The letter box Essay Example

The letter box Paper John Searles Chinese room argument attempts to explain the difference between working machines and the human mind. Let us imagine that an English speaking man who knows no other language has been put in a small room. On the wall is a letter box and on the floor is a book of rules and a note pad. Every so often a piece of paper with Chinese writing is passed through the letterbox. The rulebook explains how to process the writing, it tells the man to copy certain characters onto the note pad. Thebook gives a code informing the man what should be written according to what is on the paper initially sent through the letter box. Once he has decoded the message he sends the reply back through the letterbox as an answer to the questions he received, obeying the rules contained in the book. As time goes by the man becomes more and more accomplished at his job. To a Chinese onlooker it would seem that the person in the room was a fluent Chinese speaker. Searle compares the activity of this man to the activity of a machine or computer. The man did not need to understand the Chinese to be able to give a perfect answer. In this way the computer does not understand or comprehend what it is doing, it only processes information. We will write a custom essay sample on The letter box specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The letter box specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The letter box specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Searle said that the man (and hence machine) lacked intentionality and possessed only a syntactical ability as opposed to a semantic one. This means that the machine is unable to be aware of the meaning of the information it processes even though it uses correct grammar to communicate with. Simply producing output in response to input according to certain rules does not constitute human thought. Searle uses this argument to refute the so-called Strong Artificial Intelligence position of some thinkers who believe that computer language does more than just represent human thought (via programming); rather, it really is human thought. A thought experiment arguing against Searles reasoning and supporting Strong AI is the Turing test. Alan Turing, who helped develop the first modern computers, claimed that in future years it could be possible to create a machine that had a mind. Turing imagined the following: There is an interrogator, a machine and a person. The interrogator is positioned in a separate room to the machine and the person. The person and machine are labelled either x or y, the interrogator is unaware which is x and which is y. The interrogator must ask x and y questions, his aim is to guess which is the machine and which is the person. The aim of the machine is to make the interrogator guess that the person is in fact the machine; the objective for the person is to help cause the interrogator to guess correctly. Turing believed that in the future it would be quite conceivable for a machine to trick the interrogator more than seventy percent of the time. Turing believed that this proved machines were capable of thinking. The problem with this argument is that just because the computer is capable of fooling the interrogator into believing it is human does not directly correspond to the conclusion that the machine is a thinking thing. It seems more likely that the computer has merely been programmed with the correct answers to use and in reality has no understanding of what his answers actually mean. Professor Jefferson argued, Not until a machine can write a sonnet or compose a concerto because of thoughts and emotions felt, and not by the chance fall of symbols, could we agree that machine equals brain-that is, not only write it but know that it had written it. No mechanism could feel (and not merely artificially signal, an easy contrivance) pleasure at its successes, grief when its valves fuse, be warmed by flattery, be made miserable by its mistakes, be charmed by sex, be angry or depressed when it cannot get what it wants. 3 Having awareness and knowledge of the content and meaning of thought is what Searle describes as intentionality and is a feature of human thinking which machines could never replicate because of their very nature as fabricated, artificial entities. In conclusion, I feel that it seems impossible for machines to ever have minds. The mind appears to be a purely metaphysical thing that could not be transplanted into a machine. Furthermore the process that a machine goes through is not thought but programming. Everything the machine knows comes from the maker. To say that machines have minds is like saying that even if an evil daemon controlled and planted every thought in our heads, we would still be free thinking beings with conscious minds. Personally I find it hard to conceive the monist approach, though some attempts are made to explain the mind from a monist perspective, which nonetheless gives the mind a special position that could not merely be recreated by fabricated, artificial machines. Such an approach is taken by those who see the mind as an emergent property of the physical composition of the body (specifically brain). A single molecule of water could not be wet or hot or cold; it is only on combining with many millions of molecules in a complex bundle that properties emerge that we associate with water. So with the mind our freedom and intentionality emerge from the very complex arrangement of our organic bodies, which are unique to humans and animals and could not be shared by machines. For most people using an argument from common sense it feels that our minds are free and unattached to our physical bodies. I therefore conclude that a purely physical man-made machine can never have a real mind of its own. And thus in reality it would make it impossible for James the Red Engines thought4 and emotions to actually exist.

