The basic idea of a transducer is that it turns one sort of quantity, its inputs, into another, its outputs. The general case to consider is one where both inputs and outputs are time-series, and the current output is a function not just of the current input but of the whole history of previous inputs (when the output is a ‘functional’ of the input series). One way of representing this is to say that the transducer itself has internal or hidden states. The output is a function of the state of the transducer, and that hidden state is in turn a function of the input history. We don’t have to do things this way, but it can potentially give us a better handle on the structure of the transduction process, and especially on the way the transducer stores and processes information—what (to anthropomorphize a little) it cares about in the input and remembers about the past.
Finite-state transducers are a computer science idea; they also call them ‘sequential machines’, though I don’t see why that name wouldn’t also apply to many other things they study. In this case both the input and the output series consist of sequences of symbols from (possibly distinct) finite alphabets. Moreover there are only a finite number of internal states. The two main formalisms (which can be shown to be equivalent) differ only on whether the next output is a function of the current state alone, or is a function of the current state and the next input. While you can describe a huge chunk of electronic technology using this formalism, CS textbooks are curiously reluctant to give it much attention.
I’m interested in the regional usage of this; personally, I’m Australian and I use orientated instead of oriented.
Postscript: a quick Google search has informed me that orientated is common British usage, whereas oriented is common US usage, as well as in technical fields.
“An infection that causes chronic benignadenopathy in most cases, especially in children and young adults, usually associated with a cat scratch or bite. In most cases it is caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. The lyphadenopathy usually resolves spontaneously within a period of several months. The infection may cause other clinicalsymptoms such as fever of unknown origin, encephalitis, microabscess in the liver and spleen, and osteomyelitis”.
An agent that blocks the transport of hydrogen ions into the stomach and hence is useful in the treatment of gastric hyperacidity, as observed in ulcer disease.
Comments by awils1
awils1 commented on the word woop woop
The middle of nowhere.
Also, it’s pronounced wʊp in this context.
March 16, 2009
awils1 commented on the word gray stone
Don’t pick one of these up in NetHack before kicking it to see if it skates across the floor.
February 21, 2009
awils1 commented on the word transducer
Quoted from Notebooks by Cosma Shalezi (2004).
The basic idea of a transducer is that it turns one sort of quantity, its inputs, into another, its outputs. The general case to consider is one where both inputs and outputs are time-series, and the current output is a function not just of the current input but of the whole history of previous inputs (when the output is a ‘functional’ of the input series). One way of representing this is to say that the transducer itself has internal or hidden states. The output is a function of the state of the transducer, and that hidden state is in turn a function of the input history. We don’t have to do things this way, but it can potentially give us a better handle on the structure of the transduction process, and especially on the way the transducer stores and processes information—what (to anthropomorphize a little) it cares about in the input and remembers about the past.
Finite-state transducers are a computer science idea; they also call them ‘sequential machines’, though I don’t see why that name wouldn’t also apply to many other things they study. In this case both the input and the output series consist of sequences of symbols from (possibly distinct) finite alphabets. Moreover there are only a finite number of internal states. The two main formalisms (which can be shown to be equivalent) differ only on whether the next output is a function of the current state alone, or is a function of the current state and the next input. While you can describe a huge chunk of electronic technology using this formalism, CS textbooks are curiously reluctant to give it much attention.
December 14, 2008
awils1 commented on the word orientated
I’m interested in the regional usage of this; personally, I’m Australian and I use orientated instead of oriented.
Postscript: a quick Google search has informed me that orientated is common British usage, whereas oriented is common US usage, as well as in technical fields.
October 5, 2008
awils1 commented on the word hypoalbuminemia
From Steman's Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions:
“An abnormally low concentration of albumin in the blood”.
September 29, 2008
awils1 commented on the word hypergammaglobulinemia
From Steman's Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions:
“An increased concentration of gamma-globulins in the plasma.”
September 29, 2008
awils1 commented on the word hepatosplenomegaly
From Steman’s Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions:
“The enlargement of the liver and spleen”.
September 29, 2008
awils1 commented on the word lyphadenopathy
From Steman’s Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions:
“Any disease process affecting a lymph node or lymph nodes.”
August 31, 2008
awils1 commented on the word cat-scratch fever
From Steman’s Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions:
“An infection that causes chronic benign adenopathy in most cases, especially in children and young adults, usually associated with a cat scratch or bite. In most cases it is caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. The lyphadenopathy usually resolves spontaneously within a period of several months. The infection may cause other clinical symptoms such as fever of unknown origin, encephalitis, microabscess in the liver and spleen, and osteomyelitis”.
August 31, 2008
awils1 commented on the word thassalocracy
Oh, dear. I wouldn’t know—I copied the word over from http://kaphtor.blogspot.com/2008/03/kaphtor-definition.html. I think it is erroneous, as neither the Free Dictionary or Wikipedia refer to this spelling.
August 19, 2008
awils1 commented on the word proton pump inhibitor
From Steman's Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions:
An agent that blocks the transport of hydrogen ions into the stomach and hence is useful in the treatment of gastric hyperacidity, as observed in ulcer disease.
August 18, 2008
awils1 commented on the word necropsy
Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions lists it as a synonym for autopsy.
August 3, 2008
awils1 commented on the word oronym
Apparently coined by Gyles Brandreth in his work The Joy of Lex.
July 8, 2008
awils1 commented on the word toponym
The Wordie definition is a little obscure. I found WiseGeek to be helpful.
July 8, 2008
awils1 commented on the word octothorpe
In the pound versus hash war, there was no winner-- octothorpe took the prize.
January 24, 2007