Jeff Goldsmith's Home Page, d(r)aft
Hosted by Jannersten Förlag AB. Gratefully, --Jeff Goldsmith
Back to IBPA
Below is a paragraph Jeff wrote about himself many years ago, and which defined him until the day he passed away.
|
| People are too complicated to describe in one paragraph, but I see that I don't read more than that very often, so it's necessary to try. I'm bright, romantic, and in reasonable shape (for a desk jockey). I love intellectual stimulation. I listen to other people and expect them to listen back. I went to Rensselaer and Caltech, so if you are looking for someone with mainstream views, I'm probably not him. I spend a bunch of time playing cards and games, particularly German board games; reading books; ice dancing; hosting dinner parties; and gourmet cooking. Not surprisingly, (see Caltech), I tend to be pretty good at those things, with the exception of ice dancing. Then again, the ice dance folks have very high standards, and it's easy enough to have a good time with the sport without being especially good at it. I don't watch television. I'd rather walk than drive, rather laugh than cry, and rather think than relax. I enjoy building things. Not carpentry---more abstract things like clubs, events, parties, interactive web sites, and other weird stuff. I'm a born and trained problem-solver; sometimes I find that hard to turn off. Getting me to stop thinking and just emote is pretty tough. You will find out more about me at my web site. |
able of Contents
-
What's New
-
Research
-
Figure Skating
- Bridge
- Columns
- Guest Columns
- Talks at regionals/nationals
- Typesetting
- Software
- K&R Evaluator
- Problems and Movies
- Conventions
- Miscellany
- Table Cards
- Other Sites
-
Other Games
-
Miscellany
hat's New?
Most recent update: September 23th, 2021
-
A new recipe for Ice Cream Amuse Bouchess. (9/23/21)
-
A new recipe for Pizza Shrooms. (9/23/21)
-
A Nobituary for me. (9/8/2021)
-
Omelet Tips. (8/12/21)
-
A new recipe for Roasted Pineapple. (7/24/21)
-
A new recipe for Sneaky Petes. (7/24/21)
-
A new recipe for Quesadillas. (7/24/21)
-
A new recipe for Chicken Parmesan. (7/21/21)
-
A new column. (11/10/20)
-
A new write-up of Two-Way Checkback Stayman. (updated 7/9/20)
-
A new column. (06/21/20)
-
A new column. (02/27/20)
-
A new problem set. (02/26/20)
-
A new column. (12/11/19)
-
A new column. (12/11/19)
-
A new column. (11/27/19)
-
A new problem set. (11/27/19)
-
A new column. (6/21/19)
-
A new column. (12/10/18)
-
A new problem set. (12/10/18)
-
A new problem set. (11/19/18)
-
My private score in PDF format. (8/9/18)
esearch
Papers
-
Marching Cubes in Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinates,
journal of graphics tools,
Vol. 1, No. 1, April, 1996.
-
Optimized Computer-Generated Motion
for Animation,
Masters thesis, Caltech Computer Science, 1994. (long)
-
Quintic Splines,
unpublished, 1992,
-
A Hypercube Ray Tracer,
ACM Conference on Hypercubes and Parallel Processing
Proceedings, 1988
-
Automatic Generation of Object Hierarchies for Ray Tracing,
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, May 1987.
-
Static and Dynamic Database Distribution for
Graphics Ray Tracing on the Hypercube,
Tech. Report, Caltech Concurrent Computing Project, 1986
-
A Ray Tracing System for the Hypercube,
Tech. Report, Caltech Concurrent Computing Project, 1985
-
Reparameterization of Surfaces by Lines of Curvature,
(aka. "How to do something intuitively obvious by the most
roundabout way possible.")
Tech. Report, RPI Center for Interactive Computer Graphics,
Sept. 1983
-
My resume has a bibliography
of other stuff.
LinkWinds Images
LinkWinds is a freeware Data Visualization system,
produced at JPL. These are some images generated with it.
To get a copy of LinkWinds, follow
these directions or see the Linkwinds
homepage.
igure Skating
Dance Diagrams
I built these diagrams using a computer graphics package.
