Prof. P.N.Murthy retired last year as Advisor to Tata Consultancy Services when he reached the age of 80. The retirement is only from his official position. He is still invited repeatedly to the Business Systems & Cybernetics Centre of TCS to participate in its activities and deliver special lectures.
Among his many achievements is his development and use of Cybernetic Influence Diagrams to understand complex social situations. This is a method of qualitative modeling. People who believe in quantitative modeling find it difficult to accept that qualitative modeling can be yield any results at all. So I have written up an article, in the form of a conversation, explaining the value of and need for qualitative modeling. The article is located on my web site here. Please read it and let me know if you find it convincing.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
The Core Product and the Whole Product
I have already referred to Dr. V.C.S. Prasad twice on this blog. He figures again in today's post. His understanding of matters is very useful to all of us in moving our inventions ( new products) to innovations (new processes in the organization that incorporate the products).
He explains the difference between Core Product and the Whole Product using the example of a water filter. (In some circles 'water filter research' refers to research that may have scientific value but no practical value.)
A scientist gets a grant to design a new and cheap water filter that will filter not only the impurities that other filters do but also some harmful chemicals. He succeeds and a model is ready. To continue the research he asks for a further grant.
The funding agency has some questions. What steps is he taking to manufacture the containers for the water filter and the filtering substance? Are the chemicals necessary for the filtering substance easily available in the market? Does he have a business plan? Can he find some one to invest in the manufacture? How is he going to market the product? Has he done a market survey to find out if there is acceptability for his product?
The agency is accepting that there is a Core Product. It wants the Whole Product. Unless that is ready it considers its money wasted.
The scientist applies to a different agency to continue his research to find out how to filter out arsenic.
Dr. Prasad points out that most of us scientists owe our allegiance to our specialization rather than to an organization, be it a company, a funding agency, or the society that supports us.
Prof. P. Balaram (Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) said in his recent 10-th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture at IIIT-H that academic research is of unspecified utility whereas applied research has clear goals that need to be met. In Dr. Prasad's terminology one could say that academic research is satisfied with the Core Product whereas applied research seeks the Whole Product.
He explains the difference between Core Product and the Whole Product using the example of a water filter. (In some circles 'water filter research' refers to research that may have scientific value but no practical value.)
A scientist gets a grant to design a new and cheap water filter that will filter not only the impurities that other filters do but also some harmful chemicals. He succeeds and a model is ready. To continue the research he asks for a further grant.
The funding agency has some questions. What steps is he taking to manufacture the containers for the water filter and the filtering substance? Are the chemicals necessary for the filtering substance easily available in the market? Does he have a business plan? Can he find some one to invest in the manufacture? How is he going to market the product? Has he done a market survey to find out if there is acceptability for his product?
The agency is accepting that there is a Core Product. It wants the Whole Product. Unless that is ready it considers its money wasted.
The scientist applies to a different agency to continue his research to find out how to filter out arsenic.
Dr. Prasad points out that most of us scientists owe our allegiance to our specialization rather than to an organization, be it a company, a funding agency, or the society that supports us.
Prof. P. Balaram (Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore) said in his recent 10-th Anniversary Distinguished Lecture at IIIT-H that academic research is of unspecified utility whereas applied research has clear goals that need to be met. In Dr. Prasad's terminology one could say that academic research is satisfied with the Core Product whereas applied research seeks the Whole Product.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Title of this blog
Experience of blogging on this site over the last few months helped me see that there are many larger issues related to computing that need to be discussed to further the main aim of evolving better teaching strategies. It seemed to me that the title "Computing and Computability" is too restrictive in its connotations. So I tried to think of a more general term.
First I thought of "Joy of Computing". But then it is not as if computing by itself gives joy. The joy depends on the spirit with which one approaches it. Besides I found that there is already a book of that title --- a book for librarians!
Then I considered the "Tao of Computing". I gave up that idea too because it seemed to me a little pretentious on my part to claim to know that. And again there is already a book by that name!
Trying for a third time, I considered a phrase suggested by Mr. MGPL Narayana, Vice President of Tata Consultancy Services and the head of their Business Systems & Cybernetics Centre: "Principles of Computing". Googling this I discovered a great web site called the "Great Principles of Computing". This project gives far deeper and more comprehensive insights than I can ever hope to discover or formulate on my own. So that too needed to be given up.
I finally settled on the present title: "Computing as Play". That is how I look at computing any way. In addition, this title gives me a certain freedom to play around with and around the ideas of computing, computability, computation, and programming. It also has a certain philosophical ring to it. There is a classical Indian point of view that looks at the entire creation as play!
First I thought of "Joy of Computing". But then it is not as if computing by itself gives joy. The joy depends on the spirit with which one approaches it. Besides I found that there is already a book of that title --- a book for librarians!
Then I considered the "Tao of Computing". I gave up that idea too because it seemed to me a little pretentious on my part to claim to know that. And again there is already a book by that name!
Trying for a third time, I considered a phrase suggested by Mr. MGPL Narayana, Vice President of Tata Consultancy Services and the head of their Business Systems & Cybernetics Centre: "Principles of Computing". Googling this I discovered a great web site called the "Great Principles of Computing". This project gives far deeper and more comprehensive insights than I can ever hope to discover or formulate on my own. So that too needed to be given up.
I finally settled on the present title: "Computing as Play". That is how I look at computing any way. In addition, this title gives me a certain freedom to play around with and around the ideas of computing, computability, computation, and programming. It also has a certain philosophical ring to it. There is a classical Indian point of view that looks at the entire creation as play!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Introduction of a new order of things.
Prof. Kesav Nori retired on 31st March after completing 25 years of service in the Tata Consultancy Services. A touching function took place in which all his colleagues spoke about their interaction with him.
The web site http://www.kvnori.com/ was gifted to Prof.Nori on this occasion by some of his admirers.
Speaking on the occasion Dr. V.C.S. Prasad drew the attention of the team members of the Business Systems & Cybernetics Centre of the Tata Consultancy Services to a quote from Nicolo Machiavelli. The quote is given below. He was referring to Prof. Nori's passionate advocacy of the necessity of "seeing beyond computing" in running a software company.
Many of the readers might resonate with the ideas expressed in the quote in view of their own experience of life.
"... there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. Thus it happens that whenever those who are hostile have the opportunity to attack they do it like partisans, whilst the others defend lukewarmly...."
Nicolo Machiavelli
Written c. 1505, published 1515.
The web site http://www.kvnori.com/ was gifted to Prof.Nori on this occasion by some of his admirers.
Speaking on the occasion Dr. V.C.S. Prasad drew the attention of the team members of the Business Systems & Cybernetics Centre of the Tata Consultancy Services to a quote from Nicolo Machiavelli. The quote is given below. He was referring to Prof. Nori's passionate advocacy of the necessity of "seeing beyond computing" in running a software company.
Many of the readers might resonate with the ideas expressed in the quote in view of their own experience of life.
"... there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. Thus it happens that whenever those who are hostile have the opportunity to attack they do it like partisans, whilst the others defend lukewarmly...."
Nicolo Machiavelli
Written c. 1505, published 1515.
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