Notes on Algorithms · Geometry · Data Structures

Paper Cuts

A small collection of writings about the algorithms and data structures that quietly hold software up. Each piece is a deep dive — read it, then play with it.

newProbabilistic DSA

Bloom Filters

A data structure that sometimes lies — and why that's perfectly fine. From the math (FPR derivation, optimal k) to the variants (counting, scalable, cuckoo, rotating) to the production patterns. Every concept has an interactive demo.

~30 min read · 13 demos
Computational Geometry

Paper Cuts

A walk through the problem space. Why "cut a page into pieces" turns into 11 design questions about PSLG, DCEL, T-junctions, and degenerate intersections — long before you write a single line of code.

~10 min read · essay
The Playground

Cuts, the Game

Click two points on a page and a cut appears between them. Snap to edges, scatter the pieces, see the regions emerge — the geometry from the essay where you can actually feel it.

interactive · no install

The Idea

One topic at a time, taken seriously. The kind of writing that makes you understand the thing — not just recognise its name. Math derived from scratch, code under 100 lines, demos you can break in your browser.

The Method

Read the article; play with the demos as you go. Every interactive is a falsifiable claim — type something, watch the system either hold up or break. Code that ships in production lives on companion pages.

Open

Counterexamples, suggestions, and arguments all welcome. These are working notes, not finished products — corrections improve them. Reach me on Twitter — link below.