They have very clean edges (unlike me!) but do not have
annotations, such as step numbers. They illustrate well
that the patterns in the USFSA rulebook were handdrawn
and seem to have some errors. To view them, one needs
a PostScript viewer, common as a helper application. If
you don't have one, try Ghostview.
Enjoy.
I rewrote all the patterns in Java. I have built a Java applet
that can read a funny diagram syntax and produce patterns. It's
still in a very preliminary form, but you can play with an empty
slate and try to create your own interactively. I haven't figured
out how to let you write your own files, yet, but that'll happen
eventually.
You will need Netscape 3.0 to run this, I believe. The
Netscape 2.0 Java interpreter doesn't do everything I expect. I think.
Oh...these do have annotations.
One last caveat: these are not exactly identical to
those in the USFSA rulebook. I tried to make these
perfectly symetrical, keep lobes perfectly tangent,
etc. That is not the case in the book. Mine probably
have some other flaws (far fewer than my real ones!)
but I hope they'll improve as time goes on.
Java
Postscript
Gif
A list of US ice dances and some info about them.
(Updated 7/9/96.)
Surprise me with a random picture.
Skating stuff on the net
Sandra Loosemore's Stuff
The USFSA
Two dances written by Peter Moormann:
ridge
Bridge Without Sam
Bridge Without Sam is a set of (hopefully mostly funny,
sometimes interesting) columns
originally written for
the Caltech student newspaper.
Some friends have contributed columns in
the same style as Bridge Without Sam. Enjoy!
Typesetting Bridge
LaTeX
I use some LaTeX macros to typeset
bridge. These were originally published a long time ago by someone
else; I've long since lost the original, sorry. This file includes
several of my own; it bears only a passing resemblance to the
original. One of the macros (dhand) was written by Bobby Bodenheimer
for me. It seems as if only one macro (crdima) is left from the
original, but it's a good one.
HTML
Articles and Hands
I recently built a set of macros
for typesetting bridge in HTML.
They are now good enough to use. The normal simple things one
tends to want to do are pretty easy. Since HTML doesn't have
a macro capability, I used the UNIX m4 macro processor. I am
now using some of the more advanced features of m4; that might
make it hard to port to a different macro processor. Probably not.
The macro code (as to be expected) is a little opaque, so I
wrote out some very brief instructions.
Looking at a finished example and resultant HTML
document is the easiest way to learn how
to use this stuff.
There is now a perl version of the macros.
It doesn't have quite the functionality of the m4 version. In particular,
it doesn't know recursion, so it will only substitute in the order I gave
it, and only to a specified depth. It's dumb about parentheses (don't
put any inside macros or it'll get things wrong, but you can escape
them: \( and \) won't confuse it) but doesn't eat the
word "shift," unlike the m4 version. It doesn't need the silly
header line, either. Try it and tell me
how it blows up. You will need perl, however, to use it. Look at the bottom
of this page for how to get a copy of perl5 for PCs. To invoke it, use
macros.pl inputfiles >newfile.html
I usually call my input files ".bml" files, for "Bridge Macro Language."
You will also need some image files I use; you can replace them with
your own by substituting the appropriate file names into the top
of the macro file.
The four suit symbols were given to me by Rod Roark; they are a
vast improvement on my last version. Thanks, Rod.
- spadesymbol
- heartsymbol
- diamondsymbol
- clubsymbol
- tablemarker
OKbridge Hand Records
I wrote a perl program to convert
OKbridge hand records into HTML. It uses the m4 macro package noted
above. To use it, you need to set things up right and then type:
okb2bml.pl inputfiles | m4 > outputfile
An example:
before and
after. I'm open to suggestions
on the best way to display the ancillary information, such as
opening lead, form of scoring, etc.
Tournament Results
Here's a perl program
for formating results of tournaments in HTML. It only
reads the format in which I get the information, but it's
not hard to tinker with it (heh, heh). Here's an example
of it in operation: before
and after.
I have a new, very expanded version of this program
that reads ACBLScore output and converts it into
formatted text files, simple HTML (with "pre" blocks)
or table-style HTML. It has an include file that
lists the author (you, not me, although I'm the
example) and links to the author's email and web pages.