Ethic and Contemporary Issues in Multimedia and IT

Ethic and Contemporary Issues in Multimedia and IT Professional code of conduct as well as ethics is important in an individual’s way of live and work. This is of great importance to the world of technology that includes multimedia and information technology sectors. The Multimedia and IT field in the recent years have shown great improvement due to advancement in internet through the use of optical fibber that have led to social networks sites such as the twitter, Facebook, and the bloggers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethic and Contemporary Issues in Multimedia and IT specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, the development of internet gadgets such as mobile phones, modems, laptops and the networking of computers have posed a great threat to the ethics of multimedia and IT. The increase in use of these sites and other IT related gadgets have brought the maintenance and integrity of ethics in the communication and media field to a threat. According t o the media associations, the work of the media and IT is to inform people about the happenings of the world and a means of communication that would bring growth rather than disasters. However, the main objective of the communication and media field has changed as in the recent cases of the Arab countries. In Egypt, during the Anti-Mubarak protests, the protesters used the social networks to organize themselves, spread rumours, and keep each other informed of the progress of the protests Sharp (2011, p. 2). They used several forms of communication especially the use of social networks. Sharp (2011, p. 2) asserts that after the government realized the role of the media to the protests, they blocked all forms of media including the use of internet. In addition, in 2009 the social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and bloggers and Yu tube played a great role in organization of protests to show their feelings after the result Kamalipour (2010, p. 62). Kamalipour (2010, p. 62) further asserts that this social media sites informed the world on the situation in Iran. Like in Egypt, the Iranian government responded by blocking the use of internet in Iran, especially the social network sites Kamalipour (2011, p. 62). The media was further used to send rumours of the situation on the grounds such as the magnitude of the people killed by the riot police as they tried to seek for sympathizers from the world Sharp (2011, p. 9). During these instances, the media generally focus only on one of the parties involved. For instance during the Egypt protests the major focus was on the killings of the protestors by the riot police. The media and communication ethic on public matter has been to preach peace and unity but in several instances, the media has caused political instability. Further, media has spread hate speeches and rumours either between political affiliates or between countries.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several nations have experienced political instabilities in the recent years due to the conflicting information passed through the media or through social networks. For instance in many countries after elections, tribal clashes are highly initiated by the tallying proceedings that are broadcasted in different stations. Communication and media ethics further dictate that media has the right to influence the people’s morals in a positive manner. However, with the extensive use of internet, TV’s, video films and video games, media has influenced the moral behaviours of many youths. The use of media have exposed people to several programs, movies and sites that are not worth to be viewed by different kinds of people. For instance, young people who have access to internet on their phones and private laptops have been exposed to information that has influenced their behaviours. Technology advancement has affected the morals of the people as they are exposed to them. Further, the media and IT ethics have been affected by the increase in media and IT crimes. With the improved technology, the knowledge of people has greatly changed causing a great threat in the media fields. The cases of cyber crimes and cyber burying have tremendously increased with time. This has put the security of the people and government at risk. Cyber crimes such as cyber theft where thieves steal through the internet by getting access to other peoples accounts have increased. Other cyber crimes include hackling of websites and email addresses, the use of email to send spam messages to other people. People use the media to send messages in request of ransoms for an internet crime committed or to con other people over the internet. Further, IT has been used to impersonate and in copyrights. Copyrighting being a crime has violated many people’s rights. Those who perpetuate these crimes copy and sell the pirated copies for the ir own benefit. Further, there are media sources that cause fear to the audience or the people. In May 2006, an American TV (ABC) aired a movie in name â€Å"Fatal Contact: bird Flu in America† Perebinossoff (2008, p. 75-76) that had excessive and rumours of the H5N1 virus that causes bird flu. This movie was also made available in DVDs, which caused great fear to the people. The movie further exaggerated the threat of the H5N1virus. Conclusion With the advancement in technology, the ethics in the communication and media has greatly fluctuated. This is due to the increase in the number of people using the media sources. There have been great efforts by the government and the media associations but to date their efforts have not brought good results.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ethic and Contemporary Issues in Multimedia and IT specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their efforts have been greatly affected by th e fact that media and IT cannot be abolished completely. In day-to-day activities, media and IT has to be involved and in the government. However, more and more efforts need to be inputted to bring a long-term solution that will raise the ethics of media. This will help in maintenance of peace and order as well as to increase the security of the citizens through reduction of cyber crimes. References Kamalipour, Y 2010, Media, power and politics in the digital age: The 2009 presidential uprising in Iran, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, Maryland. Perebinossoff, P 2008, Real-world media ethics: Inside the broadcast and Entertainment Industries, Elsevier, Oxford. Sharp, J 2011, Egypt: the January 25 revolution and implication for US foreign policy, Congressional Research service, Washington DC.

