Comments on: Infinite compression

By: P.M. Hawryschuk

P.M. Hawryschuk — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:56:18 +0000

I hope the second person to respond was trying to be as amusing as the first.

I would definitely have to side with you on this issue.

I’ve previously put some thought into the topic of compression and what I like to call “supper compression”. Ex. AB = A; and the only way this becomes viable is to have the size of the compression utility itself increase in size, by having it store multiple supper compression algorithms.
Even though supper compression is possible infinite compression is not. To utilize multiple algorithms and the reapplication of them over and over again, the file’s amount of data for storing the history of how it was compressed grows the more times it has to change algorithms or reapply them and at a certain point the compressed data becomes small enough for it to not be worth adding more compression data to the compressed data (unless you choose to have the actual compression utility to grow in size more; the data has to go somewhere and there’s always a limit)

Anyways I trailed off a little on the topic of compression to mention that infinite compression is not possible. As for the product from OBRU, no purchase should have been made from a person spewing lies such as “there are no collisions”. As a sales person they should have been trained to demonstrate how their product compares to another one. Ex. If not showing their algorithm, at least showing that their product results in %30 less possibility of collisions; or something, at least something, not just that “NASA was using them”.

Sorry to hear that no one at work cared enough to spend a minute or two to sit and think, to realize that maybe you had a valid point.

Peace out,
Philpé

By: Charles Sebold

Charles Sebold — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 20:52:37 +0000

In other news, this week was next week, last week.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 19:55:20 +0000

Pat,
Let me shed a little light if I can on your checksum post. Checksum or Hash technology is very accurate and very useful for verifying data integrity. Incredible as it may sound at first, it’s true that a simple string of maybe 50 characters can “represent” a 2 gigabyte file. If you change just one bit of the original data, the Checksum or Hash will show this.
So you ask, “Why can’t we just turn all data into Checksums/Hash and there by compress all data into just a few bytes?” Here are the nuts and bolts to that question in layman’s terms:
The physical universe is composed of Mater, Energy, Space and Time. Binary or “Computer” data is “Perfect” data. It has the Exact amount of information needed to express it’s self. No more no less. It’s perfect because it’s defined by it’s self. It has Mater (the one or zero) it was produced with Energy (1 = energy/on and 0=energy/off) it is presented in Time (one bit “after” the other) and it has Space (each bit is in a different Location/Space).
A Checksum or Hash is the binary file with Space removed. Without space there can be no time of course, so you end up with just Mater and Energy.
So, a Checksum or Hash is simply a recording/record of the Mater and Energy of a data string. They are a perfect record of the Mater and Energy of a file (provided the Checksum/Hash formula is correct). Therefore, a Checksum/Hash can only tell you if a file is the same or different from another file (or datum).
In a nut shell, a Checksum/Hash can tell you if something is or is not. However, it can not tell you “What” it is or is not, because it never recorded the space (and there for time) of the original.
Data Compression is simply the process of trading Space, Energy and Mater with Time. A compressed file simply has more time and less space, energy and mater. It’s efficient/useful because a computer can process tens of millions of bits of “Time” per second.
The state of our current technology allows us to manipulate Time better than Space, Energy and Mater. So, trading some “Excess” Time for the more rare Space, Energy and Mater is currently a useful process. This could and will change as we improve our technologies in regards to Mater, Energy and or Space.
You use the technology of Checksums/Hash all day, and every day. Clocks, Stopwatches, calendars, timers, radar guns, Speedometers in your car and even the Sun can tell you that an event did or did not take place or that something is or is not. But they don’t tell you “What” took place. They are all Binary in nature. They simply tell you “Yes” or “No” (on/off) or it is or is not.
It’s interesting to note that Children usually have more Space, Time and Energy and less Mater than Adults. Adults tend to have less Time, Space and Energy but more Mater. It would appear that the “Fountain of Youth” may have more to do with the proper application of the relationships of Time, Mater, Energy and Space than with water.

Michael

By: Patrick Chan

Patrick Chan — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 02:56:23 +0000

And that does stink that some folks at your workplace gave the benefit of the doubt to OBRU rather than to their very own admin! Sheesh.

By: Patrick Chan

Patrick Chan — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 01:25:24 +0000

Eh. This is old news. The Japanese perfected this sort of data compression ages ago. Not only that, but they’ve extended it to people, too.

I know, I know, it’s hard to believe. In fact, I, too, had to see for myself. So I let them try it on me on my last visit to H.K.H.Q. — Hello Kitty Head Quarters.

(Why I was at H.K.H.Q. is another story. But suffice it to say I am a huge Keroppi fan! Ribbit, ribbit!)

(Also, how a Japanese toy company came to be the first to develop this amazing people compression technology is beyond me. Good news for us Americans, though: it’s rumored Microsoft is in the works to develop something similar. I believe the project’s code name is “the XPox ≤360.” Their current slogan should work well for them, too: “America, prepare to be infected with the XPox!” Also: “I got a fever and the only prescription is more XPox!”)

Anyway, long story short, after entering into an ironclad chamber with bright lights and other cool little doohickies flickering on and off, famed Japanese scientist and inventor, Dr. Ganon, by the authority of Princess Toadstool, pushed some sort of a button or pulled some sort of a lever, and… *giggle* *giggle* *google* voila!

Presto changeo, rearrangeo –

I, myself, Patrick, now stand before you as a compression of the original, larger Patrick. Or, actually, not so much stand as shrink. Yes, I, myself, Patrick, now shrink before you… Er, or something like that. In short, I am Mini-Me.

Of course, this technology was not without its setbacks. Especially during the animal testing stage. I mean, how do you think those Godzilla and Mothra documentaries came to be filmed in the first place?

Fortunately, the Japanese were able to reverse the process. Hence the people compression technology.

Otherwise, imagine what horrific things might’ve come to pass. Such as, well, let’s not mince words: we might have a giant, hulking Hello Kitty on our hands! Would any of us want that? I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Brr!