Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Demand Curve

I am going to try a new experiment where interaction is the key for the visitors and learners. Hope you like this. Have fun.
The demand curve, in economics, says something about what happens when the price of a product falls. The quantity demanded should be more when the price is falling. This is the idea behind the demand curve.

Interactive Demand Curve

Market Parameters

-2.5
30.0

Price Levels

Price (P1): Qty (Q1):
Price (P2): Qty (Q2):

Check Your Understanding

1. Law of Demand: If you increase the Price (P1 or P2) in the panel above, what happens to the Quantity demanded (Q)?

2. Slope Sensitivity: If you move the "Steepness" slider to the right (making the slope more negative), how does the Quantity respond to a change in Price?

3. Market Entry: What does the "Intercept (Max P)" slider represent in a real-world context?

4. Law of Demand: Based on the chart, what is the relationship between Price and Quantity?

5. Slope & Elasticity: A steeper curve (higher Steepness value) means:

6. Choke Price: The "Intercept" slider moves the point where:

7. Movements: Changing the Price input (P1 or P2) simulates:

8. Shifts: Changing the Intercept or Slope slider simulates:

Monday, March 30, 2026

Guess the value. It's near - linear!!!

Mathematics

Solve for \(x\)

\( ... \)

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Friday, November 26, 2021

ஆச்சர்யமான நிமிடங்கள்

(ஆனந்த விகடன் 14-11-2007 இதழ் - பக்கம் 136 - தளவாய் எழுதியதிலிருந்து)


லா. ச. ரா. தமது 18-வது வயதில் ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுதிய கதை 'பாபுஜி' . அதை வெளியிட்ட ஆங்கில இதழின் பெயர் 'Short Story'.

நடிகர் சிவகுமார் சொல்கிறார்:

எனக்கு லா.ச. ரா-விடமிருந்து 25-12-2001-ல் ஒரு கடிதம் வந்தது.

"உங்கள் 'இது ராஜபாட்டை அல்ல' தொகுதி படிக்க நேர்ந்தது. ஆலத்தூர் சகோதரர்கள் கச்சேரி கேட்கையில் - அவர்கள் செங்கல் செங்கல்லாகக் கட்டடத்தை எழுப்புகையில் எனக்கு உண்மையாகவே வியர்த்து விறுவிறுத்து விடும். அந்த மாதிரி பிரமிப்புதான் உங்களது தொகுதி படிக்கையில் எனக்கு ஏற்பட்டது" என்று எழுதியிருந்தார். எவ்வளவு பெரிய எழுத்தாளர்! ஓடிச் சென்று, அவரை அவரது வீட்டில் சந்தித்துப் பாதம் தொட்டு வணங்கினேன். 'தாக்ஷாயணி'யில் அவள் அவனிடம் சொல்கிறாள் - 'எப்படியும் நீங்கள் ஆச்சர்யமான நிமிடங்கள் படைத்தவர்!'. அது லா. ச. ரா-வுக்கும் பொருந்தும்.

(11Nov2007ல் எடுத்த குறிப்பு - லா. ச. ரா. வலைப்பதிவு)

லா. ச. ரா.

 

லா. ச. ரா. எழுத்தின் மேலுள்ள ஈடுபாட்டினால் இந்தப் பதிவைத் தொடங்கினேன் - சில பல ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னால். ஆனால் எதுவும் பதிவு செய்யவில்லை. இதுவரை.

இனிமேல் பதிவுகள் பதியப்படும்.

முதல் பதிவே அவரின் மரணத்தைப் பற்றியா? சாசுவதம் மறைவதில்லை. லா. ச. ரா. கடந்த அக்டோபர் 30, 2007 அன்று காலமானார்.

காலத்தில் நடக்கும் நிகழ்ச்சிகளின் தாக்கத்தை எழுத்தில் வடிகட்டி வடிவமைத்து, பின்னர் காலத்தின் மீதே நடமாடவிட்டவர்.
அவரைப் பற்றிய குறிப்புகள், அவர் எழுத்தின் தகிப்பு, என்று பதிவுகள் செய்யலாம் என்று இருக்கிறேன்.

(10Nov2007ல் லா. ச. ரா. வலைப்பதிவில் எழுதியது. நடைமுறை படுத்தப்படவில்லை.)

