## Wednesday, February 28, 2007

### I did not do too well on my mid-term in applied probability.

I was too confident as a way of coping with stress this week. I did not study enough or really focus well. I am happy to report though that my first assignment passed with a decent grade. I have another assignment due next week and have started it so this should also go well. The professor said he would ignore the mid-term mark if we do better on the final exam. I also feel better about the social situation of the course now. In fact, tonight I will review some more and start my final exam study schedule planning.

At three hours class time per week and 13 or 14 weeks we have a total of 39 to 42 hours base number. Multiply this by five an we get approximately 200 hours for a study time out of class. I have spent about 10 hours on the first assignment and may be 3 hours so far on the second assignment. So I need to put in another 7 hours on the second assignment. Then I need to budget another 20 hours for later assignments then I could count about 10 hours done in studying for the mid-term. This leaves about 150 hours to budget for the final. I will try to do two hours study tonight plus 1 hour on the second assignment. I may be able to sleep at about midnight tonight if I can focus only on this course for the next three hours.

For my other course I have a proposal due on Tuesday but it is almost ready and I need a draft done for Sunday when our group meets to approve the draft. I should try to spend about three hours on this before Sunday. This three hours won't all be on the proposal but instead on the actual paper.

### I wrote my economic systems design course mid-term last night.

I wrote my mid-term last night. I failed to identify games but did manage an analysis of the games on the test. I also created a network diagram for a problem. I am writing a straight forward probability exam later this afternoon.

## Tuesday, February 27, 2007

### That's it for applied probability for today.

I will stop studying applied probability for today. I lost momentum when the city woke up. I am now going to focus on economic systems design studies and prepare to write the test this evening.

### Lecture #4 reviewed.

Lecture #4 is very difficult. We covered the bose-einstein problem. I am not sure I really know this stuff but I did read my notes. There are some very complex use of moments and multiples of $t^{k}$.

### Lecture #3 reviewed.

Lecture #3 concerned the normal distribution and the gamma distribution. A proof with le Hopital's rule was given for distributions becoming normal and I remember following this calculus well in class. But there is integration by parts in the Gamma distribution discussion that I did not follow well. So I need to review integration by parts.

### I reviewed lecture #2 just now.

Lecture #2 introduced the indicator function. Then some basic probability formulas were proved with indicator functions. Then we reviewed the discrete distributions. The lecture ended on Laplace transforms, generating functions and characteristic functions. We also covered expansions of e in this lecture. I will review my table of integrals handbook for expansions of e and other formula involving e.

So I have two lectures reviewed and 11 to go.

### Applied probability mid-term review.

The professor told me the mid-term will cover his lectures which should cover the textbook. I will organise my studies based on the 13 lectures we have had. I have so far today reviewed lecture #1. I intend to focus on studying for the applied probability course today and tomorrow.

I will only spend one hour of my own study time on the economic systems design study and then study this course with another student this evening before the test. I have spent a fair amount of time already studying for this economic systems design course. In my own studies I have also read most of the readings and today will make some summary notes in my one hour.

### We visited our professors yesterday.

I asked both professors about the mid-terms. I was wondering about the coverage of the two tests. I am writing the economic systems design test later today. I will write the applied probability test tomorrow.

## Monday, February 26, 2007

### The last pages had the usual generalisations and hope and hype of end of chapter writing.

I did finally finish chapter 16 this morning. I will now review the chapters we have covered in Beinhocker but I suspect the questions on the mid-term will come from Bar-Yam Y and also Bowles and Mitchell.

### I worked a little on the solutions of the Markov chain assignment.

Using our previous solution of the transition probability matrix I type set the answer in $\LaTeX$ on my laptop and just need to explain the answer and then also write up the solution to one more Markov problem. This will all be done by the end of today.

We are visiting the professors today in their office hours to discuss the mid-terms.

### I continued to read Beinhocker's chapter 16 this morning

I continued to read chapter 16 and am fairly excited by this discussion of corporations and business plans. I am on page 372 now so am almost done this reading of chapter 16 now which ends in 7 more pages.

