An offer...
 

After reading the "reading the status chart" thread in the Info and Answers section of the forum, I gave the following post- I'd like to repost it here so that more people read it...please post your comments. Thanks.


To the veterans on this forum... I have been a member of GIMPS for about a year and a half now, and a viewer of the project longer than that. Maybe surprisingly, I'm a high school student- actually a senior this year. This isn't the usual demogrpahic you might expect to participate in a distributed computing project, let alone one that deals with mathematics. However, I must say that although math may not be my strongest subject, it is one I mind the most interesting.

Some of you may know of an academic program by the name of "International Baccalaureate" or I.B. for short. If not, it is a structured and rigorous curriculum that is internationally organized. Getting to the point, for this program and more specifically for one of its classes, I need to adopt and carry out a project that is beneficial to someone, or a group. The project is due around mid-November and I have not yet decided what to do. I have not found anything locally that I can work on, though if I dug a little deeper I'm sure I could find something.

My question is this...if it was decided that the "status page" could be redone in a new format, the table, presentation format, etc; could I adopt that as my project for my class? I.B. stresses the project matches the client's needs, or yours in this case. I'd design it to your specifications. Some of the things already pointed out where "having a more linear logarthmic distribution of the ranges" and how the data on the table is presented- "work completed" vs. "work to be done," among other things, possibly linking the table to the server so that it updates automatically once the desired format has been achieved so as to eliminate manual errors. Its whatever the "client" wants. I'm just putting this offer on the table, whether George or anyone else here wants it or can use it. If so, then I will check with my instructor for the class and see if the project is appropriate, and I cannot see why it wouldn't be. I'm offering because this is something that I'm deeply interested in, and doing the reports and write-ups are always higher quality when you are working with something you are passionate about. Thanks for the consideration.

Kyle,

A fellow cruncher.

Kyle,

If you have been following the various discussions presented on this forum, you might notice that the "NFSNet" group has been pursuing its goal of factoring large numbers for a considerable number of years. Back before the turn of the Century (does that sound better than "a decade ago"?) we were setting records in the factoring of large numbers. Since then, a few of us have been "plodding along". We could sorely benefit from some "new blood" and enthusiasm. I am certain that, if you are willing, you, or others, would receive significant assistance if you desire to enhance our distributed effort in any manner.

If you have any interest in contributing to our effort, please contact me, Xilman, or Dr. Bob Silverman, either publicly or privately. (Sorry, Paul, "Dr. Xilman" just doesn't sound right).

Richard "Wacky" Wackerbarth

I took IB too. Let me guess; your project is for ITGS, right?

I would like to second Wacky's suggestion. The NFSNET webpage has been in sore need of a redesign for a couple of years, and NFS has been the most advanced state-of-the-art factoring algorithm for some time. You really don't need to even to know much about NFS to take on this project, but you should think about what sort of a presentation might help attract new participants. Browse the pages, and I am sure that Richard, Paul (Leyland), and Bob would be more than willing to answer your questions.

[QUOTE]If you have any interest in contributing to our effort, please contact me, Xilman, or Dr. Bob Silverman, either publicly or privately. (Sorry, Paul, "Dr. Xilman" just doesn't sound right).[/QUOTE]

I found the page, but what exactly needs to be done? I couldn't find the status page that was mentioned on one of the links, and the form of the number seems ambiguous- or at least seems that it would be much harder to show progress status because not every test is represented as an LL or factoring of 2^P -1. But then again, maybe I just need an idea of what you want.

[QUOTE]I took IB too. Let me guess; your project is for ITGS, right?[/QUOTE]

Yes, it is for ITGS. How was your IB experience and what did you do for your project?

[QUOTE=Primeinator;87291]I found the page, but what exactly needs to be done? I couldn't find the status page that was mentioned on one of the links, and the form of the number seems ambiguous- or at least seems that it would be much harder to show progress status because not every test is represented as an LL or factoring of 2^P -1. But then again, maybe I just need an idea of what you want.[/QUOTE]

Here is a link to some of our previous "stats".
[url]http://www.nfsnet.org/stats2/statsreporter.cgi?project=2_1466L&template=index.html[/url]

Basically, we "measure" each machine's participation (we have a metric that seems to work across multiple projects). The (multiple) servers can spit out "Machine MMM contributed UUU units of work on project PPP on date DDD". In some manner, we need to collect, total, and present this participation across multiple projects in a way that encourages additional participation. I leave it to the discression of the designer as to how this can best be accomplished.

There are a lot of "details" that I will be happy to further explain if someone is really interested in spending some significant effort in producing some "finished product". (at least a prototype :)

We also have some resource problems. But I feel that we can address them if we actually have someone wanting to "do something" rather than just lamenting the lack of our presentation.

