leaving computer on for Eureqa

[waterduck]

Sorry to ask such silly questions. I don't really know anything about computers.

A few things. I'm a grad student and I use a program called Eureqa. http://creativemachines.cornell.edu/eureqa

Sometimes it requires me to leave computer on overnight to get better results. It only operates on 2 CPU. Unfortunately, I don't know what CPU stands for and I assume it would be better to have more CPU's to enable the program to work faster. How do I get more CPU's?

Also, does anyone have experience with this program? I'm trying to get a straight/smooth line equation, but the program wants to give me a line an unnecessary complicated that matches every data point rather than a line representing the average in some sense.

thanks for any thoughts and feedback!

 

[richaron]

CPU = Central Processing Unit (google?). It's the thing which does the stuff with numbers (usually).

"Dual" "core" has two of them, "Quad" core has some more, etc. They are solid hunks of stuff you cram into the computer (i.e. hardware). So you have to buy better/different ones if you want more.

The "line of best fit" is important because it allows you to find an approximate formula for an inprecise set of data. That is (for arguments sake), if you have a data set (on a graph) comprising of a whole bunch of dots angling upwards, you could represent the whole thing by a single line (at the average angle of the dots). This is what you want.

Looking at it from the opposite point of view, there could be any number of complex wave forms which match your data set. It could be some crazy wave which goes all over the shop as far as Euriqa is concerned. All that is different is the margin of error.

I don't know that software, but it seems you want to make it relax how precise it's calculating.

 

[richaron]

heh, reading back I realise how unhelpful/condescending my post may seem. Just trying to help you search for answers yourself, 'cos there's not much chance people here have experience with that software.

In retrospect there should be a simple way of switching between a waveform and linear output. Like a check box (in gui) or a binary modifier.

 

[Dinkydau]

The CPU or processor is the component of your computer that performs calculations. The more CPUs, the better. You will have to look for the term "cores", because one single CPU chip contains multiple CPU cores nowadays, which counts as multiple CPUs.

Generally, the more GHz (clockspeed in billions per second), the better. If your program isn't limited to a particular amount of CPUs/cores, your performance will be the amount of CPUs times the clockspeed in GHz. One chip with 2 cores of 2 GHz is two times faster than a chip with 1 core of 2 GHz, while a chip with 2 cores of 1 GHz is 2 GHz in total.

In reality there's much more to this, but since you didn't know about CPUs this will be what you have to look for if you're going to buy a new CPU. With this information, I think you're better off in a computer store and let someone advise you about which CPUs are the best deals on the market at the moment.

 

[Topweasel]

Sorry to ask such silly questions. I don't really know anything about computers.

A few things. I'm a grad student and I use a program called Eureqa. http://creativemachines.cornell.edu/eureqa

Sometimes it requires me to leave computer on overnight to get better results. It only operates on 2 CPU. Unfortunately, I don't know what CPU stands for and I assume it would be better to have more CPU's to enable the program to work faster. How do I get more CPU's?

Also, does anyone have experience with this program? I'm trying to get a straight/smooth line equation, but the program wants to give me a line an unnecessary complicated that matches every data point rather than a line representing the average in some sense.

thanks for any thoughts and feedback!

CPU= Central Proccessing unit. Best way to think of it is just another component inside your computer.

The problem is computers can have two in them. Another is that some CPU's have multiple "cores". Cores are small versions of the components (internal Electrical stuff) stacked together. So you have 1 physical CPU, but electronically it can do the jobs of however many "cores" as it has. So for a desktop Core(new name for Pentium) i5 it has 4 cores.

Normally a person doesn't have to worry about this. But I can't find anything on Eureqa, that actually tells how the program works (not what job it is doing).

So issues that arise from this and the two CPU limit could be three things.

1. It is limited to two physical CPU's. This is normal with certain software. It is easier to go this route because not many people will know the core amount of their CPU.
2. It could be limited to two Cores. This can happen if a software program doesn't know how to tell the difference. Or specially for free software where their is a pay version available, they want you to pay more to get more out of the software.
3. It is only programmed for two threads. Think of a side walk only one person can fit through. A Core is like that, it only does one task at a time. So if you want to double up on how much a CPU can get done, you have to have two pathways of information to send so each core can do one of them. If they made the software with support for two pathways of information, then it doesn't matter physical/Electrical/or logical CPU's. You are limited only that much information being handled.

So if you are asking what hardware to get which of the three needs to be answered.

If its #1. Then you can get a system with 2 physical CPU's. Like a Dell T3500 or T5500 and get upwards depending on configuration 12 CPU's worth of work done on the machine. This example can cost $3-$5k. But its just an example, you basically have a choice of up to 12CPU's so you can decide financially or workload level at how many CPU's worth of work you want it done at.

If its #2 or #3. You pretty much just want to make sure you get a really good 2 core machine and call it a day. In theory you could get a 4 "core" system and be able to do other work while its going. There is a rare circumstance that in licensed systems where it see's cores as CPU's, it might not let you run with it limited to 2 cores but actually force you to upgrade. I don't think its an option here because the "upgraded" computing seems to be renting server time through Amazon for example.

 

[Ken g6]

It sounds like you're getting an "interpolation" (between the points), when you want an approximation.

 

[waterduck]

Thanks for the feed back everyone! I am still working Eureqa to figure things out. It looks like it would be best just to be patient than invest in more CPU's for now.

If anyone has experience with Eureqa, please say hi sometime!