Blog #7: The Shapes of Logic

     Logic is the study of valid reasoning. What we discussed today is about Digital Logic and Boolean Algebra.

     Since I am an Applied Mathematics student, studying logic is our foundation. We studied and proved statements, arguments, and truth tables. So this topic is not that new to me. But still, I got excited because this was something familiar. Unlike those previous very mathematical meetings where some of my classmates dread, I was happy to see something familiar in a world unfamiliar to me. Chos.

     In digital logic, we study about computers of course, and how they process information and perform arithmetic. That's where logic gates enter. Logic gates are building blocks of a circuit. They usually have two inputs (see truth tables below, with inputs A and B) and one output, depending on the gate they pass through. Logic 1 means on, high, true, yes, or closed switch. Logic 0 means off, low, false, no, or open switch.

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1274508

http://www.schoolphysics.co.uk/age16-19/Electronics/Logic%20gates/text/Logic_gates/index.html

• The NOT gate is just an inverter. The output is just a negation of the input.
• In the AND gate, the output is 1 if both of the inputs are 1. Otherwise, the output is 0. The NAND gate is just its negation.
• In the OR gate, the output is 1 if at least one of the inputs is 1. Otherwise, the output is 0. The NOR gate is just its negation.
• In the XOR gate, the output is 1 if one of the inputs is 1. If the inputs are the same (both 0 or both 1), then the output is 0.

http://gcat.davidson.edu/GcatWiki/index.php/Logic_Gates:_Symbols_and_Truth_Tables

     What I liked about this is that it has shapes, and I know and understand how it is used digitally. Before, in my math subjects, we prove truth tables and the operators (in Boolean Algebra), we memorize identities and theorems. We use them in real life sentences and phrases, or arguments. It is amazing how early people made these statements into logic gates that were made into transistors and used in circuits, and still easy to understand. Before, I do not know why we do all these proving. Now I understand that manufacturers of transistors (composed of logic gates) wanted to cut down the costs of making these gates so they simplified the most complex logic gates.

     Connecting logic gates and analyzing more of its complex forms, and simplifying them is really challenging but it actually is fun! To see what I mean, I recommend you to try experimenting here: http://logic.ly/demo/.

http://heythrop.su/logic-society/

Blog #6: Drive Attack! (Google Drive & Shingeki no Kyojin)

Document Collaboration using Google Drive

     Before Google Drive, I remembered using Dropbox in Yahoo!Mail. Yes, I have my own personal laptop as my storage, plus a few memory cards and flash drives, but no external hard drive.

     Why do I need an external hard drive when I have my own personal laptop with 640 gb storage? Well, I have my needs. :P  I am the type of person who doesn’t easily let go of memories, or in this case, files. Good memories, bad memories, insignificant memories, I don’t care, I still keep them. I am a junior student, and all my files since my freshman year, generated or not generated from my laptop, are stored in it. I have folders of my freshman, sophomore, and junior year, and subfolders for the first and second semesters for every year, and of course, another set of subfolders for every subject. Also, all videos, movies, songs, etc. that I have obtained ever since I got my laptop are stored here. I only probably delete when the file is corrupted, or when I already transferred the movies that my daddy asked me to download to his PC. Even when I don’t have any slight interest in a very old movie, or even the slightest want to listen to a song, I still do not delete those. I don’t really know. I always have a feeling that I may make use of them someday. Baka manghinayang ako eh. And that, my friends, is why I think I need an external hard drive. (I am currently accepting donations, please just comment below. Haha!)

     It really is a good thing to have an online storage (if you forget your password, then that’s a different story :P). Not only does it save space on my PC, it also makes it easier to share my files to other people! (Of course only with an active internet connection :P)

     Google Drive not only offers a default of 15 gb storage. Files in your drive can also be shared to others, by sending the files to their email, or sending a link of your drive to their email. We can also create files an share it to others, real time!

     In our IT 1 meeting last Wednesday, we were asked to make a presentation about the anime “Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)” using the Google Drive. We were grouped into 5, others with 5 members each, while we only have 4. Each group representative was asked to create a presentation file, shared with the other members of the group. Poof! It became Koko Krunch! lol. We have a shared document. It really amazed me because we can work on a single document all at once, and I can also see where my groupmates are currently working on. We can also conduct a group chat where we can converse while making our presentation. This is a very nice advancement in technology because it saved time and effort. Under normal circumstances, group meetings are held where the members of the group agreed to be at their agreed common time. After that first meeting, they still had to make a second meeting wherein they compile all their works. This tool makes everybody be flexible. Aside from having less problems in deciding when and where to meet, the group members can actually see the progress of their presentation. GOOD GOING, GOOGLE! *2 thumbs up*

Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

     Before all that Google Drive, Ma’am Marya introduced us to an anime that I later learned is new and of course was still ongoing, with only 25 episodes finished. She showed us only the first four episodes. I really didn't see the connection of IT 1 with the anime no matter how I tried, so I eventually decided to just sit there and watched. As minutes go by, I get more and more hooked. When we neared episode 4, I was silently wishing for a time extension, because I really got hooked and every episode really keeps me hanging! After the 4^th episode ended, my classmates protested and asked for more, but since we only have an hour left for our actual lesson, sad for us :( Pero feeling ko binitin lang talaga kami ni Ma'am. Asan ang hustisya?! Lol. The look on my classmates' faces were so epic. Haha.

     My seatmates, Alec and Ryan, knew about the anime beforehand. I got so curious that I bombarded them with so many questions while we were watching. Many of those questions were left unanswered, because it’s still ongoing. I only knew about the real identities (Are they purely persons or are they titans?) of some of the soldiers alongside Eren, because they are spoilers T.T Before the day ended, I secured myself with a COPY (Oh yeah! :P) of the anime’s Season 1 (Thank you Alec!). I cannot wait for the next season! Good thing there’s manga hehehe. Later, I also learned that a live action movie of Shingeki no Kyojin will be released probably this summer! Another thing to watch out for ;)

     If you’re not into weird and gory stuff, don’t watch this! But you’ll miss the awesomeness of the soldiers, the military, and the survey corps, etc. For someone like me who only watched cute anime stuff with love stories and a few adventures and a few magic stuff and eventually stopped, this made me reconsider watching anime again. I am so hooked! (This is all your fault Ma’am Marya! Now I’m so bitin huhuhu. By the way, thank you for introducing the anime! I will be so disappointed if Eren and Mikasa did not end up together lol)

Blog #5: 1+1=10? Are you kidding me?

Last time, I talked about decimal, binary, octal, and hexadecimal number systems and each of their conversions. Today, the topic is about...

BINARY ARITHMETIC

Remember the binary numbers? Binary numbers are numbers composed of 0's and 1's. For example, 100 is equal to 4, 010 is equal to 2, 111 is equal to 7, etc. (For other conversions, please refer to my previous blog entry.)

In binary arithmetic, we perform addition, subtraction, and other mathematical operations, just like a normal number. But because we are in binary, the end results must also be in binary. Is that even possible? Of course. Normally, 1+1 is equal to 2. How do we express 2 in binary?

Q = quotient; R = remainder

But we can add binary digits simpler, without converting its decimal equivalent to binary every single time. Here are the rules:

We're not done yet! In binary arithmetic, of course like in normal decimal numbers, we consider positives and negatives. We cannot simply prefix a minus sign on the binary number if it is a negative. Look at the figure below:

Positive binary numbers

In binary arithmetic, it is wrong to represent 7 as 111. Since 7 is a positive number, we affix a 0 in front. So in binary arithmetic, 7 is 0111.

Negative binary numbers

If we negate a number, for example -7, we simply do not add a 1 to make it 1111. In converting a negative number to a negative binary number, we have what we call a 1's complement and a 2's complement. We first get the 1's complement, then the 2's complement, before we say that the binary number we get is really the negative of the number.

• 1's complement

              In 1's complement, we simply take the complement or the reverse of the digits of the binary number. For example, 7, which is 0111, will become 1000 after 1's complement.

• 2's complement

              In 2's complement, we simply add 1 to the leftmost digit of the binary number we got from 1's complement. For example, the 2's complement of 7 is 1001, which resulted from 1000+1. 1001 now is -7.

Now how do we check if our conversion is correct? 

Remember how we convert binary to decimal?

The conversion of 7 after the 2's complement is 1001 = -7

Now that we are all set, we can perform addition and subtraction.

My personal reactions to this lesson

After the rules have been given to us, and I saw 1 + 1 is equal to 10, and 1 + 1 + 1 is 11, I was like

 

But then eventually I understood, and as the lesson goes I become more interested on how to apply other mathematical operations in binary numbers, like multiplication and division. I think this lesson is fun though challenging if we increase n, but it's nice to know that we are closer to understanding the basics of the computer's brain. :)

Blog #4: "Can I have your digits?"

Numeral / Number Systems

(all images are from Google Images, unless stated otherwise.)

     Well, numbers are part of our lives. Before coming up with 1, 2, 3, to infinity, our ancestors, the Romans, Egyptians, and other ancient mathematicians developed number systems that I'm sure we are familiar with, or we have encountered in school.

Roman Numerals

Egyptian Numerals

Unary Number System

     Numeral systems are notations of expressing numbers. Do you remember the methods of counting you used to do?

     I often use the unary numerals, or simply tallying. When counting in small digits, I use my fingers. When I count large digits, I group them. For example, when I count my coins from my piggybank, I group them in tens so I could easily count.

Our lesson for the week's meeting - Decimal, Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal

Decimal Number System (base 10)

     The counting we do in everyday life, though not all of us may know it, or put attention to it, or even give a thought about what it is, is called the DECIMAL NUMBER SYSTEM. The decimal number system makes use of base 10. Now what am I talking about? Base 10 means 10 digits in a place value of a position. In the first position, or in the ones place, the 10 digits are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. When you reach 9, you go back to 0 in the ones place, and then add 1 in the tens place. When you reach 9 again in the ones place, you go back to 0, then add another 1 in the tens place, making your count 20.

from http://drstienecker.com/tech-332/1-numbering-systems-and-conversions/

     Binary, octal, and hexadecimal are the number systems used by our computer. Simply put, those are the "languages" of the computer. Since we "talk" in decimal, we must know how to convert it to binary, octal, and hexadecimal so the computer will understand our command.

Binary Number System (base 2)

     We all know the famous binary digits. It is the smallest unit of data in a computer. Binary is composed of 2 digits (base 2): 0 and 1, or "on" and "off", etc.

from http://code.tutsplus.com/articles/number-systems-an-introduction-to-binary-hexadecimal-and-more--active-10848

     In converting binary to base 10 or decimal, you just need to follow the table above. You simply multiply the binary digit to its corresponding power of two value, depending on the position.

from http://drstienecker.com/tech-332/1-numbering-systems-and-conversions/

     The binary number 1101 (from the image above) yields a decimal equivalent of 13 (base 10).

Octal Number System

     Octal, or base 8, is composed of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. It is like counting like the decimal way, but instead of 9, we end at 7.

from http://drstienecker.com/tech-332/1-numbering-systems-and-conversions/

     If in binary, we follow the power of two value, in octal we follow the power of eight in converting. The number 437 base 8 is equal to 287 base 10. How did we get that? Let's start with the ones place. 7 multiplied to 8 raised to 0 = 7x1 = 7. Tens place: 3 multiplied to 8 raised to 1 = 3x8 = 24. Hundreds place: 4 multiplied to 8 raised to 2 = 4x64 = 256. Adding them all up, we get 287. Simple, right?

Hexadecimal Number System (Base 16)

     Remember the colors when viewed in html? Those have digits composed of numbers 0-9 and letters A-F.

from Wikipedia (Web Colors)

     These digits are in hexadecimal. Hexadecimal, or base 16, is composed of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F. A represents 10 in decimal, B is 11, C is 12, D is 13, E is 14, and F is 15.

from http://drstienecker.com/tech-332/1-numbering-systems-and-conversions/

     In converting hexadecimal to decimal, we follow the same pattern we use in binary and octal. The only difference is we use the power of 16 values as multiplier to the digits given.

     There are different converter apps out there in the internet, but it is still useful and liberating if we know these ourselves.

For more information, and conversion techniques (those that I did not explain further, like converting octal to binary, etc.), visit

1. http://code.tutsplus.com/articles/number-systems-an-introduction-to-binary-hexadecimal-and-more--active-10848 ; and

2. http://drstienecker.com/tech-332/1-numbering-systems-and-conversions/ .

Blog #3: Laptops, Laptops Everywhere

Computer Hardware - What are the components of a computer?

     As a student and a child born in a generation of computers and technology, we are used to seeing AND using computers and laptops and tablets, etc., everyday of our lives. But do we really understand how the computer does what it does? How it does a corresponding action to your command? Of course oftentimes we would be curious, but oftentimes it ends in curiosity, nothing more.

     When I was in elementary, I faintly remember that in our computer class, we were shown the insides of the so-called "CPU", which I learned should be actually called the case, or chassis. Since I barely remember that, I was glad I took an IT class today when my mind could properly understand and retain the information :P

     It was cool to see an actual opened chassis and see all the parts and what every part does. I now understood RAM, the intel levels (core i3, i4, i5, etc.), and other parts usually seen on specifications when buying PCs, and what kind is perfect for a person's characteristic.

Actual motherboard shown in class, featuring Ma'am Marya's hand :P

     If placed on a table, a motherboard would look like a city, with buildings and skyscrapers, and buses. At a really small size, it is so complex that we almost forget that humans built this kind of thing. Even the actual board can interconnect the parts attached to it. Amazing right?

