Algorithm system

Let algorithms produce algorithms?When Lin Yuan returned to Professor Zhang’s office, the door was ajar.

He knocked on the door first. ”Teacher, I’m here.”

”Come in, cough cough~~”

After Lin Yuan pushed the door open, he saw Professor Zhang coughing violently.

”I just went and bought some anti-inflammatory and cough-suppressant spray. Teacher, would you like to try it? The pharmacist at the drug store said that to cure it completely, you need to smoke less.”

Professor Zhang then noticed the item in Lin Yuan’s hand. ”You’re not really a block of wood after all.”

”Ah?” Lin Yuan was a bit confused by this.

”I’m fine. I’ve been smoking for decades. I caught a cold from the air conditioning these past two days, which is why I’m coughing a bit when I smoke.”

Lin Yuan then realized, no wonder he hadn’t seen his mentor cough this badly before.

”Oh, I just praised you, and you...” Professor Zhang was looking behind Lin Yuan, where the office door was wide open.

Lin Yuan still looked at his mentor with a puzzled expression. ”Leaving the door open airs out the smoke, makes the air better.” His original intention was very simple: better air, less coughing for his mentor.

But this amused Professor Zhang. ”You, you...” After saying that, he personally went and closed the door.

Lin Yuan then came to his senses. It seemed that what the two of them were discussing was not for outsiders to hear.

Although his words carried a hint of complaint, Professor Zhang’s expression showed affection.

”Open your laptop and show me the algorithm.”

Lin Yuan immediately did as he was told.

”Why are you still using this old T440? Didn’t Good Group give you a new employee subsidy? I’ll ask my student there sometime.”

Lin Yuan quickly explained, ”They did, they did. This laptop still works fine, so I didn’t change it.”

Professor Zhang didn’t say anything more and put on his glasses to look at Lin Yuan’s code.

After a long while, Professor Zhang took off his glasses and massaged the sides of his nose. ”I can’t help but admit I’m getting old. These AIs, deep networks, and such, I’m a bit behind now.”

”Have you tested this set of algorithms?”

”It’s been deployed on the company’s test platform, and a simulated test was run for this small area outside the campus. The basic process has no issues, but the model parameters still need further optimization.”

”So, everything is ready, just lacking computing power?”

”That’s right.”

Professor Zhang thought for a moment again. ”Then it seems you’re not just treating this project as practice; you genuinely want to make it a serious endeavor.”

Lin Yuan nodded earnestly.

”Are you confident in the results? Have you ever considered that if optimizing these food delivery algorithms was so simple, why wouldn’t the large R&D team at Hao Tuan Company optimize them? I’m not trying to discourage you, but I hope you first recognize the reality.”

The question finally came to the unavoidable point.

If so many people at Hao Tuan Company couldn’t solve the problem, why did Lin Yuan think he could?

Although Lin Yuan believed he could handle it because he had the system, he certainly couldn’t use the system as a reason to convince others.

”Although I haven’t seen the underlying algorithm principles of Good Group regarding path and delivery issues, from the test tasks I’ve encountered, their algorithm generally follows a fixed mindset.”

”Oh? What mindset?” Professor Zhang’s interest was piqued.

”In one sentence—a nationwide chess game. Their algorithm will not truly customize for individual regions. For example, Suzhou is famously known for having no nightlife; everyone is accustomed to going home after 9 PM. But at this time, in places like Tanzhou, nightlife is just beginning.

Although their algorithm also has autonomous learning functions for different regions,

the adjustments brought about by this autonomous learning are only for the algorithm’s parameters.

In other words: their algorithms are essentially the same set. It’s like different cars built from the same basic blueprint. They might look different, but if you take them apart, they’re from the same mold.

The problem this causes is the inability to truly account for regional differences.

Even if we don’t say ’one soil, one people’ and that different regions have different living habits, let’s just talk about Zijin City right here. Zijin is divided into so many districts; the northern districts and the core districts clearly don’t have the same consumption power.”

Professor Zhang tapped the table with his finger as he listened. ”I understand what you mean. You think that for different regions, the algorithms should be customized from the underlying logic, rather than just using the same algorithm and adjusting parameters to fit different regions.”

”Yes.”

”Then have you considered the cost?” Professor Zhang patiently asked back. In his understanding, students who stay in school for a long time are naturally a bit out of touch with society. So, it’s normal for them to occasionally come up with ideas that are logically feasible but impractical in actual production. He believed Lin Yuan was currently making the mistake of not considering labor costs.

”Labor costs account for a large proportion of an IT company’s expenses.”

”I have considered it.”

”What? You’ve really considered it?” Professor Zhang, who was originally leaning back in his chair, straightened up.

”I’ve considered it. We just need to reduce labor costs.”

”But how do you reduce costs? Do you plan to create a set of algorithms for every district in Zijin City? Have you calculated the development and maintenance costs of the algorithms?”

”Then let the algorithms maintain the algorithms?”

”Wh-what? You mean, let the algorithms process the algorithms?”

”Yes. My current algorithm draft is the prototype of an algorithm producer algorithm.”

Lin Yuan’s words were somewhat convoluted.

”Algorithm producer algorithm?” Professor Zhang repeated. ”This nesting has even got an old man like me tangled up. Your idea is very unique. Whether it succeeds or not, I support you in giving it a try.”

Professor Zhang thought for a while and then asked, ”How do you make algorithms produce algorithms? The production process of algorithms must have a basis, right? Where do you extract these basis-related parameters, and how do you extract them?”

”Uh, I don’t have a definite idea for this yet. I need computing power equipment precisely to verify my hypothesis. I want to combine the concept of ’one soil, one people’ with local economic conditions and various public data.”

”I understand,” Professor Zhang tapped the table forcefully. ”You plan to let the algorithms ’read’ society and then produce algorithms suitable for various regions.”

”Exactly, as expected of a teacher. Your summary is spot on.”

”Oh~~, I thought you couldn’t flatter at all.”

”Ah?” Lin Yuan was stunned. ”I was just speaking the truth.”

”Hahaha~~~” Professor Zhang laughed heartily upon hearing this. ”You’re very good like this, keep it up. This flattery is more clever than Gu Xuan’s, it has the flavor of Li Youcai.”

”Li Youcai? Who’s that?”

”The vice dean of our department. The one who gave you a hard time on your interview day. He was my roommate back then.”

Lin Yuan could only smile awkwardly.

”Lin Yuan, to be honest, I don’t favor your idea, but I encourage young people to have such impractical ideas. So, I’ll figure out a way for the computing power equipment.”

Lin Yuan was immediately overjoyed upon hearing this. ”Thank you, Teacher.”

Lin Yuan began to fantasize. Would it be a stack of A100s, or a sack of 4090s? Or, directly H100s?

”Don’t thank me yet.” Professor Zhang smiled at Lin Yuan.

This smile made Lin Yuan’s body tremble. He instinctively sensed that this smile was not simple.

Lin Yuan suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Because, this whole ’let algorithms produce algorithms’ thing was something he had completely fabricated.