An Argument Against the Use of Hydraulic Fracturing

An Argument Against the Use of Hydraulic Fracturing Against Hydraulic Fracturing Oil and natural gas are crucial to the twenty-first-century. They are used for fuel, tires, household appliances, and even heart valves. Without oil and natural gas, the modern way of life would be almost entirely different. However, the cost of obtaining these products using a process called hydraulic fracturing can be fatal. Hydraulic fracturing is the method by which oil natural gas is extracted from shale rock deep in the earth’s crust. Water pollution, air pollution, and climate change are three of the biggest downfalls of this extraction procedure. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a dangerous operation which negatively affects human and environmental health. Hydraulic fracturing begins with drilling 7,000 to 12,000 feet into the ground. During this step, toxic gases and respirable crystalline silica are released into the air. Crystalline silica is respirable, which means it can easily be inhaled and absorbed by the human body. A hazard warning released by OSHA in 2012 warns, â€Å"Crystalline silica, in the form of sand, can cause silicosis when inhaled by workers. Silicosis is an incurable lung disease. Some of the symptoms of silicosis include fatigue, extreme shortness of breath, cough, respiratory failure, and, in some cases, death. Despite preventative measures such as masks and protective uniforms, workers at fracking sites are commonly exposed to respirable crystalline silica. Benzene, toluene, xylene, and ethylbenzene are just a few of the deadly chemicals released into the air. A study related to the situation where workers are being exposed to crystalline silica, if they are at a drilling site it is impossible to avoid breathi ng in the chemicals. The next step is to inject millions of gallons of a toxic water-sand-chemical mixture into the ground at a very high pressure in order to break up the shale rock. After that, the water is stored in unlined pits in the ground. Sometimes it escapes the pit, contaminating clean water in the area. In December 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency, â€Å"concluded for the first time that the fracking process can contaminate drinking water. This creates a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation for both humans and wildlife in the area. It is not only affecting above-ground reservoirs, ponds, and lakes, but it also affects groundwater. A study in Colorado found that â€Å"77 fracking wastewater spills that impacted groundwater supplies, of which 90 percent were contaminated with unsafe levels of benzene, a chemical linked to cancer. There are organizations who specialize in cleaning up contaminated sites all over the United States, but the compounds in fracking fluid diff er from site to site and aren’t commonly analyzed in commercial labs. Scientific American revealed that as a result of this, â€Å"conducting a groundwater investigation related to fracking is extremely complicated.†. The inability to analyze these compounds makes it tough for doctors to treat patients who have drank the contaminated water. Despite the fact that hydraulic fracturing has been proven to be the cause of so many health problems, the method by which fracking water has not changed. If a solution is not found before it escalates, the consequences could be devastating for not only humans but also the environment. In addition to harming human health, newer studies are finding that hydraulic fracturing also contributes to climate change. Many studies have found that â€Å"during the fracking process, small amounts of methane are released directly into the atmosphere.† To enumerate, air pollution from fracking affects more than just the nearby area. â€Å"Air pollution from hydraulic fracturing operations can likely travel hundreds of miles, even into states with little or no fracking,† one of the new studies released. This means that even if one area, a country, state, or community bans fracking, they could still be affected by fracking sites hundreds of miles away. Natural gas is believed to be cleaner and safer than previous mass-produced resources. It lessens the worlds dependence on coal, which is thought to be worse for the environment. The Smithsonian stated, â€Å"Burning natural gas, for instance, produces nearly half as much carbon dioxide per unit of energy compared with coal.† Fracking does produce less Carbon Dioxide than coal, but other, more harmful chemicals are released in the process. Natural gas appears to be the better alternative, but it usually is just as equally damaging as coal. The Guardian says, â€Å"shale gas and oil extraction were found to be easily the dominant source giving leak rates of 0.18-2.8% even before the gas was distributed to users.† The leak rate of shale gas, which contains methane, is far more detrimental than the effects of coal production and usage combined. Hydraulic fracturing, the method by which humans obtain oil and natural gas, is dangerous and destructive. Water and air pollution are two major results of fracking, which deteriorate human and environmental health. Despite the fact that fracking has been proven to be damaging to both the planet and its inhabitants, mankind will continue to do it because their dependence on natural gas is too great. As a result, nature will continue to deteriorate until an alternative which humans will utilize, is found.