The Art of Buying a Laptop :P

Copyright, memegenerator.net

     After our lesson about the computer hardware, we were presented a list of 18 laptops with their corresponding specifications. At first I was like, "What are we going to do with these? Are we gonna study how to buy a laptop correctly?".

     But since earlier we were taught that we should choose what we think would suit our usage most, I chose a fast laptop with good graphics with a RAM or memory of 4GB DDR3 (compared to others with 2GB DDR3 or DDR2) and a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 3MB L3 Cache (am I talking alien? LOL anyway..). Some of those laptops have an AMD processor, which according to them was good for games, while Intel is good for multitasking. I'm more of a multitasking person, and I usually have more that 5 tabs in my browser, while listening to music and playing solitaire :3 Also, I chose the laptop with the highest hard drive size which was 750 GB, compared to others with only 500. It is because I took into consideration the fact that I don't have an external hard drive to use as a back up or storage in case my laptop runs out of memory. In fact, my 640 GB laptop is almost full in less than 3 years. I'm a memory keeper type of person so I don't usually delete things.

     Of course when buying a laptop I also look for a webcam, a CD/DVD drive, USB ports, HDMI ports, bluetooth, mic, and some other usual things. And of course, as a regular person I must consider the price. When it comes to buying things with my money, I make sure that I get what I paid for. The laptop with the specs I mentioned above costs 24,999 pesos, and it basically has everything I look for in a laptop (all-in-one), even better than the laptop I have now with the same price.

     I think learning about this was a great advantage, because I can easily decide what to buy for myself, unlike before that I have to ask a salesman who doesn't even know my personality. In this way, I can also help my family in choosing the laptop that's best for them, without bothering salesmen too much.

[To Ma'am Marya: I'm really sorry that I posted this just now. I really forgot to do it over the weekend. I hope you still get to read this ;) ]

Blog #2: Second Time Around

Second meeting in IT 1, February 4, 2015

Sweeter the Second Time Around

     When I was in 2nd year high school, we used UBUNTU in our programming class. My teacher was also from UPLB. We learned about HTML, Javascript, and C++ back then. I forgot everything that I've learned then, I only remembered a little about HTML. I was lucky that I passed the course because it was really hard for me, and everything back then was like alien language to me.

     Now in IT 1, I was again introduced to UBUNTU after almost 5 years. I swear I felt sparks (kidding :P). Ma'am Marya discussed some introductions about UBUNTU. It was heart-touching to know that Mark Shuttleworth, and the people who made and developed UBUNTU, had a purpose other than developing technology. Like Nokia's "Connecting People", UBUNTU, which actually means "humanity towards others" in Africa, seeks to have a universal bond, to connect humanity. It can also bee seen in the logo the 3 people connecting hands. Can you believe that UBUNTU is free? It also is secured, because the viruses that attack Windows do not run here. Also, they release software updates every 6 months, available to all users who have UBUNTU, and does not require buying a new laptop or reformatting just to upgrade! Isn't it amazing? (okay I think I sound like I'm endorsing :P)

Corn Kernel? NOT :P

     Ma'am Marya also discussed the basics in using UBUNTU and the interfaces (GUI or Graphical User Interface, which allows us to click icons, and CLI or Command Line Interface, in which a mouse has no use, only a keyboard and the monitor). She introduced us to the terminal or shell which looks like the cmd in Windows. The terminal or shell is called kernel. Then, we were taught how to use it using CLI.

No mouse? No problem!

     Ma'am Marya gave out handouts that had the commands that we can type in the kernel. Again, it looks alien to me, although every command had descriptions. But of course, what's a better way to teach us than letting us do it on our own? We are fortunate to have a one-is-to-one computer per person. In applying the examples in the computer, while Ma'am Marya guides us one by one, I can actually see what happens. In that way, I think we learn efficiently.

     The first exercise was given after all of us learned some commands, while some commands were left undiscussed probably for a challenge. Although challenging, it was actually fun creating and renaming folders, creating text files within folders, moving folders from Documents to Desktop, finding and counting a given word from the text in the text file, and some other things we usually do using the mouse, but we learned how to do by only typing commands in the kernel. It is actually very fulfilling and I feel satisfied and happy in what we've achieved and learned for the day.