## Sunday, February 25, 2007

I need to read chapter 16 in Beinhocker titled Organization: A Society of Minds. This chapter runs from page 349 to page 379. I read up to page 359 so far.

I also need to review chapters 10, 4, 9, 5, 7 and 8. I have read all of these chapters before the five lectures we covered these chapters in. Now I am reviewing them for a closed book mid-term. I also read Part I: A Paradigm Shift before the course started. This part contains chapters 1, 2, and 3. Chapter 3 will be covered in lecture number 7, next week after our mid-term.

In other studies for this course I have reviewed 22 pages of the notes for lectures 1, 2 and 3. This is 22 pages of the three powerpoint slides per page lecture notes that are 55 pages in length.

I have also read this evening chapter 1 of Y., Bar-Yam's book Dynamics of Complex Systems 1997. I read pages 16 to 24 this evening.

### I am studying in the library this afternoon and evening with another student.

I am getting together with another student and we are studying in the library this afternoon and will study for a few hours. I am just printing out lecture notes to study from.

### I did not acheive my goals.

I did not complete two problems in assignment # 2. I did complete one problem. I also did not complete reading chapter 8 in Bowles. I did read a third of the chapter though.

### I am calling it a night.

I am too tired now to continue so am going to sleep now. Tomorrow can be all study and no work.

### I type set one problem now.

I solved one problem or rather resolved it without the textbook formulas until I remembered the formulas. This was good exam practice. I had to offer alternative solutions based on different assumptions. I need to typeset one more problem before I can watch TV but I am switching over to mid-term review of my systems science course and also proof reading our term paper.

### Applied probability problems in assigment #2.

Good news the problems we solved last week in our extra markov chain studies are included in the homework assignment. This means I have at least two if not three problems solved already. I will type set these solutions now. After this I will watch an episode of Stargate SG-1 as completion of one goal is in easy sight now so the TV show reward is almost payable.

### Chapter 8 progress

Chapter 8 starts on page 267 and ends on page 298 and is therefore 31 pages long. Pages 267 to 276 introduce the labour discipline model. Pages 276 and 277 mention technology, such as Ford's assembly line as a technological effect on ease of monitoring. Then this is dropped in the discussion. This is where I am now in my reading and we have two basic models so far presented in this chapter. To explore Fordism we could use the technology variable.

## Saturday, February 24, 2007

### Study goals today, indirect mid-term study

I am setting the goal of reading all the chapter 8 of Bowles this morning and have the excel spread sheet of the variables done by the afternoon Sunday. The reading will come first. My other goal is to read the problems in our second assignment in applied probability and solve one or two problems this morning. If I acheive one of these goals I will watch an episode of stargate SG-1 from season two and if both goals are done I will watch two episodes. So the deadline is about 12 noon for both and for any one is really as soon as one goal is done. Niether of these goals is for mid-term study directly but both will help me to get engaged with the material.

### I did a little more blogging and now have got down to studies

I did some poetry and music blogging and networking. I then wrote some section beginnings to the introduction to our term paper. I just sent this work to the other group members.

I read an article on line about culture and because it is about modern or current culture it was about cyber culture. The article is Saper, Craig Blogademia Reconstruction 6.4 2006, <online, http://reconstruction.eserver.org/064/saper.shtml, cited February 24th, 2007>.

### The weekend newspaper starts my studies this evening.

I have now updated some blogs and listened to some of my old band. I am reminded of my own romantic life and sexuality by my own rock and roll music lyrics. You can listen to some of my music on www.myspace/com/flynch1998

I am also realizing that my typing errors are because of impatience and need to relax even more. I am now going to read an article about cyber culture then plan to read some probability studies and start our second assignment in applied probability.

## Tuesday, February 20, 2007

### I did simulate a Markov process or probability transition matrix with Stella 9.

I was able to simulate a given small Markov process by simulating steps based on the processes' probability transition matrix. This turned out to be a random walk with upper absorbing barrier and the simulation was taken to the upper boundary quickly. I did this Saturday evening.