மௌனம்

(இந்தியா டுடே-யில் மாலன் எழுதியதிலிருந்து)


லா. ச. ரா. ஒரு சமயம் சொன்னார்:

"வார்த்தைகளின் இலக்கு மௌனம்தான். நான் பேசுவது உன் வாயை அடைக்க. நீ பேசுவது என் வாயை அடைக்க. கடைசி வார்த்தை யாருடையது, who will have the last word - நம்முடையதாகத்தான் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பதற்காகத்தான் பேசிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறோம். ஆனால் வார்த்தைகள் மனதை நிரப்புமா? ம்ஹூம். மனது நிறைந்து போகும். அப்போது வாய் அடைத்து விடும். வார்த்தை நின்றுவிடும்."

(22Nov2007ல் எடுத்த குறிப்பு - லா. ச. ரா. வலைப்பதிவு)

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

A podcast on Vivaldi by Gannu


 Title                                                    A Slice of History in Melody - Vivaldi
 Narrator        Gannu
 Text Eeyam and Eeyaa
 Sound Editing Eeyaa
 Code WCM2020051501



If the above link is not working, please go here:


Thanks to:

3. The performance by Wichita Symphony Orchestra as given in the second link.


Sunday, April 24, 2016

From Prefaces - 2

Kip Thorne in the preface of The Science of Interstellar:

As a child and later as a teenager, I was motivated to become a scientist by reading science fiction by Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and others, and popular science books by Asimov and the physicist George Gamow. To them I owe so much. I've long wanted to repay that debt by passing their message on to the next generation....I've had a half-century-long career as a scientist. It's been joyously fun(most of the time), and has given me a powerful perspective on our world and the universe.

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Sunday, January 25, 2015

From Prefaces - 1

(Dear Readers, I just got up after a long hiatus. Hope you are happy to have me back. - Shencottah)

Books have prefaces. At times, we get inspiration from a couple of lines in the preface. Few lines make us laugh. Some words make us wonder. Occasionally, some do incite us. I am planning to give a sample of those words in this 'From Prefaces'  series.

Welcome to the world of prefaces.

From the preface of Phenomenal Physics by Clifford E. Swartz:

"... No doubt some errors may remain. Blame me, or better yet, let me know and I will try to correct the error. After thirty years of teaching physics, I still find lots of things that I didn't know I didn't know before. I hope that most of you who read this book are doing it because you want to learn more about our world. Some, I know, are taking physics only to fulfill some requirement. In either case, I hope you end up enjoying the book and the course work. We live in a mysterious and phenomenal universe, and, as far as we know, we're the only ones around who can comprehend it..."
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Friday, July 05, 2013

Two Mothers


Two Mothers and other stories by Khalid Mohamed

Publisher: Om Books International

I have just started reading this book. The book dedication reads thus,

Fayazi ma for telling me stories without an end...


Stories without a beginning and an end are quite sweet and self-cleansing. Just like how you feel when you wake up from sleep while travelling by train in the middle of a hot afternoon. No idea of what went past and what is coming. You see only a distant mountain and near-by fields but everything is passing out of the window. You keep watching from your little window.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Display of Ignorance

The New Indian Express (and many other newspapers too, Link to The Hindu item) reported on 26th January, 2012:
According to Markandey Katju, till recently a Supreme Court judge, Salman Rushdie is a "poor" and "substandard writer" who would have remained largely unknown but for his controversial book Satanic Verses.
Labeling a writer as poor and substandard is based on one's personal yardstick and quality measures.  No problem there. What strikes me here is "remained largely unknown but for"!! Is it right to conclude that one displays ignorance when factually not-correct things are mixed with subjective opinions to create media-ripples? Mr. Katju is also the chairman, Press Council of India.
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Saturday, September 10, 2011

Weekend Links

1. How to identify people by place names? For example, Indian, Annapolitan, etc. http://www.dailywritingtips.com/7-rules-for-identifying-people-by-place-names/

2. The Great Bank Robbery by Taleb and Spitznagel: http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/taleb1/English

3. Financial Complexity at the Aleph Blog: http://alephblog.com/2011/09/02/financial-complexity-part-1/

4. Debate between Paul Krugman and Steve Landsburg. http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2011/09/beautiful_discu.html

