Simultaneously the world's most space efficient compression algorithm and the world's least time efficient decompression algorithm!
With Sorensen Compression, all files, no matter the size, can be compressed to only 24 bytes. You read that right. Only 24 bytes to compress any file! By recording minimal information about the original file, Sorensen Compression is able to save you precious storage space.
What is a file? A miserable pile of bits. That fact is the foundation of Sorensen compression. By recording how many bits the original
file contained (the file size, N), how many of those bits were set to 1, and a hash, we're able to recreate any file of any
size using only this information by walking every permutation of 1s and 0s for N bits.
Explain it like I'm 5: It's like we're mining Bitcoin, but instead of causing global warming to earn "money" we can instead recover a file...eventually!
Everyone knows that space is far more precious than time. The universe has about 1.7 × 10106 years left. As such, it seems like a fair tradeoff that all of the space and information saved during compression is offset by how much time it takes to decompress a zipped file.
If a more precise measure of how long Sorensen Compression takes is desired, the Big-O notation for the decompression
algorithm is
O( (2n)! / (n!)^2 ).
The biggest limitation is that most people don't live past the age of 90 years. So, don't compress anything larger than 17 bits and it'll be done within the next 74 years. Compress 18 bits and it'll take about 287 years. So maybe the decompression will be done in time for your great, great, grandchildren to appreciate the contents of the original file by the time they're 70. :)
Moore's Law states that the number of transistors in a CPU will double roughly every 2 years. This means that computers in the future will be more powerful and will be able to decompress Sorensen-compressed files that much quicker. That doesn't help you now, but at least you can sleep well knowing that sometime in the future, someone will eventually be able to decompress your file at a faster rate than you can. Maybe quantum computing can help save your photo album after you accidentally compressed that folder.
There's also currently no way to save the state of recovery. If you're 5 minutes shy of running this for 74 years and you lose power, whether it's rolling blackouts because the sun is going dark or your great-grandchild innocently poking the power button, you're gonna have a bad time.
You can't. I can't. Nothing short of a miracle will save this algorithm. Unless you're capable of doing literal digital magic or some sort of incantation, there's not much that will save this algorithm from being awful.
This code is so bad that has been made illegal in at least 13 countries and banned from discussion within the scientific community.
"Sorensen is as Sorensen does." - Mama
"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should." - Dr. Ian Malcom
"What is this garbage?" - @genonullfree