It is only our first exercise, and I don't want to generalize but I hope I would still enjoy the next ones like I enjoyed this one. I know every exercise will get more and more challenging, so I hope it also gets more and more interesting, and more and more fulfilling. I am excited (though still anxious) to face yet another meeting in IT 1. :)

Blog #1: For The First Time

First meeting in IT 1, January 28, 2015

Queasy queasy queasy

     Like any other first meeting, I was anxious. I was kinda worried to meet my teacher and my classmates, and tense because it is the start of a new semester. Of course a lot of things would run on my mind:

• I need to make a good impression, and of course be friendly to everyone.
• What would my instructor be like? I already knew that she was young, but would she be fun? Would she be strict or considerate?
• What will we do on our first meeting?
• Will the exercises be hard and challenging?
• What if I don't pick up on the lessons?

     I had countless questions running on my mind that day. I was happy because I know some of my classmates, and even have two orgmates with me. But still, I was uneasy.

Gamer girl

     Then, my teacher came and welcomed us. Her name is Ma'am Mary Grace Angelie Aguirre, Ma'am Marya for short. She told us things about herself, and I think it was cool that she knows how to play DotA and LOL, because I think those are hard :P

     It's too early to say things, but I think, from what I see, that she will be approachable and fun to be with, so I kinda expect fun classes and activities from her. Also, I think if we try, we could be friends with her and act like it outside the classroom, but of course respect must never be out of the picture.

Pinoy Henyo 2.0

     From my experience, teachers usually just introduce themselves and the subject on the first day, and dismiss us early. But Ma'am Marya introduced us a game without a specific title, but is like Pinoy Henyo. The words were put on our backs, and we must roam around the room and ask two (2) questions ONLY per classmate, for only 10 minutes! I thought it was easy, but it wasn't. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to guess, because the non-guessers will perform a talent in front. I think I only had a minute left before I guessed mine correctly. My classmates gave out context clues, "turo dito, turo doon" and pointed to a classmate that had a word related to mine (hers is SystemOne, and mine is Sir Bulacs), so I finally guessed correctly! I was actually planning to sing "I Won't Give Up", good thing I didn't. :P

Gone, gone, gone

     The game helped in eliminating worried feelings in me, because I talked to almost everyone in class, and learned to trust them for that time. This first meeting was very fun, and I am sure that I will always remember that feeling :)

Me, Myself, and I (plus other things)

WARNING: This post will be loaded with TONS of pictures, so, ENJOY! :D

Hey there and welcome to my blog!

     I'm Vivien Ysabel Cruz Cordero, and I'm a junior BS Applied Mathematics student from UP Los Banos. 

So call me maybe...

     When I was little, I call myself Vi, because I couldn't pronounce my name. While growing up, I get called by different nicknames: Vivien, Vien, Vivi, Viely, Ysabel, Ysabely; and some are for fun, like: Siopao, Pilsbury, Piglet, Taba, Chub, and it's because of my chubby cheeks :P

     My closest friends and family usually call me Viel, and oftentimes use the nicknames I mentioned earlier. Some people (those I just met, or my classmates for a subject, my teachers, etc.) call me Vivien. I think it's very formal, but as we talk more, they eventually call me Viel. I don't really mind what other people call me, whatever they choose makes me feel special to them.

Ma famille bien-aimee (My beloved family)

My parents' graduation at UST, 1987

My parents

My parents, Ernani Jose F. Cordero and Gemma C. Cordero, met in college. They were born and raised differently, but they have the same values, and both of them value education.

Christmas 2014

     I am really thankful for my parents because they are always there for me no matter what happens. Yes, they are strict parents, but they know how to have fun, and are kinda open-minded enough (:P) to understand my behavior. We may have a 30-year age gap, but they make a way to be updated to things (like internet lingo, tech stuff, etc.) because they want to be closer to me and my brother in every way possible.

I love them very very much :)

My little brother                                                   

Me and my brother, 1997

His name is Miguel Luis C. Cordero (Migo), and he is a college freshman also in UPLB (BS Agricultural Economics). We have a two-year age gap, and when he was little, I am very happy because I have a new playmate. While growing up, we usually fight and bicker, like cats and dogs. But now we almost never quarrel. We joke around the house together, laugh and do weird and "kadiri" stuff when we feel like it, and we help each other willingly, especially now that we go to the same university.

1997

Not so little anymore :P

Extended Family

With Lola Pining (my mom's mother)

With Lola Lulu, Lolo Archie, and Tita Bambi

 My grandparents are one of my most idolized people, because they raised my parents very well, and have gone through a lot to achieve where they are now. We make sure to visit our grandparents regularly, to catch up with life, and bond and enjoy life with them. :)

So I just shared some stuff about me. In my next posts, it will be mostly about my awesome adventures in Information Technology 1 :D

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed reading! :)