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Hindustan Times
12-07-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
The X factor: An Indian has cracked the code to randomness in the virtual world
Roll the dice, and the outcome could be anything between one and six. Such randomness fills our world. Step into the binary reality of computers, though, and randomness becomes a rare resource, much sought after and largely unobtainable. In the structured world of software programs, even computers tasked with generating a random result end up following a pattern of some kind. The closest they can come to true randomness is something called pseudo-randomness, where the patterns aren't easily visible and must be mined for. Why does this matter? Well, we don't see it any longer, but there are a myriad ways in which software programs try to safeguard or hide the information they hold. Sometimes they do this via a PIN or OTP. Sometimes it is through the use of authentication or access tokens. Asking a computer to be truly random when generating such safeguards is like asking a calculator to compose a poem. It simply isn't programmed to do it. In a world built on probability, could this gap ever be bridged? That is a question researchers have been asking since the late-1980s, from the Americans Gary Miller and Turing Award-winner Michael O Rabin to the Israelis Benny Chor and Oded Goldreich. A 35-year-old associate professor at Cornell University has now arrived at something of an answer. Theoretical computer scientist Eshan Chattopadhyay and his former doctoral supervisor David Zuckerman of University of Texas at Austin, have found a way to get computers to achieve something so close to true randomness as to be indistinguishable from it, by using two weak-random or pseudo-random strands of data. Their efforts won them the prestigious Godel Prize, jointly awarded by the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science and the Association for Computing Machinery, in June. 'It has been surreal, to be honest,' Chattopadhyay says. 'I had thought, at most, that I would prove something interesting or push the boundaries of computation and randomness. I hadn't expected this.' *** The 'this' is a randomness-extractor algorithm. Using no artificial intelligence, incidentally — just a lot of maths, complexity theory and information theory — the two men, over months of testing and refining their model, cracked a problem that had persisted for over 35 years. 'I would say that, in many ways, we were building on years of progress by others,' Chattopadhyay says. 'I think the main difference was that by the time we worked on it, the right tools had finally started to come together: some from cryptography, some from distributed computing, and even ideas from computational complexity.' The ramifications of their randomness-extractor algorithm are considerable. Computer programs that can come this close to generating randomness can also understand it better. This means that software of the future could build on the work of Chattopadhyay and Zuckerman to better analyse and predict variable systems ranging from the weather to gene selection, the spread of diseases, and the evolutions of large economies. In terms of cybersecurity, meanwhile, only a computer without the internet is currently completely secure, as Chattopadhyay points out. The algorithm could lead to new ways of protecting data and building safety mechanisms online. *** Chattopadhyay remembers being 13 when computers first caught his attention, in 2002. His true love at the time was cricket, he laughs. His father Buddhadeb Chattopadhyay, a metallurgist in Visakhapatnam, then 40 years old (and now 62), was keen to learn and experiment with the machines. Watching him, Chattopadhyay realised there was a world within his world that was governed by very different rules. Here was neatness, order and precision of a kind not common in life or nature. He fell in love with the math that underpinned it all and, in two years, was solving calculus problems intended for far older students. His family supported him. His mother Atrayee Chattopadhyay, a teacher, and his maternal grandmother Laxmi Dutta, who worked with the Reserve Bank of India, bought him books of puzzles. His father gave him free reign at a computer-training centre where the senior Chattopadhyay was now teaching programming languages in his spare time. At 17, Eshan Chattopadhyay set aside his math puzzles and began to focus all his energy on preparing for the Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) — an exam so difficult, and taken by so many competing for so few seats, that less than 1% of those who take the test actually make it into one of these premier institutes. Chattopadhyay secured a seat at IIT-Kanpur and began his journey as a computer scientist. The math he encountered here changed his view of the world all over again. He began to understand that, just as this discipline shaped reality in elegant ways, it had the potential to reshape it. He knew by now that designing problems, solving problems and sending new math out into the world was what he wanted to do with his life. He knew he wanted to be a theoretical computer scientist. *** After graduation, he applied for a PhD at University of Texas at Austin. The early years here would be a confusing period. For the first time, he had no syllabus, no texts and no one telling him what goalpost to hit next. 'It was deeply frustrating,' he says, smiling. 'For two years, I read papers and discussed them with David, my PhD advisor. Week after week, it was hard to decide whether to delve deeper into one subject or switch to another.' He finally began to see a bigger picture. 'I started to see these gaps in the research of people that I had admired for years. I sat down with David and asked him, 'Is this what you've been trying to get me to see all along?'' Eventually, Chattopadhyay settled on a question that had obsessed Zuckerman too: How does one get a truly random result from imperfect random sources? Chattopadhyay published his thesis in 2016 and it sent ripples through the world of computing. He was offered a position at Princeton as a postdoctoral fellow and secured a Microsoft fellowship at University of California, Berkeley. Now, following the award, his wife Soubhagya Chattopadhyay, 33, an HR executive, and even his two-year-old daughter Meera are beaming with pride, he says. His father is opening up new textbooks all over again. 'He recently asked me, 'Should I try to learn this stuff or what?' and I said 'Yes, by all means',' Chattopadhyay says, laughing. He, for his part, remains obsessed with solving problems that remain unsolved or are poorly understood. It wasn't easy spending years not knowing if there was anything to find where he was looking, he admits. 'But this has taught me to stay persistent even when the path isn't clear. Sometimes, not knowing exactly where you're headed can mean you're in precisely the right place.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New role for former Carlisle United defender
Former Carlisle United defender Gary Miller has landed a new role in Scotland. The ex-Blues right-back has been appointed as head of youth academy and emerging talent at Greenock Morton. Miller, previously head of youth at Alloa Athletic, now links up with Scottish Championship club Morton. Advertisement The 38-year-old's arrival has been welcomed by his new club, who claim Miller will bring "fresh, innovative and progressive plans to the Greenock Morton FC academy." The club's general manager, Dale Pryde-MacDonald, said: 'Gary was a really strong candidate from the off, so we are delighted to have him on board.' 'He brings with him a wealth of experience as a player and coach and will add a freshness and a new leadership within the academy which will hopefully allow the young players to thrive. "He also has good knowledge of how the behind-the-scenes mechanics of running an academy works which was imperative and this will be a strong addition to the football club.' Advertisement Miller said he was "excited" by the move and added: "Developing young talented players is has always been a part of the game I enjoy, and I look forward to working with the dedicated staff, players, and wider Morton community to create an environment where our young footballers can aim to thrive on the pitch." Carlisle United's big review: the questions answered - and unanswered Miller was on United's books in the 2018/19 season in League Two. After joining from Plymouth Argyle, the defender made 22 appearances under John Sheridan and Steven Pressley, and scored once. Advertisement His other clubs in his playing career included Falkirk, Partick Thistle, St Johnstone, Ross County, Livingston and Ayr United. He has since enjoyed coaching roles at Partick and Falkirk.
