What does an "Algorithm" mean? Basically just a fancy ass word to say "a logical way to solve a problem". The term is mostly used in computers.

Why have I mentioned it? Cause I am drinking. I pretty much got nothing better to do then write stupid chit now.

In your computer, you got these .zip files and such. Why are they important? You likely have no clue. Twenty years ago, I wrote a major "compression algorithm". It was called a .gva file. If you ever see it around now, you will know it was mine. Used quite awhile, but the .zip, .lhz, and many others took over.

The reason compression is needed, is to send (or store anything), it takes an enormous amount of bandwidth. Things need to be condensed. Thats until computer bandwith increases.

Let's take this on the "most simple form". What if you have a "pure black" screen. Say it was on an 8 bit system. Let's say 640 x 480 resolution (to be simple). 8 bits to a byte, so with the 256 character set. Every single pixel, could be represented as one byte. So to store this one simple screen, you would need 640 times 480 times 1. Just to store a simple black screen. At a resolution and color depth that is "Long outdated now". That would take "alone", for the one screen "307200" bytes of storage. Double that if you went to 16 bit. "614400" bytes, to store a simple black screen.

Things get far more complicated when you get into higher "screen depth", and higher resolution.

That same "Black screen" set at a resolution of "1152 x 864" (32 bit color). Would be 1152 times 864 times 4. That same black screen now is "3,981,312" bytes in storage. On DSL, that black screen alone may take a half hour to download. Consider a video game.. no way to download anything if not for compression.

Compression, requires you to have a "program" to un-compress on your end. That same "3,981,312" bytes of a total black screen, can be sent so simple. Take a dozen bytes to represent the colors across, and a dozen to represent them down. So now you condensed it, sent it faster then chit. And the processor on the other side "re-created" it. "3,981,312" bytes, suddenly became "24" bytes. So long as you have the program to "un-compress".

We're really not trying to send "black" screens though are we? This is why I kinda gave up working on "Compression Algorythms". It got a little too complicated for me. I still want to tell you how they work.

The "modern" compression Algorythms works pretty much this way. In the most simplistic form I can say.

Take a simple picture. It will scan across, and look for patterns of same color. If it finds say "5" in a row, it can condense it, represent as one. It will scan the entire picture. Up and down. Then (and these now are SUPER good), it will condense patterns, the same patterns it already has, to condense them. Always needs a program on your end to interpret.. but this is so "high tech" you wouldn't believe. So lets go beyond a simple picture. We got "video" on the internet, and such. So the "Algorythms" of compression are now spanning multiple screens (thousands), and making all as small as possible for you to download quick.

These new compression things go "up and down"... across and all over. The technology is "amazing". I'd love to get into it again.. but it's way beyond my scope now...

Was just bored.. thought I'd post this..

Gary :)