Q: Why do I get repetitions in my random sequences?

A: Maybe initialization/randomization is being done repeatedly, while it should be only at program startup.

Q: Are you more on the Q or P side?

A: Definitely P, and bayesian.

Q: Is the PRNG initia/parallelization code available?

A: It has been implemented into the C++ NEC library for distributed financial simulations (in the case of WELL PRNG).

Q: Are you available for consulting?

A: Our computational finance unit is.

Q: What's your favourite programming language?

A: I'm a numerical craftsman, not in love with programming per se. So Assembly goes fine here. Even though one cannot manage large projects with it alone (the largest I could handle - w/o highlevel support - was a painting tool; never again!!). 

C/MatLab are the second choice, still not perfect either. There are some nice capabilities built onto C++, but its overall structure is not clean enough for a mathematician's taste. OOP? Nice, but still misses the point, and abstraction can too easily become vicious...    Dont get me started on Java please...

However now I'm enjoying template metaprogramming.

I heard Scheme, Erlang, Prolog and Haskell are nice though, but the commercial world isnt ready for them yet.

Q: Why did you switch from computer graphics to finance?

A: I see it as changing from artifact creation to elimination. Maybe less fun but surely more varied. Moreover certain numerical techniques developed in CG are much more profitable in finance. Lastly I remember coding some IFS on a C64 back in 1986, so after all those years it was time for refreshment... 

Q: Isn't premature optimization the root of all evil?

A: Premature definition is, optimization is just a special case. Just cope with it, 'cause premature definition is what you'll repeatedly get in a "free market".

Q: What readings changed your life?

A: Too many, too few...   F.W. Nietzsche, L. Tzu, D. Hofstadter, M.M. Waldrop, R. Fouts, M. Fini, P.Dacrema, H. Thoreau, H. Murakami

Q: What about the scientific computing book? Will you release it freely?

A: Hardly the case, needs to be polished first.

 

- Not so FAQ:

Q: When will we reach The Singularity?

A: I dont understand why so many otherwise intelligent people are losing time on such phantasies. Machine learning perspective has changed a bit since the science fiction from the 50ies.

Q: Why does Google so often offer "Did you mean" alternate searches leading to empty result pages?

A: I asked this first.

Q: What's wrong with charity or animalism?

A: Myopic investments are atleast "morally" worse than unintended damage. Nothing against philantropy or environmentalism in general.

Q: Why are you pessimist?

A: Why do you need pessimists?

Q: Could communication save the world?

A: Most problems are due to lack of or ambiguity in communication, as Peano said, but I dont think that's the only issue: irrationality also does a good job.

Q: Are you right or left-wingy?

A: World is neither flat nor unidimensional.