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Computer scientists invent an efficient new way to count
By making use of randomness, a team has created a simple algorithm for estimating large numbers of distinct objects in a stream of data.
By making use of randomness, a team has created a simple algorithm for estimating large numbers of distinct objects in a stream of data. The algorithm will work for any list where the items come in one at a time — think words in a speech, goods on a conveyor belt or cars on the interstate. “This is a great example of how, even for very basic and well-studied problems, there are sometimes very simple but non-obvious solutions still waiting to be discovered,” said William Kuszmaul of Harvard University.
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