lucis

Interesting word. Came across this word while reading about popular halftoning algorithms. Here is what it means:

boustrophedon - An ancient method of writing in which the lines are inscribed alternately from right to left and from left to right.

Apparently halftoning algorithms improve greatly if images are processed in a boustrophedonic pattern instead of simple scanlines…

Learnt something very interesting about research today. In most cases it is possible to tell the quality and importance of a piece of research by its simplicity. The more complicated a solution, the less good the research generally is. Well, this is not true always, but most of the time. Let me try and explain why…

Any paper that is so complicated that it requires one to read ten other papers before it can be understood is in all probability nothing more than an aggregation of those ten papers. There is very rarely something new and brilliant in such papers. Most such papers are about incremental advances in the science. The bright new idea was in those ten prior papers.

A paper that is simple and easy to understand is generally an indication of the best research. In most cases it has a solution that seems so obvious, it makes one wonder why no one come up with it before! And in most cases it is not because no one was looking, but because no one realized it! Thats what makes this research so brilliant. Also it is these papers that get cited the most, and often lead to advances in areas the original authors never even thought about. And indeed it is these papers that people generally enjoy reading the most, and have the greatest WOW effect.

Well, perhaps all this is a huge generalization, but it is true in most cases!

So here is the key to doing good research: think simple, think elegant, think generic.

This year’s Siggraph Fantasy Graphics League started today. You basically select upto twelve researchers (with some quatloos you are given). Then they award points based on the number of publications your Graphics Lab gets in Siggraph 2004.
Be sure to read the interesting backstory. Excerpt:

“To be honest, they’ve seen how cost-cutting impresses Wall Street. A company lays off 5% of its workforce and its stock price rises 12%. Another cuts 20% and its price jumps up 50%. The way the board figures it, by cutting 98% of the workforce, the stock should rise by about 29,328%, which would really help the bottom line.”

While you are at it also check this rather amusing interview of last year’s winner.