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Tuesday, 12 July 2011

The (ab)Normal distribution

I always like to start with a theory .... that's something peculiar about my configuration. Wikipedia states that, "In probability theory, the normal (or Gaussiandistribution is a continuous probability distribution that is often used as a first approximation to describe real-valued random variables that tend to cluster around a single mean value. The graph of the associated probability density function is "bell"-shaped, and is known as the Gaussian function or bell curve:[nb 1]


    f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi\sigma^2}} e^{ -\frac{(x-\mu)^2}{2\sigma^2} },
where parameter μ is the mean (location of the peak) and σ 2 is the variance (the measure of the width of the distribution). The distribution with μ = 0 and σ 2 = 1 is called the standard normal."
But that is theory. Now let us take a shift . I watched a documentary on NDTV 24X7 , where I cam across a very admirable and respectable personality Mr. P Sainath, Editor, Rural affairs , the Hindu. He mentioned about Roman History , the reign of Tacitus, and of Nero and his parties. Nero once threw a party , the biggest in the age , in Rome. 
The editor of Harpers pointed to Nero’s garden parties, the lighting for which he provided by setting aflame human beings. Tacitus despised Nero but there is no mention of Nero's guests. How could one enjoy when his fellow humans were being burnt alive to provide light. "Tumso ma Jyotirgamaya", had its meaning turned into an antonym. 

I wonder how, Nero's guests have their presence still in modern society, but after watching the documentary about the rising suicides of farmers, hearing about the rising corruption, growing violence, increasing crime rates and train accidents , I know who Nero's guests are. 


The fastest growing sector in India, is not software/IT my friend , it is the sector of inequality. The normal distribution is getting skewed at an exponentially high rate and the skewness and kurtosis is increasing every second. 

My father once said to me  that whether right or wrong, it is always better to take a step rather than standing immobile. Right or Wrong comes with experience , which I obviously lack. But deep in my heart, I felt,  that I despise the current tragic happenings , the suicides of farmers, the increasing crime rates, rising prices of household goods, the bureaucratic/corruptible norms and  the insensitivity/numbness of the "Mango"  man in the country. I just cannot take it anymore. The unrest in my conscience is making me think what can we do about it. 

History has seen many revolts in India. But they have often been so distributed. Friends let us all for once unite with the people who have the balls to take this initiative. Support them , not mock them, tell the world and this nation that we are not happy and want the system to change. Let us not be Nero's guests and change the equation of the abnormal curve. Whether we succeed or not is immaterial.  Just give it a try, take a step!!!

Jai Hind!