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The person with the largest finite Erdös number is R. G. Kamalov [E.N.=15], and one shortest path goes like this: Erdös to NOGA ALON (1985-1997) to Vitali D. Milman (1983-1987) to A. D. Myskis (1960-1964) to A. Ja. Hohrjakov (1958) to V. M. Zubov (1968-1971) to G. A. Shinkarenko (1987-1993) to Ya. G. Savula (1977) to Ya. M. Grigorenko (1985) to V. I. Gulyaev (1991) to A. M. Aleksandrov (1972) to Boris Aleksandrovich Kats (1973) to M. Kh. Brenerman (1985) to A. R. Kessel (1994) to G. O. Berim (1980-1984) to Kamalov (1984).

(Read this message only after Yom Kipur)

Uzi V. is my brother, according to some earlier paper published in HaAyal.

Do I get Erdos Number out of that?

From information gathered from Haayal and from the internet, I thought you are Boaz Tsaban, being married to his sister Lea.

I thought you are Boaz Tsaban after one post of yours had his email address

Lea's homepage says she's "married to Boaz"

Tali vishne's homepage says she and Lea are sisters in law.

Did I get it wrong?

DECREASE YOUR ERDÖS NUMBER TO 5! Scientific researcher for hire.

What you're bidding on
You are bidding on a chance to connect yourself to the largest and most-studied social network of scientific and mathematical technical writers. Or to lower your score, if you are already in it. Or, perhaps, to lower mine – depends on your current score, doesn't it?

The seller's coauthorship route from Paul Erdös is as follows:

Paul Erdös (0)
Mark Kac (1)
Robert M. Ziff (2)
Mark E. Newman (3)

The seller is one co-author of a 1997 paper in Physics Letters A [Volume 228, Issue 3, Pages 202-204 (7 April 1997)] with Dr. Newman – and thereby has an Erdös number of 4.

The seller will make his time available to the winner – after payment is received – on a part-time basis not to exceed 40 total hours doled out at a rate of no more than 10 hours per week, distributed to their mutual convenience over the period beginning May 1 2004 and ending on July 31 2004.

During that period, the seller will provide expert technical advice on research projects in the fields of evolutionary algorithms, machine learning, agent-based modeling of complex biological and social systems, complex systems research in general, social network theory (including business and marketing applications), engineering design automation using machine learning algorithms, artificial life, and any of a number of other specialties (a more comprehensive list available on request; a complete curriculum vitae will be provided to the winner).

If you are uncertain about the feasibility or reasonableness of a particular research collaboration, contact the seller before bidding.

Such advice as can be provided within the time-frame is 100% guaranteed to exceed a level of quality which would warrant acknowledgement as "valuable discussion and advice" in a manuscript, but will also not exceed the point at which the winner(s) themselves would only warrant acknowledgement. That is, we will (if at all possible) be coauthors of a manuscript to be submitted for publication.

Unless mutually agreed after the end of the sale, collaboration will occur via email, telephone conversation (within the US), online collaboration, postal mail and other indirect modes of communication. The scope and division of writing, computer programming (if any) and research responsibilities will also be determined by mutual agreement after the sale. The project may be one the winner has already begun (or even completed), has planned but never had time for, or it can be discussed and planned after the sale is complete. Note that it will likely end up being a small project and paper (though 40 hours is a lot, it includes writing).

Needless to say, research projects in domains significantly outside the seller's field of expertise are at serious risk of failure, though the promised effort level will be provided in earnest, regardless of this risk. However, the seller is very flexible, something of an intellectual magpie and jack-of-all-trades, and learns quickly. Thus, it is feasible that any domain of science or engineering – and even the social sciences, in a pinch, insofar as complex systems research methods may be successfully applied there – are potential targets. However, the seller retains the right to refuse (and publicly ridicule) proposals for research in non-scientific fields, such as "Intelligent Design". Such kooks need not apply.

In addition it should be pointed out that the winner's new Erdös number of 5 can only be rightfully claimed upon acceptance and publication of the manuscript resulting from the collaboration! Until that time, the winner may consider discussing their Erdös number in public, insofar as it comes up in the course of conversation, as 0+5i.

But wait – there's more! Over the six-month period after the sale, the winner will also be included (at his or her discretion) as coauthor of a narrative account (including a comprehensive technical background and overview) of this auction and its results. This additional manuscript will be submitted to a journal (which may be a peer-reviewed technical journal, or a popular news-stand magazine) for publication, and will be published concurrently online in a number of venues including the seller's blog, and the winner's (if available). The effort contribution of the winning bidder in this case is expected to be at least 4 hours, distributed as convenient over the period mentioned above.

If only I had the capability to do so... My dream is to have, someday,
an Erdos number less than infinity. But I'm nowhere near good enough
in math yet to be able to write a publishable paper. My contributions
to a co-authored paper, alas, would be limited to typing and formatting
and other such mundane chores; hardly worthy of any Erdos number, much
less number 1.

"the illusion that the meaning of the word has its origin in the structure of reality itself and hence makes the truth about that structure seem directly present in the mind" (Ellis, 1989, qtd in Bunker, 1997).

"While I'm still confused and uncertain, it's on a much higher plane, d'you see, and at least I know I'm bewildered about the really fundamental and important facts of the universe." Treatle nodded. "I hadn't looked at it like that," he said, "But you're absolutely right. He's really pushed back the boundaries of ignorance."

-- Discworld scientists at work (Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites)