optimzation, whiplash, David whipping Goliath, search-engine optimization

 

 

Why Does Google Search Love Examiner.com?

By Belinda Luscombe

Searches on Google for popular news topics often turn up stories from a little-known website ahead of stories from major media sites. Is this another case of David whipping Goliath, or is it just the weird science of search-engine optimization?

 No doubt many readers are feeling some intellectual whiplash. Just the other day we were afraid of the Chinese. Now we’re afraid for them. But our situation has not improved.

 毫無疑問，很多讀者感到在坐過山車。就在前幾天，我們還在畏懼中國人。而現在，我們卻替他們擔心。但我們的情況也沒有改善。
翻譯：許欣

洪士灝

23分鐘 · 

最佳化還是優化

有朋友在討論optimzation這個名詞在數學與計算機科學的使用方式以及中文譯名的妥適性。我也來分享一下想法，但領域不同，參考一下就好。

在計算機工程的領域，optimization 可說是一種以極致（optimal）為目標的作為，例如compiler optimization、performance optimization 。嚴格來說，既然以optimal為目標，無論是否能達成，至少應該要知道optimize所做到的與optimal的距離。

但有些人已經把optimize當作enhance來用，所以在被問到與optimal距離多遠時，一臉茫然。似乎只著重於改進（improve ）現狀或是強化（enhane）效能，沒有真的去探究極致。

我的博論題目是Optimizing Parallel Applications，探討如何「最佳化」平行程式與系統所構成的應用情境，即是採取以上的概念。文中以探究極致為目標，也不斷評估與極致的距離，用來調整最佳化的作為。

但近來「優化」一詞有凌駕「最佳化」的趨勢，主要是對岸採用的緣故。就字面上來說，「優化」並沒有完整表達追求極致的涵義，因此我個人覺得「最佳化」在字面上比「優化」來得好。

但時下用優化的文章似乎比最佳化來得多，恐怕是很難擋。我自己在非學術的場合，並沒有堅持別人在計算機工程領域該怎麼用，反正大部份非學術文章都是用優化來表達「強化」（enhance）之類的意思，似乎也沒錯 ？負負得正的概念

但若是真要嚴謹地談optimize，我想還是用字義較為完備的「最佳化」可能會好些，但更重要的是實質內涵上能達到的境界與optimal有多接近。

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2008年3月5日 星期三

optimization

optimum Show phonetics
adjective [before noun] (ALSO optimal)
best; most likely to bring success or advantage:
A mixture of selected funds is an optimum choice for future security and return on investment.

optimize, UK USUALLY optimise Show phonetics
verb [T]
to make something as good as possible:
We need to optimize our use of the existing technology.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

對於某類決策問題，其決策因子之決定，有一最適宜的數值，不是最大也不是最小，唯有當決策因子等於此最適宜數值時，此決策問題的目標才能最圓滿的達成。求此最適宜數值的過程，稱為「最適化」。


Quote from W. Edwards Deming:
Precise optimization is not necessary. It would be too costly.

さいてき　最適

・～の　the most suitable; the best suited; the fittest.
 最適化　optimize.
 最適条件　the optimum conditions.

 此中國譯者用他們的用語翻譯whiplash.

 whiplash  此字本BLOG解釋過，不過編輯台上無法顯示

Pronunciation: /ˈwɪplaʃ/

Translate whiplash | into German

noun

• 1the flexible part of a whip or something resembling it.
• used with reference to something resembling a blow with a whip:he cringed before the icy whiplash of Curtis’s tongue

• 2 [mass noun] injury caused by a severe jerk to the head, typically in a car accident: suffering from whiplash, he spent weeks with his neck in a collar

verb

• 1 [with object] jerk or jolt (someone or something) suddenly, typically so as to cause injury:the force of impact had whiplashed the man’s head

2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] move suddenly and forcefully, like a whip being cracked:he rammed the yacht, sending its necklace of lights whiplashing from the bridge