender, so why the objections?

> Well, the generally-accepted term has been "salesman" for over a hundred years Who cares? Did your ancestors coin the term or something? You can keep writing "salesman" whenever you write things yourself. "Salesperson" doesn't seem at all offensive, and I think it's bizarre to nitpick such a trivial and irrelevant aspect of the article. It reads to me like political virtue-signaling since the article has nothing to…

I wasn't complaining about the use of the term, I was simply rebutting the parent's claim that the framing of "salesperson" as the deviant term rather than "salesman" was disingenuous given that "salesman" is the status quo.

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#64

Post by dang »

growlist wrote: post #2

Whilst I'm thrilled that the monstrous partriachal injustice of the name of a mathematical problem including 'man' rather than 'person' has been annihilated, I'm also concerned about the extra co2 emissions generated by the data transfer associated with those three extra letters.

We've banned this account for taking HN threads repeatedly into gender flamewar, and other kinds of flamewar, and ignoring our many requests to stop—such as this explanation from just two weeks ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24569144.

Vandalizing HN like this is not cool.

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#65

Post by [deleted] »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #17
mmm_grayons wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, the generally-accepted term has been "salesman" for over a hundred years. Whether or not you approve, it's definitely a conscious choice. As an aside, can someone explain why a generic "-man" suffix is taken to indicate only the masculine by some people? It's no different than using the masculine for indefinite gender, so why the objections?

Well, because it says "man" and that means a male. Never mind its from the German where 'man' meant 'person'; today in English we are where we are. And 'a hundred years' is not much of a defense. Women couldn't sign a mortgage in the US in the 70's. I imagine folks defended that too - "Its the way we've always done it."

[deleted]

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#66

Post by blackbear_ »

kats wrote: post #29

> proved that an algorithm devised a decade ago beats Christofides’ 50% factor, though they were only able to subtract 0.2 billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a percent. That is 0.0000000000000000000000000000000002% better than the existing solution.

Are you missing two zeros or am I counting incorrectly? The paper claims an improvement of 10-36 or smaller

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#67

Post by mmm_grayons »

polynomial wrote: post #41
dokem wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How has this line of reasoning ever convinced anyone of anything. It’s painfully obvious you’re pushing an opinion.

I only wish the sarcasm was as painfully obvious.

If that was sarcasm, apologies. In a better world, I'd indeed assume it was, but social justice warriors have spoken to me in that manner with a straight face, and it's hard to know for sure.

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#68

Post by triclops200 »

blackbear_ wrote: post #66
kats wrote: post #29

> proved that an algorithm devised a decade ago beats Christofides’ 50% factor, though they were only able to subtract 0.2 billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a percent. That is 0.0000000000000000000000000000000002% better than the existing solution.

Are you missing two zeros or am I counting incorrectly? The paper claims an improvement of 10 -36 or smaller

Percent moves two zeros over factor

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#69

Post by Jabbles »

echelon wrote: post #59
mensetmanusman wrote: post #20

If we are renaming things from the past to quell the moderns, it should be renamed Traveling Seller since it rolls off the tongue so much better.

I'm still confused whether it's appropriate to refer to actresses as "actor". The guidance appears to be skewed. (I'm being completely earnest here - I don't want to offend anyone.)

It's not inappropriate to use "actress" yet.

But consider that we used to have the word "doctoress" to refer to a female doctor. Using that feels weird.

Re: Computer Scientists Break Traveling Salesperson Record

#70

Post by dragonwriter »

echelon wrote: post #59
mensetmanusman wrote: post #20

If we are renaming things from the past to quell the moderns, it should be renamed Traveling Seller since it rolls off the tongue so much better.

I'm still confused whether it's appropriate to refer to actresses as "actor". The guidance appears to be skewed. (I'm being completely earnest here - I don't want to offend anyone.)

> I'm still confused whether it's appropriate to refer to actresses as "actor".

It is generally appropriate, and increasingly preferred in many contexts, but not yet generally considered the only acceptable thing. (E.g., "actress" is almost never considered wrong.)

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