Friday, April 23, 2004
It takes all kinds to make e-bay
(Via Martin) One of the more bizarre auctions I have ever seen on E-Bay. An offer to lower your Erdos number to 5, assuming it's higher than that to start with. What's worse, the current bid (after 25 bids) is at $354. I know at least two people who could offer lower Erdos numbers on e-bay and what's more, they read this blog. Hint, hint, boys :)
You are bidding on a chance to connect yourself to the largest and most-studied social network of scientific and mathematical technical writers. Or to lower your score, if you are already in it. Or, perhaps, to lower mine -- depends on your current score, doesn't it?
The seller's coauthorship route from Paul Erdös is as follows:
Paul Erdös (0)
Mark Kac (1)
Robert M. Ziff (2)
Mark E. Newman (3)
The seller is one co-author of a 1997 paper in Physics Letters A [Volume 228, Issue 3, Pages 202-204 (7 April 1997)] with Dr. Newman -- and thereby has an Erdös number of 4. The seller will make his time available to the winner -- after payment is received -- on a part-time basis not to exceed 40 total hours doled out at a rate of no more than 10 hours per week, distributed to their mutual convenience over the period beginning May 1 2004 and ending on July 31 2004.
During that period, the seller will provide expert technical advice on research projects in the fields of evolutionary algorithms, machine learning, agent-based modeling of complex biological and social systems, complex systems research in general, social network theory (including business and marketing applications), engineering design automation using machine learning algorithms, artificial life, and any of a number of other specialties (a more comprehensive list available on request; a complete curriculum vitae will be provided to the winner).
You are bidding on a chance to connect yourself to the largest and most-studied social network of scientific and mathematical technical writers. Or to lower your score, if you are already in it. Or, perhaps, to lower mine -- depends on your current score, doesn't it?
The seller's coauthorship route from Paul Erdös is as follows:
Paul Erdös (0)
Mark Kac (1)
Robert M. Ziff (2)
Mark E. Newman (3)
The seller is one co-author of a 1997 paper in Physics Letters A [Volume 228, Issue 3, Pages 202-204 (7 April 1997)] with Dr. Newman -- and thereby has an Erdös number of 4. The seller will make his time available to the winner -- after payment is received -- on a part-time basis not to exceed 40 total hours doled out at a rate of no more than 10 hours per week, distributed to their mutual convenience over the period beginning May 1 2004 and ending on July 31 2004.
During that period, the seller will provide expert technical advice on research projects in the fields of evolutionary algorithms, machine learning, agent-based modeling of complex biological and social systems, complex systems research in general, social network theory (including business and marketing applications), engineering design automation using machine learning algorithms, artificial life, and any of a number of other specialties (a more comprehensive list available on request; a complete curriculum vitae will be provided to the winner).