As usual, it's written in perl. It tries to handle
the newest version of ACBLScore (as of 3/1/96) and
the old one, too. There are some things that'll confuse
it; please give me feedback if you find such cases.
I have tinkered slightly with the program to cover
all the cases encountered in the Philadelphia NABCs.
It seems to have done pretty well. (3/17/96)
Here is an example
input file and
the types of output it can produce:
simple HTML and
nicer HTML.
Most recently updated: 3/22/96
I also have a new perl
program that tries to convert
PageMaker output into text. PageMaker uses vertical
bar, lower case c, double quote, and control-q for
the four suit symbols. This converts them to S H D C
respectively. It tries to be reasonably intelligent
about making sure that those characters are actually
intended as suit symbols. It also tries to identify
hand diagrams, and in them, convert "10" to "T" and
remove the spaces between the cards.
Summary of Available Typesetting Programs
Private Scores
I built some bridge private scores for the Caltech Bridge
Club. They reflect my personal preferences as well as a
fair bit of input from the rest of the Club. They are designed
to fit inside a standard convention card holder.
Bridge Software
All the software here is free for personal or club use.
Please do not distribute it without headers. If you
make money from it, ask me first. No warranty express
or implied. These were built for my personal use, and
therefore are not bulletproof. They'll do something useful
without much trouble, probably.
Bridge Movies
I have created a program that allows easy building of
bridge movies. (Actually, any Web movie, but the
software caters to bridge typesetting well.) It's
free for the taking and is not very hard to use, I
think. You will need perl. It contains the following pieces:
I put all the pieces into a compressed tar file.
Version 1.06 (12/9/97): Handles "Double" in bidding and fixes
some semantics changes under Perl5.
Version 1.04 (2/11/97): improved to handle Microsoft Explorer.
Version 1.03 (1/7/97): does multiple swiss matches,
VPing, has some bug fixes, and can create leader boards.
Version 1.02 had automatic IMPing for team
matches and has a couple other small tinkers.
The manual explains how to install the software (not too hard)
and how to use the program at quite some length. If you don't
like reading manuals, read only the section on installation
(short) and look at the example. It ought to be enough information
for you to build a fairly complex movie. The example is mostly
explanation.
Thank you to the alpha testers: Brian "Binkley" Oxley,
Danil Suits, Don Kersey, and Mike Albert. They get
some of the credit; I shall take all of the blame.
Hand Evaluation
``knr'' computes Edgar Kaplan and Jeff Rubens' (K&R)
complex computer count, published in an article in
The Bridge World. It also computes HCP and Danny
Kleinman's version of the count. I have found it useful
in mediating evaluation disagreements, and for tuning
my hand evaluation skills. Input looks like:
AKq
KTxx
QT73
Q10
C source code is available.
I also have a version in perl.
You can try K&R here!
Reiterating some of Rubens' article, this evaluator is
supposed to represent Edgar Kaplan's (very fine) hand evaluation
judgment. The scale is pretty close to the standard Work count.
Kaplan feels that a 12.50-count is a mandatory opening in a major
and a 12.00-count is an optional opening in a major. 12.50 is
optional in a minor and 13.00 is mandatory.
I recapped the details of the K&R evaluation
algorithm in text.
No more
hacking through the code 
.
Mark Nau figured out what they really meant by an
ambiguous line in the article and pointed out a couple
bugs in the perl (and thus cgi) version. I've tried to
fix them. (3/1/96)
Included in the evaluator (at least the on-line version) is
Danny Kleinman's evaluation.
T-shirt Printing
``shirt'' makes postscript drawings of a fanned hand.
It doesn't do face card centers, but otherwise is
useful. It can do color separations (use the -s
option). I have used it to make artwork for silkscreened
t-shirts several times. Input format is:
S: AK2
H: QJ32
D: QJ7
C: AKT
A sample image created with it
and source code are available.
Dealing and Hand Records
I have a suite of utilities for dealing hands and
doing various useful things with the hands the
dealer makes. I'll put more here if anyone cares.