Prepare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prepare - Essay Example This is because preparations simply help a person consider all the aspects that need to be thought about. For instance, when a student prepares all what he needs right after an assignment is given, it is most unlikely that he would forget important details. On the contrary, the person who procrastinates tends to miss necessary points because by the time he starts on the task, he would already be feeling nervous because of the deadline that needs to be met. This results to a bad performance. In preparing to write an essay, one should gather all the information that is needed. For instance, when a student is asked to write about a person, he should find all the books, internet sources, magazines, persons to interview and other sources of information that will help him complete the paper. A draft should also be made to guide the student in his writing activity. While gathering the information and drafting the skeletal frame of the paper, one should also think about his approach so that by the time he sits to write, he will already have the general idea about how the paper is going to look like. With the preparations mentioned above, the outcome will be a well-written

The importance of group work in educational process Essay

The importance of group work in educational process - Essay Example Summarizing is essential to any hand written essay when ever that essay is needed to help people learn about what one might have seen, read or heard. It is used by millions everywhere at every minute in all possible kinds of assignments. What needs to be understood about these summaries is that one needs to recognize when one has to go from explaining and describing to offer a better and a more complex analysis. The group was asked to write on their experience on the work they had done together. And on the time they had spend together as a group working on the assignment that they had been assigned. The few points that this report would signify are: The introduction The makings of a good group-essay A reflective essay Networking and mentoring The Introduction In the start the class was asked to divide into groups of preferably 4 to 5 people. This was the most optimal limit of the groups. The class was also asked to have different personalities in the group, as different personalities brought different aspects to the group. The members chose each other on the basis of nationalities. Though there were almost five different nationalities in the group, the mode of conversation was English as it is understood by most of them. They were Annette, Alan, Rinkesh, and Mohammed. This particular group had quite a few nations, like Hong Kong, India, Arabia, china so they all brought their culture and diversity to the group. The group went through four steps of group work. These four steps are described by Tuckan as ‘forming,’ ‘storming,’ ‘norming’ and ‘performing’ (Hingst & Lowe, 2008, 157-165). Accordingly the group came together and introduced themselves in the first stage of forming. In this stage the discussion was light hearted and the topic of the project was discussed. There was no hierarchy managed. Everyone was given an equal chance to speak and put forward their ideas. During this stage no real work was done. In the next stage, the stage called storming; the members were now more in the form of better ways and means of giving out their opinions. In this stage the members become more comfortable with each other and even start taking up different positions as the leaders or the followers. This stage had more acceptance than any of the other stages did. In the next stage (performing), the members became a lot more alert of their jobs and tried to stick to them more and more, they also tried to get more work done and as soon as possible too. In this stage the members had more conflicts and their resolution led to a better understanding between the members of the group. The makings of a good group-essay As the group was required to work on writing an essay, so they needed to identify what made an essay good and what took it beyond good. They learnt that essay marking is divided into five groups which are: 1. Pre-structural 2. Uni-structural 3. Multi-structural 4. Relational 5. Extended abstract The best essay belongs to the category of either Relational or the