5. Mathematics and it effect on communications: http://mogadalai.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/mathematics-and-its-effect-on-communication/

6. Did Einstein discover E=mc2? http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/46941

7. Mankiw's 10 principles of Economics: http://www.swlearning.com/economics/mankiw/principles2e/principles.html

8. Questions and Answers at The Chicago Manual of Style Online: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/new/new_questions01.html

9. On popularity of data analysis software. http://sites.google.com/site/r4statistics/popularity

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Saturday, July 23, 2011

The style sheet Hemingway appreciated

Hemingway told a reporter in 1940,"...the best rules I ever learned for business of writing." (about the style sheet of the Kansas City Star)

Few of those rules:

  • Use short sentences.
  • Use short first paragraphs.
  • Eliminate every superfluous word
  • Be careful of the word “also.”
  • Be careful of the word “only.”

Hat tip: http://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/06/20/basic-training/

Hemingway's page at Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/hemingway/

Style Sheet: http://www.kansascity.com/static/pdfs/Hemingway_style_sheet.pdf

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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Final journey: Guiding to the Burrow

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_cockroach_wasp :
( You may want to read first before watching )

...is known for its unusual reproductive behavior, which involves stinging a cockroach and using it as a host for its larvae...

...A 2003 study[2] using radioactive labeling demonstrated that the wasp stings precisely into specific ganglia of the roach. It delivers an initial sting to a thoracic ganglion and injects venom to mildly and reversibly paralyze the front legs of its victim. This facilitates the second venomous sting at a carefully chosen spot in the roach's head ganglia (brain), in the section that controls the escape reflex...

...The wasp proceeds to chew off half of each of the roach's antennae.[1] Researchers believe that the wasp chews off the antenna to replenish fluids or possibly to regulate the amount of venom because too much could kill and too little would let the victim recover before the larva has grown. The wasp, which is too small to carry the roach, then leads the victim to the wasp's burrow, by pulling one of the roach's antennae in a manner similar to a leash. Once they reach the burrow, the wasp lays a white egg, about 2 mm long, on the roach's abdomen. It then exits and proceeds to fill in the burrow entrance with pebbles, more to keep other predators out than to keep the roach in...

(Hat tip to DR)

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Thursday, July 07, 2011

Writing Tips from Maria Gardiner & Hugh Kearns

From the article of Maria Gardiner & Hugh Kearns in Nature:

  1. Write before you feel ready — because you might never feel ready. It's amazing how people magically feel ready when there is an imminent deadline.
  2. Don't wait to have a clear picture of the paper. As you start putting down your ideas, you may actually clarify them.
  3. Snack write — work in short, frequent bursts instead of waiting to sit down for big blocks of time. Those blocks hardly ever come, and when they do, they don't usually get used very productively.
  4. Set specific times in your schedule for writing — don't leave it to chance, because chances are it won't happen.
  5. Writing means putting new words on the page or substantially rewriting old words. It does not mean editing, reading, referencing or formatting — and it definitely does not mean composing e-mails.
  6. If you refrain from writing because you worry that what you write won't be good enough, try noting the adage that to write well, you first have to write.
  7. To really increase the quality and quantity of your writing, get feedback from mentors and colleagues — it can be painful, but it works.

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

US Senate Report on Financial Crisis

The United States Senate released a report yesterday titled, "Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse". According to The New York Times, the report has a description about business practices and reckless activities among firms, banks, federal regulators that has a bearing on the crisis.

The pdf file of the 650-page report can be downloaded from this link at FT:

www.ft.com/cms/fc7d55c8-661a-11e0-9d40-00144feab49a.pdf

NYT also has an interactive page for the report.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Modern Science Writings

In the book "The Oxford book of modern science writing", edited by Richard Dawkins, the selections are from the following books (some are articles or just poems). You may want to see how many of them you can finish in 2011 in its original glory. Please comment if there are any typos and errors in the compilation.

