Why Data Structures

Om Sai Ram

As a student, programmer, and teacher of computer engineering, I find the ‘Data Structures’ a core course of computer engineering and particularly central to programming process. In fact in our day-to-day life, we are confronted with situations such as where would I keep the following items?

• A bunch of keys
• A pen
• Coins
• Two thousand rupees
• A chalk
• Five hundred thousand rupees

I would keep the bunch of keys and coins in the left and right pockets of my pants, respectively. The pen gets clipped to the front pocket of the shirt whereas two thousand rupees would go into my ticket pocket. I would definitely put the five hundred thousand rupees into a safe, i.e., under the lock and key. While teaching, I will keep the chalk in hand. The decision of choosing the places for these items is based on two factors: ‘ease of accessibility’ and ‘security’.

Similarly, given a problem situation, a mature programmer chooses the most appropriate data structures to organize and store data associated with the problem. Reason being that the intelligent choice of data structures shall decide the fate of the software in terms of effectiveness, speed and efficiency—the three most important much needed features for the success of a commercial venture.

Thought to ponder...

First you are in the light, then the light is in you, and then you and the light are one.

Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai baba

The Book

Om Sai Ram
I was writing a book on Data Structures. The title is:

Data Structures using 'C'. It is published from Pearsons


A. K. Sharma

Thought to ponder:

When the veil of mind dissolves, your true self becomes aware of itself. Then you are immersed in the unity of all existence and enjoy the bliss which is your true nature !!

Baba

Keeping busy

Keeping busy is a blessing from God. A busy person is tension free because he or she remains aloof and unaffected from the happenings that take place around him or her.

When we see, hear, or assimilate something, only then a thought about that happening takes place. Baba says that the thought becomes the germinating point which may lead to a desire. The mind is nothing but set of desires. The more the desires, more the tension.

The busy person is blessed because he is engrossed in his own set of thoughts related to current work at hand. He is concerned about the design , progress, and completion of the work at hand.

Nowadays I am writing a book on Data Structures which is near completion. This assignment has kept me busy for the last 4/5 months. I have missed every night the program of national debates by Arnab Goswami on Times Now aired at 9.00 P.M. I love this program and miss it every night after dinner . But then I am more relaxed though comparatively less informed. This program brings the most important, glaring, amazing, and sometimes disturbing incidents and issues for national debates. Most of them are necessary and need of the hour to be placed before the general people to know and ponder about. Sometimes I find the programs to be a media trial leading to creating a consensus among the masses rather initiation of a movement that might go out of hand especially the issues which are religious or ethnic.

Information Technolgy : The Chinese Food

Om Sai ram,

The term Information technology has become a Chinese food in the sense that every body gives his own version/interpretation of this term. Last week, I gave an invited talk on Hidden web at a conference. A dignitary who spoke earlier then me, said that " Information Technology is hardware" whereas the general perception, though naive, in the minds of the people is just reverse i.e. Computer Engg. deals with hardware and the Information Technology deals with software. Surprisingly, the curriculum for both CE and IT is almost 95% same in the Engg. colleges indicating as if there is no difference between the two.

Today's writing is prompted by the above confusion. Let us remove the haze and see clearly that :
The computer Engg is - the study of designing, developing, and building of computer systems. Where the computer system comprises of both hardware and software.

The Information technology, on the other hand, is an umbrella term, larger than the computers. In fact IT comprises of the following:

1. Computers
2. Communication networks
3. Know-how to solve the problems.

The computers generate, store, interpret the information. Communication Technologies transport the information. And the designer uses his know- how, computers and communication technologies to solve a given problem

A. K. Sharma

Thought to ponder...

A ladder has to be at least as tall as the height you want to reach; your sadhana has to be as long as the time taken to reach the goal.

Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba

The software layer around the machine

Om Sai Ram

We know that a Computer system is an extremely popular system and very easy to use device. The reason behind this user friendly computing device is that around the basic hardware machine, a layer of software is added that removes the user away from the actual machine. The user interacts with the virtual machine offered by the software.

The software can be comfortably divided into two types: Application Software and the system software.

Application Software : it is the third party software brought by the user and loaded on the system for his own personal/ professional needs. Examples: Autocad, a DBMS package (Oracle etc), Kundli package for casting horoscopes, Maya for multimedia.

System software: it is the software that occupies a place between the application software and the machine. In fact, the System software provides services to the application program on one side and harnesses the powers of the machine on the other. Examples: Operating system, Compilers, Assemblers, linkers, loaders, emulators etc.

The system software that provides services to a user, are called Utility software. Examples: Virus scanners, disk defragmenters, disk managers etc.

A. K. Sharma


Thought to ponder...

Love is the most important; there is nothing beyond Love. Be happy; serve and worship God, then you will gain Eternal Bliss... Smile, because Baba likes to see smiling faces.

(Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba)

The Bhranti

OM Sai ram
In my previous post, I talked about Deha Bharanti (देहा भरांति), the body identification with the self. I have personally experienced this delusion and suffered. It is easier said than to practice i.e. to witness yourself as separate from the body.

I know that I am not the body. However, whatever that happens to the body does not remain limited to the body but is also felt by me. This feeling consequently attaches me to the body and hence the delusion, the Bhranti.

I do not know as to when and how the body becomes transparent and the ego takes over. The fame/shame thrown at this body called Ashok, is taken by me and accordingly I react in terms of joy and sorrow.

May be the answer lies in global identification i.e. to consider the thrower of shame /fame at you as your own- part of the same global Brahmin, to which you also belong. This global identification shall bring the feeling of love towards all and may not leave room for feeling of separateness. I am trying this but this task is even more difficult.

As ever, Baba will help me.

A. K. Sharma

निश्चय प्रेम प्रतीति ते
विनय करे सन्मान
तेही के कारज सकल सुभ
सिध्ह करें हनुमान

Thought to Ponder

Help Ever, Hurt Never
Love All

(Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba)

This unreal world

Om Sai Ram


We perceive the world around us through our senses. The senses are capable of identifying objects around us. If a sense organ is faulty or weak then accordingly the world perceived through such a sense organ would definitely be different. For instance if a person is deaf then there is no music in this world for him. Similarly, for a person who can't see green colour, all trees would be colourless. On the contrary, with a strong sixth sense, one can see the spirits, ghosts and similar objects dangling in the surrounding space.

I find that the world is not absolute rather it is unreal. (मिथ्या)

Baba says that it is because of delusion of "Body identification with the self". (देहा भ्रांती ) This delusion is the basic cause of the serpent called ego। It is this serpent that surfaces time and again to delude you to believe the material objects around you to be real. The shame and fame inflicted upon your body is taken by this serpent to your inner self and brings about momentary grief or joy.

Whereas the body is only a vehicle to take you across this sea of life. Therefore baba gave the following simple advice:

मानस भज रे गुरु चरणं. दुस्तर भव सागर तरणं

Thought to ponder….

Whoever the individual, however scholarly, he cannot escape delusion and so he is subject to grief, which acts upon as a break upon activity. Arjuna, the great hero, capable of great renunciation and great wisdom, is deluded by the awful needs of war, and his grief handicaps his activity too. He confuses the body and the self; he starts identifying the two. He imposes on the real self (the Atma - ever untouched by the characteristics of the moving, changing world) the unreal and ephemeral nature of the world and takes this delusion to be true. This is the tragedy not only of Arjuna alone but of all humanity.

(Bhagwan Sri Sataya Sai Baba)