Extended Abstracts. A college essay is expected of these levels. In these categories the essay shows the high level of understanding which is demonstrated by the number of and method of collection of data/ideas. This is very much obvious from the way the students write, express and explain themselves and their ideas about any number of situations and scenarios. They also show how much they grasped from the theme of the topic by cross-questioning. Both these categories are awarded Distinctions, and high-awards. Unlike these categories the other essays belong to the first three categories which have essays which either dwindle ion the edge of the topic or are not even close to it. These essays show lack of understanding and comprehension and are usually covered up by mismatched points and stories. A reflective essay A reflective essay is one which describes ones communication experiences acquired during any group-work and helps one to put these experiences into practical use by matching them to the theories and concepts learnt in

A Sociological view of Divorce Essay -- essays research papers

They were the family you always wish you had†¦ The Cleavers. Wise and wonderful Ward. A pal as well as a Dad. June. The perfect wife and mother. Big brother Wally. Popular, smart and athletic – one tough act to follow. And last but definitely not least, hapless, irrepressible Theodore, a.k.a. â€Å"the Beaver,† just a regular kid trying his best to stay out of trouble while finding a thousand ways to place himself at trouble’s doorstep. Leave it to Beaver. It was the television hit in the ‘60s that hallmarked the phrase, â€Å" The American Family† and made it its own. Introduction: Here we are, 40 years later, in the midst of social turmoil, where the values and principles such as the family unit that were once our nation’s bedframe, are now the very same values and principles we are starting to question. Needless to say, the family structure is riding the wave of a rapidly changing society and changing right along with it. More adolescents are growing up in a wider margin of family structures than ever before in history. Divorce is not only personal trouble dividing households, but it has become a developing Social issue sweeping the nation. The number of adolescents growing up specifically in broken families is mounting everyday. Divorce has become an epidemic among our nation invading one in every two marriages in this country (Patz 59). In fact the United States has the highest percentile of single – parent families, compared to all other countries (Santrock 167). And by age 18, approximately one fourth of all American children will have lived part of their lives in a step-family unit (Santrock 167). I knew that adolescents of divorced families were put at a greater individual risk and vulnerability to adjustment problems later in life, however I was not aware of the particular areas that such a division in the family structure could have an affect on. Evidence shows however that not only does divorce permanently weaken the child/parents relationship, but has also been found to be behind lowered academic performance, destructive ways of handling conflict, a poorer self-image, greater engagement in delinquent activities and the root of pessimism towards future relationships and goals in life. These things only perpetuate the rapid downward spiral of family breakdown (â€Å"How Might Divorce Affect My Child’s Behavior?† 2000). Theoretical Fr... ...ot just on TV? As long as families follow the trend that divorce is setting, more and more children will be the victimized and left to fend for themselves whether it be physically with unstable custodial parents or mentally without any role models and structure in their lives to keep them on the straight and narrow. I think divorce acts as its own indicator that it disrupts peoples lives, especially adolescents as they are more impressionable in this stage. Divorce has been shown to adversely affect academic performance, and personal characteristics as far as social skills and self presentation, it erodes the parent-child relationship and takes away structure and replaces it with a consequence free environment. And when you take a child, an adolescent none-the-less at the height of confusion and insecurity and remove boundaries such as parents, rules, and regulations, that’s trouble. If children are our future, maybe we should be equipping them with more than freedom. To a ppropriately prepare for the future, I think we should take a step back into the past and watch a few Leave It to Beaver episodes and maybe we can come up with a better game plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Operations Research Questions

