tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post588834892482865277..comments2023-11-02T19:19:15.129+05:30Comments on Death Ends Fun: Get to the top: About KotaDilip D'Souzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-32386532422399377782013-05-08T13:21:54.214+05:302013-05-08T13:21:54.214+05:30Dear Arijit, please send me a note at dilip DOT fb...Dear Arijit, please send me a note at dilip DOT fbk AT gmail. Thanks.Dilip D'Souzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-25273736570667849812013-05-07T12:42:02.069+05:302013-05-07T12:42:02.069+05:30Sir,
I want to purchase your book "Branded by...Sir,<br />I want to purchase your book "Branded by Law". However I found it to be out of print. Can you help me to get a copy? <br /><br />Thanks and regards,<br /><br />ARIJIT GHOSH<br />Assistant Professor<br />Department of English,<br />VIT University<br />ChennaiArijithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14440582858320822668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-18216966210420740232012-11-21T22:43:40.418+05:302012-11-21T22:43:40.418+05:30Kota is a kind of a study hub as well. Still, it i...Kota is a kind of a study hub as well. Still, it is up to a student to decide what to do Gaurav Raghavhttp://loyfly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-21914192526513474912012-10-15T15:05:52.282+05:302012-10-15T15:05:52.282+05:30Kota is worst place on earth and does not serve an...Kota is worst place on earth and does not serve any purpose. I know some guys who were in kota and after mugging there for 3-4 years,got into IIT.But did not do anything great in courses there. Its better to be in REC or local college at 16 years then in IIT at 20-21 years as people from Bihar,Up and andhra do.<br /><a href="http://www.3mik.com" rel="nofollow">3mik</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-29860378719709598842012-05-06T07:59:06.610+05:302012-05-06T07:59:06.610+05:30Fair enough Ravi, I see what you mean by exception...Fair enough Ravi, I see what you mean by exception and that word could have been better chosen. My contention is that the finite set view of probability is the one that makes most sense to teach as an introduction to probability -- which these notes I mentioned clearly were (let me show you sometime). (Besides, this statement in those notes makes no mention, right there or later, about infinite sets). At least to me, it's only once that idea is clear that you can make sense of the infinite set example. <br /><br />Without that, I think the placement of that statement in those notes is just confusing and absurd.Dilip D'Souzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-16793255021029572682012-05-06T02:05:45.483+05:302012-05-06T02:05:45.483+05:30Dear Dilip,
I am going to continue to quarrel a l...Dear Dilip,<br /><br />I am going to continue to quarrel a little more - mainly with your terming the example given (probability of picking a real number between 0 and 1, or for that matter a random natural number from the set of all natural numbers) as an "exception. It is true that in high school we deal only with finite sets where probability one means certainty. In contrast, the general theory of probability allows one to deal with infinite sets as well where the two notions (probability one and certainty) do not necessarily coincide. The correct way of looking at things is to treat the probability usually taught at the JEE level as a special case of the more general edifice. In some sense high school probability is the exception!<br /><br />Nice meeting you too.<br /><br />RaviAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-8143559397521083482012-04-28T12:34:58.467+05:302012-04-28T12:34:58.467+05:30Since this has come up more than a few times, and ...Since this has come up more than a few times, and I've been meaning to respond, let me do so now before too many more days go by.<br /><br />Ravi (glad to meet you a couple of weeks ago): yes, I'm aware of the exceptions. The point is this: I think in teaching probability you have to have the basic idea down right -- of 0 meaning no chance and 1 meaning certainty -- and only then explore exceptions. It's only when you have that clear that the exceptions make sense. <br /><br />Anonymous: I did brush up. I still think those sentences are absurd in a set of notes introducing probability.Dilip D'Souzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-78316934818765583692012-04-28T12:12:32.106+05:302012-04-28T12:12:32.106+05:30To the author:
You've got your probability t...To the author: <br /><br />You've got your probability theory wrong when you say "In probability, one means certainty, zero means no chance—period. ". To illustrate, consider the probability of you guessing a real number your friend has picked at random in [0, 1] correctly. The mathematical probability assigned to the event of your guessing correctly is 0. However, it is not impossible that you make a correct guess. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almost_surely for a more detailed discussion. <br /><br />Technical details aside, it might have been better if you chose to brush up on some probability theory before writing this article, especially since you chose to criticize the coaching institutes on this very point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-73913108836393738262012-04-12T10:33:16.359+05:302012-04-12T10:33:16.359+05:30Sir,
Would it be possible to speak with you someti...Sir,<br />Would it be possible to speak with you sometime on how you did your research for this article? I was looking to do something similar - visit Kota and find out whats happening there...though my motivation is more banal than yours - I own stock in Career Point. <br /><br />I do apologise for spamming your blog - I did not know how else to reach you.<br /><br />I'm at ashwinjain@gmail.com or ashwin_jain@icicipruamc.com<br /><br />I do hope to hear back from you.<br /><br />Regards,<br />ashwinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-692036425573012662012-04-10T16:45:21.934+05:302012-04-10T16:45:21.934+05:30Dear Dilip,
It is technically not absurd to say t...Dear Dilip,<br /><br />It is technically not absurd to say that "probability zero" does not imply that the event cannot happen - presumably your reference to advanced mathematics and"exceptions" means you are aware of this. Yes, in the usual JEE world, probability spaces are discrete. Nonetheless "absurd" and "sun rising in the east"may be a little strong. One may argue that Bansal classes is unaware of these finer distinctions and they are right merely by accident, but perhaps their many hours of MIT course viewing has told them otherwise.<br /><br />RaviAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-83418304003655252272012-04-10T09:29:03.126+05:302012-04-10T09:29:03.126+05:30Sidd, nope: it was just that other administrator(s...Sidd, nope: it was just that other administrator(s) asked to remain anonymous, and I respected that. Nitin did not.Dilip D'Souzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08221707482541503243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-76434567255182600662012-04-09T21:49:54.642+05:302012-04-09T21:49:54.642+05:30Was Nitin Jain quoted more than any other administ...Was Nitin Jain quoted more than any other administrator of any other coaching place, who remain anonymous 'senior administrators' because he shared your alma mater? I'm not suggesting anything sinister, just wondering if that could've played a part.Siddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-869370295486412662012-04-04T14:24:56.012+05:302012-04-04T14:24:56.012+05:30We are by no means the only country where "cr...We are by no means the only country where "cram schools" play an important role. This <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cram_school" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia page</a> details the presence of such schools in various countries, including India.<br /><br />Just out of curiosity, how many students are enrolled in all in the Kota institutes? Are they enrolled in such numbers that we need to worry about them?Sureshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12270071532015895732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-7424140273622085712012-04-01T18:41:19.396+05:302012-04-01T18:41:19.396+05:30Very balanced and complete. We want more!Very balanced and complete. We want more!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8070362.post-70767714169129537932012-03-31T12:42:02.096+05:302012-03-31T12:42:02.096+05:30Great article, Dilip!
I was fascinated by the stu...Great article, Dilip!<br /><br />I was fascinated by the stuff about cram schools separating the stars from the duds -- sections with names like A1, A2, etc., A10, B1, B2, etc.,<br />all the way down to D10! I'm surprised that the cram schools actually adopt such a scheme -- aren't they in the business of selling dreams like, "Even if you are a dud, we have a way of making you great! Come to us!"<br /><br />You have talked to some of the kids in those 'D' sections. What's their (and their parents') motivation to stick with the program? <br /><br />[I can see one possibility: Since the kids have uprooted themselves to get to Kota where they have joined a cram school and a regular school, leaving the place after, say, 6 months is not really an option.]Abihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06790560045313883673noreply@blogger.com