 

Alan Turing:::::Computing machinery and intelligence

Albert Einstein:::::Ideas and opinions

Alister Hardy:::::The open sea

Arthur Eddington:::::The expanding universe

Barbara & George Gamow:::::Said Ryle to Hoyle

Brian Greene:::::The elegant universe

C P Snow:::::Foreword to Hardy's Apology

Carl Sagan:::::The demon-haunted world

Carl Sagan:::::Pale blue dot

Claude E Shannon & Warren Weaver:::::The mathematical theory of communication

Colin Blakemore:::::The mind machine

D'Arcy Thompson:::::On growth and form

Daniel Dennett:::::Darwin's dangerous idea

Daniel Dennett:::::Consciousness explained

David Deutsch:::::The fabric of reality

David Lack:::::The life of the robin

Donald C Johanson & Maitland A Edey:::::Lucy-Beginnings of humankind

Douglas Hofstadter:::::Godel, Escher, Bach-The eternal golden braid

Edward O. Wilson:::::The diversity of life

Ernst Mayr:::::The growth of biological thought

Erwin Schrodinger:::::What is life?

Francis Crick:::::Life itself

Francis Crick:::::What mad pursuit

Fred Hoyle:::::Man in the universe

Freeman Dyson:::::Disturbing the universe

G C Williams:::::Adaptation and natural selection

G G Simpson:::::The meaning of evolution

G H Hardy:::::A mathematician's apology

Garrett Hardin:::::The tragedy of the commons

George Gamow:::::Mr. Tompkins

George Gaylord Simpson:::::The meaning of evolution

Helena Cronin:::::The ant and the peacock

Ian Stewart:::::The miraculous jar

J A Wheeler & Kenneth Ford:::::Geons, black holes and quantum foam

J B S Haldane:::::On being the right size

J B S Haldane:::::Cancer's a funny thing

J Robert Oppenheimer:::::War and the nations

Jacob Bronowski:::::The identity of man

James Jeans:::::The mysterious universe

James Watson:::::Avoid boring people

Jared Diamond:::::The rise and fall of the third chimpanzee

John Maynard Smith:::::The importance of the nervous system in the evolution of animal flight

John Tyleer Bonner:::::Life cycles

Jonathan Kingdon:::::Self-made man

Julian Huxley:::::Essays of a biologist

Lancelot Hogden:::::Mathematics for the million

Lee Smolin:::::The life of the cosmos

Lewis Thomas:::::Seven wonders

Lewis Wolpert:::::The unnatural nature of science

Loren Eiseley:::::The immense journey

Mark Ridley:::::The explanation of organic diversity

Martin Gardner:::::The fantastic combinations of John Conway's new solitaire game 'Life'

Martin Rees:::::Just six numbers

Matt Ridley:::::Genome

Max F Perutz:::::A passion for crystals

Nicholas Humphrey:::::One self - a meditation on the unity of consciousness

Niko Tinbergen:::::Curious Naturalists

Oliver Sacks:::::Uncle Tungsten

Paul Davies:::::The goldilocks enigma

Per Bak:::::How nature works

Peter Atkins:::::Creation revisited

Peter Medawar:::::Science and literature

Peter Medawar:::::Darwin's illness

Peter Medawar:::::The phenomenon of mind

Primo Levi:::::The periodic table

R A Fisher:::::The genetical theory of natural selection

Rachel Carson:::::The sea around us

Richard Feynman:::::The character of physical law

Richard Fortey:::::Trilobite!

Richard Fortey:::::Life - an unauthorized biography

Richard Gregory:::::Mirrors in mind

Richard Leakey & Roger Lewin:::::Origins reconsidered

Robert Trivers:::::Social Evolution

Roger Penrose:::::The emperor's new mind

Russell Stannard:::::The time and space of uncle Albert

S Chandrasekhar:::::Truth and beauty

Stephan Hawking:::::A brief history of time

Stephan Jay Gould:::::Hen's teeth and horse's toes

Steve Jones:::::The language of the genes

Steven Pinker:::::The language instinct

Steven Pinker:::::How the mind works

Steven Weinberg:::::Dreams of a final theory

Sydney Brenner:::::Theortical biology in the third millennium

Theodosius Dobzhansky:::::Mankind evolving

W D Hamilton:::::Geometry for the selfish herd

W D Hamilton:::::Narrow roads of geneland

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Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year 2011

Dear Readers,
I wish you all a very happy new year. Do come again.
Shencottah