Dan Piponi

Density plot of eigenvalues from 1 million 10×10 tridiagonal matrices w/ entries randomly chosen from {0, ±1, ±i, ±10, ±10i, ±20, ±20i}. viewing window is [-48-48i, 48+48i]. The color represents eigenvalue density.
#Python #MathArt #SciArt #CreativeCoding #Mathematics

On your phone while grabbing a cart with the other hand? Algorithms are easy. It's the preparatory data munging I hate.

Tip of the day is the start of a question you can ask chatbots:

"Here's my shopping list. Can you regroup it so items that are close together in Trader Joe's end up in the same groups..."

(Don't forget to check the list 'cos it might add chocolate just because it's learnt people like that...)

Defence plan will ensure UK is ready for war, minister says The Army needs to become "10 times more lethal" to face a "new era of threats", defence secretary says.

By strapping a pair of hair dryers to a vacuum cleaner the UK has found it can save £130,000,000 per year on equipment.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Someone spent their £1.99 well.

Eigenvalues for 15 million random 10×10 tridiagonal matrices w/ entries sampled from the discrete set {0, ±1, ±i, ±20, ±20i}. The image shows the density of eigenvalues in the complex plane, with brighter regions indicating higher concentration.
#Python #MathArt #SciArt #CreativeCoding #Mathematics

The now viral, incorrect meme that LLMs are just next token predictors is causing so much confusion

I do consider it. A friend has family in the oil business and said that when they dealt with George W Bush before he was president he seemed like a person of normal intelligence. But it seems like such a cynical thing to do. Do people behave like this? Do they hate their electorate this much?

The fact that people like this exist is an insult to anyone anywhere who's ever bothered to learn anything. She has a degree from the University of South Dakota. I can't imagine what kind of institution this is that can produce such ignorance and stupidity.

My daughter just sent me this meme about induction stoves and proof by induction. My work is done.

It’s still hard for me to believe that after so many years of deranged posts like this, we’ve still never had a serious national conversation about this man’s mental health.

Exploring the roots of 177,147 polynomials with coefficients in {-1, 0, 1}
Each dot represents a root of a degree-10 polynomial, w/ brightness revealing its frequency across all polynomials constrained to [-1.6, 1.6] × [-1.6, 1.6].
#p5js #MathArt #VisualMath #SciArt #CreativeCoding #Mathematics

I'd pick machines I don't really know as a learning experience: Apple Lisa. Camputers Lynx. Jupiter Ace. Sinclair QL.

n-category theorists can think in ways that we mortal mathematicians cannot. 😔

I'll have whichever one has a BASIC with an inline assembler thank you very much.

I still remember the many ads I saw back then emphasizing that Snowball had 7000 locations which honestly didn't seem like a good feature.

Photographed from the driveway yesterday. Cute faces, both of them.

Trump film tariffs: What next for Hollywood and beyond? As Trump turns his attention to what he calls the "dying" US film industry, his solution has provoked strong reactions.

Did you know that there is a shortage of American movies and so now we have to tax foreign movies to ensure American movies get made? Or Republicans are the stupidest people who have ever stumbled across the face of the Earth. One of the two anyway.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Trump orders reopening of notorious Alcatraz prison President Trump says the famous island prison off San Francisco is to be reopened to house "ruthless and violent" offenders.

The country that locks up more people than anywhere else in the world (because the US loves freedom apparently) can't find enough space to lock people up so it's having to commandeer tourist attractions.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Each point represents one eigenvalue from the spectrum of a random 5×5 matrix with entries from {-1,0,1}. Warmer colors show regions where eigenvalues cluster more densely.
#MathArt #LinearAlgebra #CreativeCoding #Mathematics #VisualMath #ComplexAnalysis #math

I really feel pity for these people. They really are good at nothing.

It's the wrong units too. I could understand saving $X/yr but an instantaneous saving of $X doesn't entirely make sense.

As I've said numerous times: lawyers, journalists, politicians, few of these people have any clue what numbers are and what they represent. Especially numbers bigger than about 3. They're just a thing you put in sentences to give the impression of authority.

Not sure why anyone needs to one-up RFK. He's already funny enough.

From Patreon's Discord: "Yesterday, a U.S. court ruled in the Epic v. Apple case that Apple is no longer allowed to collect fees on purchases made outside of the App Store. This is a huge victory for creators and fans. The Patreon iOS app is the number one platform for fan engagement on Patreon, and we believe this ruling allows creators to get paid without Apple taking 30% of all in-app payments. We know many creators may have questions about how this ruling will impact your Patreon communities and how you use the Patreon iOS app. We’ve been working urgently to understand what this ruling means and how to take action to ensure that you and your fans benefit as much as possible. Here’s the latest:"

"We’re already working to update the Patreon iOS app to avoid Apple’s fees As a first step, we are submitting an update to the Patreon iOS app in Apple’s App Store immediately to include an option for fans to use an alternative payment method to Apple’s in-app purchasing system. Once approved by Apple, this update would mean that new members in the U.S. who make purchases in the Patreon iOS app will be able to choose a checkout option that does not include Apple’s 30% fee. Note: This pending app update, once approved and released in Apple’s App Store, will provide alternative checkout options for U.S.-based fans signing up for new memberships. At this time, this only applies for creators on subscription billing as legacy first-of-the-month and per-creation billing models are still unable to accept new membership sign ups in iOS."

"The November 2025 subscription billing transition deadline is now on hold This is still a developing situation, but we are moving forward under the assumption that the November 2025 deadline for all Patreon creators to switch to subscription billing is no longer necessary. While additional information may come that alters Apple’s requirements for Patreon’s iOS app, we are optimistic that this ruling will give us additional flexibility in how we support creators on legacy billing models. However, for now, creators still need to be on subscription billing to be able to accept payments through the Patreon iOS app. For those who still want to proceed with switching to subscription billing, our team is happy to assist with the transition, since it still unlocks access to the latest growth tools on Patreon, like gifting, Autopilot and tier repricing. For creators on per-creation billing who are actively working with our support team to transition to subscription billing, our team will be in contact with you by the end of the day tomorrow, May 2nd, with next steps to confirm how you’d like to proceed."

"Where we go from here When we first announced rolling out Apple’s in-app purchasing requirements last year, we shared that we used three principles to guide our decision in how we planned to move forward: transparency, control, and stability. In keeping with these principles, we’ll continue actively working to learn more, and we will communicate frequently and transparently as we go. This ruling is a huge moment for creators and fans, and we will continue fighting for a future where creators are in control, communities thrive, and professional creativity is possible for all. "

Huge news on Patreon! Because of the Apple v. Epic ruling, they are not only dropping the 30% Apple Store charge on the iOS app, they are also halting the move to subscription billing for all creators - which would have affected creators like me, who use a "per video" structure than monthly.

There's a lot of ignorance around here. But RFK's description is also way off.

www.chop.edu/vaccine-educ...

Advisors? He gets his info from Fox.

Apple "Intelligence" ought to apply for a job at the White House.

Hid it from whom? Were there people who didn't know?