Pace University [email  protected] Faculty Working Papers Lubin School of Business 11-1-1999 The Mystery of Linear Programming Explained: Second Edition Jack Yurkiewicz Pace University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons. pace. edu/lubinfaculty_workingpapers Recommended Citation Yurkiewicz, Jack, â€Å"The Mystery of Linear Programming Explained: Second Edition† (1999). Faculty Working Papers. Paper 21. http://digitalcommons. pace. edu/lubinfaculty_workingpapers/21 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Lubin School of Business at [email  protected]It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Working Papers by an authorized administrator of [email  protected] For more information, please contact [email  protected] edu. WORKING PAPERS No. 191 November 1999 The Mystery of Linear Programming Explained: Second Edition by Jack Yurkewicz, Ph. D. Professor of Management Science and Director of the Advanced Professional Certifica te Program Lubin School of Business Pace University THE MYSTERY OF LINEAR PROGRAMMING EXPLAINEDSECOND EDITION As Recounted by John H. Watson, M. D.Edited by Jack Yurkiewicz, Ph. D. Jack Yurkiewicz is Professor of Management Science and Director of the Advanced Professional Certificate Program at the Lubin School of Business, Pace University. Introduction INTRODUCTION I hadn't seen my old friend and companion, Sir Sherlock Holmes (he had been knighted by the Queen and insisted that this appellation be used) in several months. Feeling that I had slighted him, I rang him up and told him I would be stopping by the next day to see how his new business venture was progressing.Holmes was truly glad to hear my voice and urged that we have lunch together. While he hinted that his firm, of which he was the sole employee, was doing well, he did indeed wish to discuss a business proposition with me. Needless to say, I was intrigued. I won’t bother to bore you, dear reader, with some of o ur mundane conversation the next day save to say that I found Holmes to be moodier than ever. The great detective had long ago become bored with crime solving, claiming there was little challenge in solving many of the violent crimes that seemed so prevalent in our society.The firm that he started provided consulting service to corporations, in which he would use his mental abilities to help managers solve their business-related problems. Holmes explained to me that he enjoyed the challenge of his new endeavors but was finding it increasingly difficult to converse with these â€Å"business types,† as he called them. He just didn't have the patience to explain his findings to them, for he found them curiously dull. Holmes went on to say that he had no doubt that this fact was the cause of the country's lack of success in the international business environment.I didn't want to say it, but I thought to myself that the fault might not be solely with the business managers he was d ealing with, but partially with him, for I myself frequently found him short-tempered and impatient, even during his ordinary conversations with me. In any case, his proposition to me was simple. Holmes: Listen, Watson, I just can't bear the thought of explaining to these so-called â€Å"leaders† how they should be running their firms. They come to me with some specific problem, usually ill-defined, and then expect me to come up with a solution.I have found that getting the solution is fairly trivial, but I have the dickens of a time trying to explain it to them! You have a solid head on your shoulders, old fellow. Suppose you became my partner. Your only job would be to explain to them the solution that I propose, for I fear that my patience is not as long as yours is. Watson: The thought intrigues me, for I have been cutting back on my practice lately and do find myself available with more free time. What procedures do you use to get your results?Holmes: Mostly a branch of mathematics called â€Å"operations research,† which incidentally has its roots in this country during the Second World War. I collect the data, enter it on a computer I have in my study, and in almost an instant, I get the results. Watson: Well, I am afraid that tears it, Holmes. I don't know the first thing about operations research and thus could not possibly explain it to others. I did try to learn the subject several years back. I bought a college textbook on the subject and spent several frustrating days trying to learn linear programming.The subject seemed understandable enough, but I became hopelessly 1 The Mystery of Linear Program Explained lost on the mechanics of the simplex algorithm. I was working with equations and performing what the author called â€Å"elementary row operations. † Believe me, there was nothing elementary about it. After three days I threw the book down in disgust and came to the conclusion that only masochists or the temporarily insane would ever try to fathom such a subject. Holmes: I fear you overestimate the subject's complexity, but the point is irrelevant.No one really does these things by hand anymore, and so it was just your poor fortune to buy a book that was