Chinese restaurants and maths

[Daan]

Just came across this Wikipedia page on a phenomenon called the Chinese restaurant process. Bewildering. Just have a look. If you can understand that, you're my hero. I've been to a lot of Chinese restaurants in my life, but not a single paragraph in that article makes any remote sort of sense to me. If you can do one better and explain to me how this works (and how it possibly could be useful!), I'll buy you a drink if we ever find ourselves in the same area...

[jbradfor]

You're not supposed to understand it. It really has nothing to do with Chinese restaurants, and it's not a phenomenon. Rather, it's a mathematical function. [in particular a discrete-time stochastic process. Does that help? ]

The article could really use some example uses, but beyond that it's acceptably written for someone with a background in discrete mathematics.

[adrianlondon]

It basically says that if you go to a Chinese restaurant with me, Daan, you have to pay.

[Daan]

for someone with a background in discrete mathematics

Nuff said, jbradfor. I wouldn't know a "discrete-time stochastic process" if I woke up next to one

And Adrian, thanks, I'll remember that next time we meet in London or in the Far East

[Moving_away]

Maybe you should first have a try at Bistromathics before getting to the chinese restaurant process?

[a_foxie_smile]

Try this one

http://andyhickl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/sigbovik2.pdf

[chrix]

The "Chines restaurant syndrome" is much easier to understand

I have experienced a strange syndrome whenever I have eaten out in a Chinese restaurant, especially one that served northern Chinese food. The syndrome, which usually begins 15 to 20 minutes after I have eaten the first dish, lasts for about two hours, without hangover effect. The most prominent symptoms are numbness at the back of the neck, gradually radiating to both arms and the back, general weakness and palpitations...

[abcdefg]

The "Chinese restaurant syndrome" is much easier to understand

Useful phrase: 不要味精 = bù yào wèijīng = (I) don't want MSG

----------------------------

I just now saw a post on another thread about using a "phrase and sentence dictionary." which renders this as 我 菜 里 不 要 味 精 = Wo3 cai4 li3 bu2 yao4 wei4jing1. A bit more "schoolish" and a bit more complete. No real harm in that, of course.

The source of the longer version was http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Chinese/search.html

Edited January 9, 2010 at 03:23 PM by abcdefg

[imron]

There are probably dozens of different variations on how to say this in Chinese (just like there would be in English). I would typically use 不要放味精。

[jbradfor]

Try this one

http://andyhickl.com/wp-content/uplo.../sigbovik2.pdf

That's pretty funny. I'm pretty sure it's a joke, but I don't know the area quite well enough to be sure....

[Guest realmayo]

It seems the MSG thing is largely a myth ... I read this article by Fuchsia Dunlop a while ago, all about MSG.

[abcdefg]

There are probably dozens of different variations on how to say this in Chinese (just like there would be in English). I would typically use 不要放味精。

When the line at the "large pot" noodle window isn't too wide and long and the shoving and pushing isn't too hard and too fast, I also guild the lilly with more elegant constructions, even up to and including such polite and precise instruction as 请不要放在味精 just for the heck of it.

As to the issue of MSG symptoms being "real" or not, I often see people in the ER here in the US who think they have them after a trip to Golden China $5.99 all-you-can-eat buffet. Since the patient is always right these days, we just confirm their self-diagnosis with great empathy and treat with gentle reassurance.

[gougou]

请不要放在味精

Without the 在, right?

[abcdefg]

Without the 在, right?

That's what happens when I try to show off in real life too. When I "draw legs on the snake" it bites me on the 屁股。

[a_foxie_smile]

abcdefg why perpetuate the myth? You know once these people get it confirmed from a medic that it will be cemented as FACT in their minds and passed on to all their friends and relatives and on online forums such as this. I spend enough time looking up research papers for people who have fallen for scaremongering on the internet

[DrWatson]

That's what happens when I try to show off in real life too. When I "draw legs on the snake" it bites me on the 屁股。

A masterful reply, if I do say so!