Four short links: 23 May 2016
Interval Graphs, Develop Strategy Internally, Exponential Batteries, and Self-Rallying Cars
- Revisiting Interval Graphs for Network Science (PDF) — Interval graphs and multiplexes are special types of a more general mathematical object known as an intersection graph, where a vertex pair is connected if they have overlapping attributes—e.g., in a social multiplex, two individuals are connected as schoolmates (relationship) if they are in the same school together (attribute). The motivation of this paper is to show that the tools/perspectives from Network Science can benefit interval graphs research, and vice versa.
- Wardley’s Doctrine — Learn by playing the game. Common economic patterns and context-specific forms of gameplay are discovered by playing the game. Hence, strategic choices must be made by those who play the game and strategy developed internally and not externally. We must also share what we’ve learned (hence again, maps and the purpose of collating them).
- Electric Car Batteries (Slate) — There is no Moore’s law for battery storage—the power of batteries doesn’t magically double every two years. And yet, a funny thing has happened over the past six years. Rather than huge leaps and bounds, there has been slow, incremental improvement in the ability to manufacture lithium-ion batteries that can pack more power in the same space. Companies are doing a better job bargaining for supplies, rationalizing manufacturing processes, improving the chemistry, and generally doing the sorts of things that good engineers do. And so, the performance of lithium-ion batteries has been improving by five or eight or 10% each year. Percentage improvement instead of constant improvement means geometric growth, not arithmetic. Exponential growth ftw!
- Autorally — self-driving model rally car robot, with open source specs and code. Written up in IEEE Spectrum.