Important Patents - Laziness
One dictionary definition of lazy includes, "disinclined to activity or exertion." It is clear intuitively what this means. How does one differentiate laziness from procrastination? This is a subtle problem. The key point is that the procrastinator may not be lazy. The procrastinator may, at some future date, display a sudden burst of energy and get done the task that had been postponed. By contrast, the lazy person never gets the task done. How does one tell the difference between the laziness and procrastination? Well, the key secret is that you might have to wait a long time. A very long time. In fact, you might have to wait an arbitrarily long time before the procrastinator gets his round tuit and actually gets the task done. Interestingly, theoretical computer scientists call this the busy beaver problem and consider it of fundamental importance because the solution is noncomputable. Thus, obviously, whether someone is lazy or a pro...