obsolete. All is now done with the aid of the computer. In fact, I am using a program called Solver, which is a part of Excel which is unusually easy to use and powerful. I will explain the computer output to you, along with its ramifications, and then you in turn will explain it to the manager in question. It really is quite simple, and if I may say, also lucrative. The more Holmes spoke, the more interested I became.His power of persuasion was truly formidable, and in the end, against much misgiving on my part, I agreed to enter into this venture on a trial basis. Holmes was satisfied with my decision and proposed that we start immediately with a problem that he had completed the other day that he was due to report on the following week. HOLMES DES CRIBES THE CASE Holmes: The Maximus Computer Company (MCC) has four basic computers it sells to students and small business people. The first, called the Starter, is a basic, â€Å"no-frills† computer.It has most of the amenities that a new user or a buyer on a strict budget could want, including CDROM with sound, an entry-level processor, a small hard disk, a modem for Internet access, and a 15-inch monitor. The second model, called the Midrange, is for more demanding users. This model offers a faster processor, larger hard disk, more RAM, a DVD player, and a 17-inch monitor. The third model, the Super, provides just about all the computing power a user could want. It offers even more RAM, a very fast processor, a large hard disk, a DVD player with hardware decoder, and a 17-inch monitor.All but the most demanding users would be very happy with the Super. However, for those who want the very â€Å"best,† the company offers the Extreme which offers a state-of-the-art p rocessor, a huge hard disk, the best multimedia package (the latest generation DVD ROM with a five-piece speaker system), a CD re-writable drive, a 19inch monitor, etc. Thus, while the company offers only four models, it feels there is enough flexibility to cover most of the target computer audience. It is a small start-up company and management knows it has to compete against the heavily entrenched products from Dell, IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Gateway.The company philosophy is to ship computers with brandknown components and offer superior service, all at a cost to consumers that is lower than the competition's. Watson: Well, Holmes, I believe I know about the philosophy of the company and its immediate goals. Can you please tell me more about the four models of computers we offer? 2 How the Operation Works Holmes: As I said, Maximus makes four models with different levels of features, all with the same customer support. They believe that whatever the sophistication of the machine, customer support should be â€Å"top notch† and not deteriorate with the price.In the long run, that will generate customer good will and promote their growth in the market. Watson: I agree whole-heartedly. Tell me a bit more about the computers themselves. HOW THE OPERATION WORKS Holmes: As you probably know, the computer industry is currently very competitive, and profit margins are low for each model. The net profit on a Starter is $50, for a Midrange it is $120, for a Super it is $250, and for an Extreme it is $300. These figures already take into account material, labor, depreciation, taxes, shipping, etc. In other words, these are the net profits to the company for each computer sold.Watson: Eventually we can delve into how these values are determined and perhaps how we can increase them, but for now, let’s assume that they are sacrosanct. What else can you tell me about the operation? Holmes: Management has, what they call â€Å"three operations† that make a computer. They call the first operation manufacture. This includes taking the customer’s phone call and determining which computer and options he or she wants and getting that information to the management of the production staff. They in turn will get the necessary components and make them available to the workers on the assembly line.The second operation is referred to as assembly, where the workers on the assembly line actually put together the computer, according the specifications of the customer’s order. These are skilled workers who take pride in their work, and even though they work on an assembly line, they do not have an â€Å"assembly line mentality,† for they believe they are making custom products for specific customers. The last operation is called inspection. Here we install the software, run various diagnostic tests, and generally check out and pack up the computer before we send it to the customer. Watson: I see. operations?Do you h ave approximate time figures on how long it takes to do these Holmes: It is a function of the computer. However, they have been doing this for some time now and so the time values do not vary all that much from machine to machine. Thus, for instance, for a Starter, we can assume 0. 