### Studying with others is working better in graduate school.

We have formalized our group now with three students myself included. We will critique the 8th chapter of Bowles concerning the labour market. We will try to simulate the equations Bowles presents in his book in chapter 8 and then report our findings and also critique his chapter, assumptions and models.

With another student, who is a former professor of mathematics from China I have been studying Markov Chains and we completed solving all exercise and problems from chapter III section 1 of our Introduction to Stochastic Modeling textbook for our applied probability course. This is the Markov Chains chapter. We also study together about economic systems where over two study sessions in the past week we have reviewed lectures and readings systematically from the beginning of our course in economic systems design to prepare for our mid-term exam next week. Tonight to end our study session I searched out Markov Process books in the University of Ottawa library. We then scanned the table of contents of these books at the end of our two hour session. I also borrowed one book titled Markov Processes for Physical Scientists.

I also borrowed a cyber culture reader book edited by David Bell and Barbara M. Kennedy.

The third book I borrowed this evening is a book on error correcting codes and other topics in mathematical coding and information theory, which the professor in applied probability had touched on during one lecture as a side topic. Another student engaged me in a brief discussion of error correcting codes as we left class that day and I have not seen her since. She was also a student in the introduction to probability course with me last term. The reason I mention her is that in both courses we both spoke/speak up frequently in class in answer to the professor's questions.

## Thursday, February 15, 2007

### Computer programming home work.

We may be assigned the problem of simulating a Markov chain in a computer program. This is the first topic proper in our applied probability course, the topic of Markov chains. I have read a little about these before coming into this course.

To do the programming I continued to install KDE on my Macintosh computer so that I can use use something like Bluefish to write the code. But I should just use MatLab or Codewarrior on a school computer.

In my other course we used the school of management computers to learn Stella 5 and 9. I could now use Stella to simulate the Markov chain. I could can now spend some time this weekend on the project and I will meet two other students this evening to discuss the project some more.

## Sunday, February 11, 2007

### Three of the easy problems are completed now.

We have six problems total. I solved two last week or the week before. Today I solved another three problems. Except that one of these three has a second part. I also did not use interals but instead argued my points to get to the answers. I did though use some intergrals today. I also used my table of integrals book to help me with the binomial expansion. But I don't think I need it. So really at this point I am proof reading solutions and preparing to typeset some work on the third part of the last problem. I also need do the fourth part and then I have a second part of another problem to solve and I am done. I am up all night and another student might call me to talk about the home work overnight.

### I am just completing my first assignment in applied probability this weekend.

I studied with another student at the library last night. Today I am solving three problems in applied probability. A fourth problem also needs to be done but I have spent a fair amount of time on it and need to typeset my work so far.

## Friday, February 09, 2007

I borrowed a book on machine learning but really I am not finding time to read all the books I am borrowing. I should spend most of my weekend studying.

## Wednesday, February 07, 2007

### I did some work overnight on my probability assignment.

I solved some parts of the more difficult problem for our assignment #1 in applied probability and did some neat math. But I am tired and not really reading clearly. I will have to give this problems solving up for now. I am going to work in about one and a half hours now.

In my economic systems design course we have had all the lectures now to be covered on the mid-term. Also I found out the term paper length should be about 20 pages and that we can do a computer simulation from the ground up. This would be good because this would help future studies. I am happy to say that the mid-term will be simply done by reading the material and it won't be a math exam. I have agreed to study with another student for both classes mid-terms. We are starting studies together this Saturday evening.

## Sunday, February 04, 2007

### I have solved two problems now in my applied probability course first assignment.

These two problems I have solved were fairly easy. The actual first problem in the assignment is more difficult and I have not really started writing my solution for that problem. My goal for this assignment today is to solve two problems. I have solved one problem now so am half way done for today. I have also set aside next Sunday to complete the assignment if it is not done by then. Ideally I have it done early on Monday or Wednesday.

## Friday, February 02, 2007

### Term paper on labour started.

I started my term paper for my sys5140 course in economic systems design. I simply discussed labour as organized and on the other pole unorgainzed labour. I then started to work on variables for our simulation. I will now send this to the other member of the group.