Cluster Diffusing Shuffles

Su, Kevin

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125059 Copy

Description

Title

Cluster Diffusing Shuffles

Author(s)

Su, Kevin

Issue Date

2020-05-01

Keyword(s)

music, shuffle, repeat, randomness, cogni ve bias, hyperuniformity, random matrices

Abstract

Unbiased shuffling algorithms, such as the Fisher-Yates shuffle, are o en used for shuffle play in media players. These algorithms treat all items being shuffled equally regardless of how similar the items are to each other. While this may be desirable for many applicaDons this is problemaD for shuffle play due to the clustering illusion, which is the tendency for humans to erroneously consider “streaks” or “clusters” that may arise from samplings of random distribuDon to be non-random. This thesis a empts to address this issue with a family of biased shuffling algorithms called cluster diffusing (CD) shuffles which are based on disordered hyperuniform systems such as the distribuDo of cone cells in chicken eyes, the energy levels of heavy atomic nuclei, the eigenvalue distribuDon of various types of random matrices, and many others which appear in a variety of biological, chemical, physical, and mathemaDca seDngs These systems suppress density fluctuaDon at large length scales without appearing ordered like laDes, making them ideal for shuffle play. The CDshuffles range from a random matrix based shuffle which takes O(n3) D m and O(n2) space to more efficient approximaDon which take O(n) D m and O(n) space.

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

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