So far, I've placed the following:
All these were developed with a UNIX environment
in mind. I suspect that a PC one wouldn't be much
trouble. All caveats as expected; I'll answer questions
or help somewhat if you find this stuff useful. All that's
here is source code, so you need to know how to compile C
programs, and you need a compiler. That's easy with UNIX.
Bridge Problems and Polls
Bridge Movies
Bridge movies are interactive problem sets.
Good news for Microsoft Explorer
users (unlucky you!): I think I've fixed the movies so that
they work with MSE. Please tell me if they don't.
Technical note: The San Diego movie and North American
Swiss movie might each take well over an hour to play.
You can stop in the middle and bookmark your position.
When you come back, all will be as you left.
Movies I Built
-
San Diego Bridge Movie
(Our results...spoilers!)
-
OK KO IMP Bridge Movie
-
North American Swiss Bridge Movie
(Our results...spoilers!)
Movies Others Have Built
-
Roberto Scaramuzzi's
Swiss Match
-
Curt Hastings'
Blue Ribbon Pairs movie
Regular problems and polls
-
Weird Science
-
Voidwood
-
Overcall Structure Followups
-
Relay Major Suit Raises
-
Roberto's variation to above
-
An Ogust Variation
-
A lebensohl idea
-
A defense to multi
-
Ed Davis' 10-12 NTs
-
Twisted SWINE (runouts after 1NT-(Dbl))
-
Two-Way Checkback Stayman
-
Woolsey defense to 1NT openings
-
Lipshitz 2/Bart
-
Nagy Game Tries
-
Kokish's Rebids after
1-2
-
Discussion of Major Suit Raises
-
Mohan defense to Weak NTs
-
Drury Doubles
-
Double Negatives in Competition
-
Cooperative Runouts after 1NT is Doubled
-
Power Doubles
-
1NT Overcalls for Takeout
-
Fout's notes on the Overcall Structure
-
Roman Jump Overcalls
-
Kantar-Kleinman Slam Force
-
Grant's Hack
-
2NT-3
General Weirdness
-
Jeff's Imperious Rules of Bridge
-
A short glossary of bridge terms
-
Yarborough Fair?
-
The Chicago Convention
-
Overberries vs. Ruff Diamonds
(in text)
-
Table of Suit Breaks
-
Report from OKBridge C&E Commitee (ki case)
-
A study of IMP matches
-
Some strange individual movements and a scoring program.
-
An improved movement for 3-table
pair games. (Stolen from the Orange Book.)
-
A letter (excerpted in the Bridge World) on
the Definition of Logical Alternative.
-
Some photos from the Reno Regional '97.
-
Some photos from Bridge Week '02.
Other Bridge Sites
-
The WBF home page.
They have fixed the biggest flaws
and now the site is pretty good. Congrats, guys.
It's even reasonably fast, now.
-
The ACBL home page.
-
The Bridge World magazine.
-
The Bridge Base page (Fred Gitelman)
-
Richard Pavlicek's home page
-
A bunch of super columns
by Grant Baze.
-
The GIB project.
(Matt Ginsberg)
-
David Stevenson's
bridge pages.
David is in charge of training directors in Britain.
His pages include a very helpful synopsis of the
changes
between the 1987 and 1997 Laws (effective in ACBL events May 26, 1997).
-
Jude Goodwin-Hanson gave me such a nice review at
Great Bridge Links...
Someone ought to ask her to put
``Table Talk'' up on the net.
-
Colin Ward's
Punkydoodles Corners,
the hilarious exploits
of some bridge monsters, the "Fearsome Foursome."
It's not for everyone, but I think it's great.
This list is by no means complete, nor do I intend it to be.
These are just some of the places I go once in awhile or,
perhaps, more often than that. Many others have compiled
large bridge lists, so I don't feel any need to do so.
Inclusion here isn't even indication that I think these pages
are better than ones that are not here, but one can infer from
the fact that I visit them that I like them
Oddly, that might not be completely accurate.
iscellany
Jeff Goldsmith,
September 23, 2021
ther Games 