[QUOTE=Primeinator;87291]Yes, it is for ITGS. How was your IB experience and what did you do for your project?[/QUOTE]

I made an online calendar converter. But my school gave me months to do the project, not weeks. In fact, I started the project during my junior year and finished in my senior year.

Then again, I didn't do very well in the course, I finished with a 5, if I remember correctly.

OK, this is really addressed to Kyle, rather than "jinydu".

[QUOTE=jinydu;87295]But my school gave me months to do the project, not weeks[/QUOTE]

I'm not familiar with this program. However, based on my decades of experience in software and hardware development, it is really difficult to COMPLETE anything MEANINGFUL in such a short period of time. If your advisor/mentor has already set up some project for you, then it is reasonable that you might complete "his" project within the alloted time. However, absent someone "giving you the project ready to be done", I have real reservations about how much you can accomplish on ANY project in such a short period. Design of "the project" is, in itself, a formidable task.

But, you should also understand that I came from an earlier era. While in Grad School, I received a grade of "Incomplete" on my "Graduate Research" course each semester for two years before I finally was ready to make my presentation and receive credit for those many semesters of effort.

Still, if you are interested and feel that any of us can help, there are at least a few of us who are quite willing to do whatever we can to assist in your educational process.

Here is the calendar converter website:

[url]http://www.freewebs.com/jincalendarconverter/[/url]

Wacky, just in case it wasn't clear, this is a high school project, not a graduate school project. The amount of time given is actually very high compared to the time given for most assignments. Currently, I am an undergraduate and I routinely have to complete 20+ page math assignments in one week. My record is 50 pages in 1 week.

[QUOTE]Wacky, just in case it wasn't clear, this is a high school project, not a graduate school project.[/QUOTE]

I don't dispute that.

When I was at that (high school) academic level, my advisors were there to make suggestions about projects that were already sufficiently defined that I could reasonably choose one of them and be reasonably assured that I could complete the requirements within the time allotted. My "choices" were far easier than the scope of Kyle's initial query.

As much as I would like to have Kyle make some contribution to "my" (NFSNet) project, or any other, I really am more concerned that he not be drawn into something that is, in scope, "over his head", given the time constraints of his service.

In that respect, I worry that he really needs to look to his advisor for a project that is "better defined".

At the same time, I would welcome his "introduction" to his advisor in the hope that he and I could propose an appropriate project for some future student.

Richard "Wacky" Wackerbarth

[QUOTE]But my school gave me months to do the project, not weeks. In fact, I started the project during my junior year and finished in my senior year.[/QUOTE]

Actually its just that we have to decide what we are doing for our project soon. The actual project isn't due until early 2007. However, we need to have a start or a good idea of what we are going to do long before then.

[QUOTE]As much as I would like to have Kyle make some contribution to "my" (NFSNet) project, or any other, I really am more concerned that he not be drawn into something that is, in scope, "over his head", given the time constraints of his service.[/QUOTE]

As mentioned above, I do have more time than was originally interpreted from my posts, it is just the deadline as to a "basic" idea or what I am going to do for the project that I need to decide upon in the next few weeks or so. I will look at the page you gave tomorrow to see what's what.

[QUOTE]When I was at that (high school) academic level, my advisors were there to make suggestions about projects that were already sufficiently defined that I could reasonably choose one of them and be reasonably assured that I could complete the requirements within the time allotted.[/QUOTE]

That is part of the I.B. program, to develop work independence and thinking. I have to admit that having such an open-ended assignment can be frustrating at times, however the I.B. program is highly regarded (if you do well on the exams at the end of the courses) among colleges- especially American ones, whose respective high schools are much more lax than high schools in Europe. Other parts of the criteria are strict and defined- as in covering so "requried material" and then choosing the enrichment materials. Its a good program, if you want their home site is [URL="http://www.ibo.org"]http://www.ibo.org[/URL]

[QUOTE]I made an online calendar converter. But my school gave me months to do the project, not weeks. In fact, I started the project during my junior year and finished in my senior year.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE][url]http://www.freewebs.com/jincalendarconverter/[/url]
[/QUOTE]

That's pretty cool, how much mathematics did it require on your part?

[QUOTE]Still, if you are interested and feel that any of us can help, there are at least a few of us who are quite willing to do whatever we can to assist in your educational process.[/QUOTE]

I appreciate this a lot. Even if I don't end up using NFSNet as my project, it is still something I would like to help with in the future, time allowing. My schedule this year is pretty crazy. And, if I end up using either the main project status or yours, or any project I do just for the fun of it in the future, I will probably need your help for some of the technical aspects (which is allowed for the school project). I know there are a number of very knowledgable people on these forums.

Thanks for the support,

Kyle