[HN Gopher] The Ramanujan Machine
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       The Ramanujan Machine
        
       Author : max_
       Score  : 37 points
       Date   : 2021-07-10 17:32 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.ramanujanmachine.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.ramanujanmachine.com)
        
       | yarg wrote:
       | What subset of the reals can be constructed with this machine?
        
       | lovebes wrote:
       | Why can't this be a source to mine instead of hashes for
       | cryptocurrency? Seems like it's more beneficial to science if a
       | coin was built around it.
        
         | mediocregopher wrote:
         | A key component of the hash algorithm used by blockchain is
         | that difficulty can be adjusted, such that the algorithm
         | ensures that the difficulty to mine the next block
         | increases/decreases based on how long it took previous blocks
         | to mine. In this way the network can attempt to maintain a
         | predictable rate of blocks being mined as mining power
         | fluctuates.
         | 
         | So for this to be a good computation for a blockchain to use it
         | would have to have a way to modify difficulty in a predictable
         | way.
        
           | MathYouF wrote:
           | This is only a problem if you care about predictable rate of
           | blocks being mined right?
           | 
           | What reasons besides predictable inflation are there for
           | desiring that property?
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | Taek wrote:
         | The security properties of Proof of Work cryptocurrency are
         | derived from the wastefulness. We want to be confident that
         | everyone has the same cost when producing a block.
         | 
         | If the problems being solved are useful, they are potentially
         | more useful to some parties than others, meaning some parties
         | may have a lower cost to attack the blockchain, because it was
         | computation they needed to spend money on anyway, might as well
         | attack a blockchain while you are at it.
         | 
         | I can try to explain further if that's confusing.
        
           | MathYouF wrote:
           | Doesn't this ignore the real world realities of economies of
           | scale though with the physical materials being used? I'd
           | enjoy a bit deeper explanation for this if you don't mind. :)
        
       | sega_sai wrote:
       | I don't think professional mathematicians think highly of this
       | https://www.galoisrepresentations.com/2019/07/07/en-passant-...
        
       | Y_Y wrote:
       | Looks cool, so cool that I'm certain Fabrice Bellard or John
       | Conway probably did it already.
        
       | sahil50 wrote:
       | Wyler's derivation of the fine structure constant might be the
       | accurate one, and what the Machine will churn out sooner or
       | later. Resembles the Stefan Boltzmann constant in form and
       | function.
        
       | gus_massa wrote:
       | Previous discussion:
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20352252 (158 points | July
       | 4, 2019 | 28 comments)
       | 
       | But note that it just generate special cases of a well known
       | formula. More details in " _The Ramanujan Machine is all hype_ "
       | https://www.galoisrepresentations.com/2019/07/17/the-ramanuj...
       | (HN discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26144665 (40
       | points | 4 months ago | 16 comments))
        
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