Actuary To Be

Happy Pi Day!

2010-03-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Pi day has struck again! And Google is sure doing a good job telling everyone about it. Also, be sure to check out 1 million digits of pi - for an instant headache.

If you're feeling in the mood of some music, head over to pi played on a piano. It's irrationally weird.

How I spent/celebrated pi day:

Telling everyone "happy pi day" - by randomly inserting it into everyday conversations
Getting blank stares which basically said "I think you're a geek"
Repeat...
Eating pie and finishing calculus homework

Yeah, there are some things people just don't appreciate.

Photo Credit: Mykl Roventine

Why Don't Phone Numbers Have Checksums?

2010-03-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

I was always intrigued by checksums. Basically, a checksum allows anyone to compute if the transmitted data is correct -- without needing to contact anyone. In other words, checksums give numbers the power of built-in error computation.

Let's first take a look at a simple example of a UPC checksum (in this example, it is better known as a check digit). Suppose the UPC number is 036000241457. To compute whether this is indeed a valid UPC code, we start by adding every second number, starting with the 1^st. In other words, take 0+6+0+2+1+5=14. Next, multiply it by 3 = 42. Then, add every other digit (with the exception of the last) to the number we just got: 42+3+0+0+4+4=53. Finally, take the number and divide it by 10 -- the remainder of the division should be the last number (check digit) of the UPC code. In this case it was 7.

That wasn't too difficult was it? In most cases computers are the ones who do this lengthy task, and take fractions of a second to compute it.

Indeed, there are many more numbers that are used by us every single day which contain these marvelous algorithms. From credit cards, to ISBN numbers, and even check routing numbers, checksums are everywhere. That is why I was so surprised to find that phone numbers don't have checksums.

"Why should they?" I hear the skeptical ask. Well for starters, it would be super easy to discover wrong numbers. There would no longer be a need to call someone and only discover the "this number is not in service message." House phones, and more importantly, cell phones, would instantly tell you that you've got it wrong: try again.

Transmitting numbers over the phone ("did you say 659 or 459?") would also be simplified. The person / IVR system on the other end could instantly check if the given number is indeed feasible by applying the necessary formula. Customer service representatives would definitely find ample appreciation for this addition.

Online services would especially benefit from this feature. Any potential users who try to invent a number for a signup form would suddenly find themselves thwarted. The need to verify phone numbers would be substantially reduced. (of course, a simple algorithm would defeat it -- it really just attracts craftier bad guys).

So are there any disadvantages? I can truly only think of one. That is, the reduced availability of numbers per area code. Instead of having a full 7 digits available for the number, there would only be six since the 7^th can only be used as the check digit. And, by definition, there can only be one check digit per each 6 digits.

So what do you think? The comments are wide open...

Photo Credit: samantha celera

pi vs. e

2010-03-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's truly relaxing to enjoy a good laugh. And here in the actuarial world, numbers are generally no laughing matter... At least, that's what I thought, until I watched The Great Pi/e Debate.

On October 29, 2005, Colin Adams and Thomas Garrity got a chance to show the world that some math "geeks" can indeed have a sense of humor. While the video may not please the knowledge-seekers amongst us, it can definitely give everyone a much-needed boost of spirit.

All I can say is LOL!

Photo Credit: oskay

Equations in Google Docs

2010-03-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

I might be a big fan of Google products, but I've never gotten around to using Google Docs in place of a more traditional word processor. That is why I was quite shocked to find how much Google Docs has matured since I last caught a glimpse of it. Overall, the UI has been polished to perfection and the new features are an eye-opener.

Getting back to the actuary world, one feature struck me as quite useful. Google Docs now has a built-in equation editor who's syntax is very similar to LaTeX. You can take a look at the screenshots (after the break) to see how simple it is to insert the Quadratic Formula into any document.

Obviously, the equation editor is not a true LaTeX replacement. But it can definitely come handy when in some sticky situations.

And it's definitely fun to play with.

The code used to generate it:

x=\frac{-b\pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}

Photo Credit: Flickr user dullhunk, and myself

Mathematical Overdose

2010-03-04T15:37:00.002-08:00

Maybe it's the fact that I'm taking four math-intensive courses. Or maybe because of the particularly large dose of work received this past week. But whatever the case, I found the following incident that occurred to me quite disturbing.

I was just sitting down at my desk to perform some work on my laptop (Dell Latitude to be precise), when a small sticky note caught my attention. It read "847-6123" [numbers randomly changed to protect privacy]. Clearly it was a phone number sans area code. However, for some odd reason I read it as 847 minus 6123. Yeah, you read that right, I viewed a phone number as a mathematical equation.

Of course, it took me just a tad under a second to correct myself. But the sheer thought of it scared me. Is all this math getting to me?

Go figure.

(Photo Credit: Flickr user jesiehart)

A Little Snow Goes a Long Way

2010-02-26T13:20:00.002-08:00

Having this time off due to the record snowfalls here in NY has given me some time to think about starting a blog. I don't want to bore everyone to death, but I do want to give future actuaries an insight into the life of someone else in their shoes. So let me start off with a little bit about me:

I'm currently attending college, with the goal of majoring in math, and possibly minoring in Finance (maybe a little more about that later). I am in my fourth semester, and have taken a variety of courses in the math field. I am just starting out now with Principles of Finance.

Why did I choose math? The answer still eludes me, but I think it was mostly because of how the Actuarial field is rated. It's a nice 9-5 job, that doesn't detract much from life. I'm also solidly awesome at math and computer programming.

So that's it for the introduction. From now on it'll run along the lines of day-to-day life. And wish me luck with shoveling all this snow!

Photo credit: Zink Dawg