1 hours for manufacture, 0. 2 hours for assembly, and 0. 1 hours for inspection. Our units are always in hours,I hope that doesn’t confuse you. Watson: Not at all. Actually, I’m used to minutes and so I am making mental transformations, but since the â€Å"company units† are always measured in hours, I will use those also.Tell me the corresponding values for the other computers. 3 The Mystery of Linear Programming Explained Holmes: For a Midrange, we use 0. 2 hours to manufacture, 0. 5 hours to assemble, and 0. 2 hours for inspection. Each Super requires 0. 7 hours to manufacture, 0. 25 hours to assemble, and 0. 3 hours inspection and testing. Finally, the Extreme gets 0. 8 hours to m anufacture, 0. 2 hours to assemble, and 0. 5 hours for inspection. As I said, these numbers really don’t vary all that much from machine to machine, but as you can see, they do differ from model to model.Watson: Very well. What about your resources? How many people, or should I say, how many people-hours are available to do those three operations? Holmes: I agree with you that we should talk in terms of people-hours. I have been using the term â€Å"man-hours† for many years and if I lapse into that gender-specific term, please forgive me. To avoid offending you, I will just use the word â€Å"hours† from now on, but I hope you know I mean â€Å"people-hours† when I say it. Watson: Have no fear on my account, Holmes. My sensibilities will not be hurt if you use the older term â€Å"man-hours. What numbers do you have? Holmes: On a daily basis, management informed me that the company has 250 hours available for manufacture, 350 hours available for assembl y, and 150 hours to do the inspection and testing. Watson: I presume that with all this information, we can proceed to model the problem as a linear program. Holmes: Indeed, Watson. As I intimated earlier, we can solve linear programs with Excel. Excel comes with an add-on package called Solver that is easy to use and yet powerful enough to solve most mathematical programming problems.All we have to do is make a spreadsheet model of the problem and Solver will do the rest. Watson: Well, that certainly is good news. I use Excel and I have made many models. But how do you make a linear program model in Excel? MODELING THE PROBLEM IN EXCEL Holmes: Have a look at the Excel spreadsheet model here on my computer, Watson. It is imperative that you first learn how to model a problem in a spreadsheet. Once you master this skill, we can then proceed to discuss how Solver can be used to get the answer for us.Cells B1, C1, D1, and E1 give the labels of our computers, which in linear programming terminology are called decision variables. We want the values of these variables to appear in cells B2, C2, D2, and E2. Excel’s Solver will call these cells the changing cells. We put the per-unit profit of each computer into cells B4 through D4. These numbers are traditionally called the objective function coefficients. We must enter a formula into cell I2 (which we labeled as the Profit in cell I1) that will give the net profit for all the computer’s made. 4 Modeling the Program in ExcelA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 B Starter 0 50 0. 1 0. 2 0. 1 C Midrange 0 120 0. 2 0. 5 0. 2 D Super 0 250 0. 7 0. 25 0. 3 E Extreme 0 300 F G H I Profit 0 max manufacture assembly inspection Available 0. 8 250 0. 2 350 0. 5 150 Used Slack 0 250 0 350 0 150 Watson: I know how to do that. We would type in cell I2 the formula: =B2*B4 + C2*C4 + D2*D4 + E2*E4 Algebraically, we are saying, with this formula: 50(Starters) + 120(Midrange) + 250(Super) + 300(Extreme) Of course, the value in cell I2 is ze ro because we have zero values for the number of computers made in cells B2 through E2.Holmes: Well done, Watson! You should know that there is a shortcut to this rather tedious formula. Excel has the built-in function, SUMPRODUCT, which will save us much typing. That is, in cell I2 we can simply type: =SUMPRODUCT(B2:E2,B4:E4) That says: multiply the values in cells B2 through E2 by the corresponding values in the cells B4 through E4 respectively, and then add up the results. That gives us the same result as your formula. However, it is easier to input, since we need just type in the =sumproduct, highlight the ranges, and type the parentheses.The result is our total profit, which Solver calls the target cell. Watson: I suspect that we will be using that sumproduct function again. Tell me about the other items I see in your spreadsheet. Holmes: Our model is incomplete. We need to specify the constraints. These account for the technological, economic, or other limitations of the syste m, and restrict the values of the decision variables to some feasible set. We have three constraints in our problem: manufacturing, assembly, and inspection. Our manufacturing constraint is: 0. 1(Starter) + 0. 2(Midrange) + 0. 7(Super) + 0. 8(Extreme)