### When To Stop

— author: Alok Singh comments: True layout: post mathjax: True slug: 2016-ml title: “2016 ML thoughts” —

### My biggest takeaway from Redwood Research REMIX

I just finished a 1 month research program called REMIX (Redwood Research Mechanistic Interpretability Experiment).

### finite, actual infinity, potential infinity

For a finite set, one can describe a uniform distribution. There isn't a natural way to do so for a countable set. But for a hyperfinite set, one can describe a uniform distribution through a probability density. So in some ways the countable is "bigger".

### Actions and Flows

What is an action?

### PSA: reward is part of the habit loop too

The usual setup of a habit is

### a kernel of lie theory

just like how infinitesimals are useful because they're indiscernible from 0, but have the advantage of being able to be divided by.

### The hyperfinite timeline

Take an interval. Cut it into H pieces, where H is hyperfinite. This serves as the index set of a stochastic process, among many other uses. Imagine that for each of the H steps, you flip a coin to get -1 or +1. Then move an infinitesimal distance left or right based on the sign. This is Brownian motion. Each infinitesimal piece of the timeline is profitably thought of as a Planck time.

## Blog power laws

### Gaoxing Guy

August 2016: Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Province, China[^maybe it should be timespace instead of spacetime, better to put the time first, what if the place identifier no longer exists? Plus timestamps are orderable.]

## Why

### A Prince, a Pauper, Power, Panama

Instrumental convergence is an issue I think about a lot because it's so natural. Being rich and powerful almost never works against you.

### Braindead Way to Derive Taylor Series of Exponential Function

$$e^x$$ was first defined by a formula for continuous compound interest:

### What is the prime factorization of zero?

Fundamental theorem of arithmetic1: every whole number can be split into a product of prime numbers in a unique way.

1. Which deserves its name more than any other fundamental theorem, even the fundamental theorem of calculus.

### Use of emphasis in speech

Through a somewhat messed up example:

### Generating a lot of language data with a theorem prover

I spent the last hour looking and failing to find the paper that made this specific claim:

### "Litany Against Fear" in Present Tense

I love the Litany, but think it could benefit from more present tense. A litany is an entreating. That's why they're recited over and over. It tells one how to treat something as they are currently experiencing it.