Nigma RF intellectual. Intelligent search engine Nigma
The Russian intelligent search engine, known as Nigma, originally had a name written in Latin, namely Nigma. After Cyrillic domains were introduced a few years ago, the search system changed its name. Now it is called Nigma.rf. However, the site is also still available at Nigma.ru.
Unlike most of the most popular search engines, such as Google, Yandex, Bing or Yahoo, Nygma is not as popular among users. However, it is truly worthy of your attention due to some unique features. Quite a bit of money, but a lot of effort, was invested in the development. The creators have firmly established Nigma's position as a Runet search engine. Currently, attempts are even being made to enter the Southeast Asian market.
What is the principle of Nygma's work?
Many people call Nigma just a specific add-on over other search engines that have their own robots that index the Network in search of sites. But, in addition to their own index database, the creators also use other people’s databases, which are freely available. Nygma's share in the total data flow is not known for certain. The system is maintained by only a few dozen people, and probably not too much money is invested in indexing the Runet.
The main idea is to sort the results into categories. This process is otherwise called clustering. Its essence is to issue, upon request, the maximum number of documents corresponding to it. At the same time, headings and snippets, that is, small descriptions, are provided along with links. In this, Nigma differs from other search engines that find a huge number of files.
Google, Yandex and others are not always able to accurately determine what exactly the user wants to see on the first pages search results. In the vast majority of cases, multitasking plays a role. Various developers decide this problem differently. As for the creators of Nygma, they offer us special filters that can highlight certain clusters. In addition, filters can also remove these clusters.
If you open the Nigma search engine, you can see the filters on the left. Select the required clusters by placing a cross or a tick in front of them. A cross excludes a parameter from the search, while a tick does the opposite. This allows you to identify what is required in half a minute, thus getting rid of the gigantic display of unnecessary sites. This is how we increase relevance to our own needs.
History of the development of the Nigma search engine
Initially, the system, which was first launched about eleven years ago, had a fairly simple interface. But it was at that moment that the time to launch Nygma on the market was lost. It was already happening then rapid development other search engines, which lasted ten years. Yandex was then actively conquering its financial niche, and Google continued to conquer the Runet itself.
But, having appeared, Nigma had a number of advantages over the same Google, which at that time did not seriously take into account the morphology of the Russian language. Thus, it was quite possible to receive your “profit” from the search engine’s database. Google quickly corrected its own shortcomings, eliminating a small competitor from its path.
Nygma developers had to create new “features” of their system. And ultimately, the main ones were the ability to use broader hints, highlighting official online resources and identifying them. It was also possible to install special settings issuance. These settings are called "Math and Chemistry". The system allows you to search separately for torrent files or music tracks.
Perhaps the ability to search for files and compositions is the most important difference from other search engines. The latter try to stay as far as possible from anything related to copyright.
Latest updates
Four years after launch, the interface changed. At the same time, it became possible to search in Nigma by books in online libraries and by images from other search engines. The fact that the development was carried out by people directly associated with the Moscow state university, became the reason for the emergence of the “Mathematics and Chemistry” tool, which greatly facilitated the study of many students and schoolchildren.
The essence of this great feature is that address bar you can specify a specific mathematical equation or expression. The same applies to chemical formulas. As a result, we receive not only an answer, but also a solution, not only in digital, but also in literal meaning. If there are problems with typing special characters, such as “x”, “y”, “logarithms” and so on, then you can simply enter a line in Russian, Nigma-mathematics will translate it into classical form.
Nygma-chemistry allows the system to be used even by those who have already forgotten what this item is. It is also possible to enter queries in text, and the system will translate. You can refer not only to sections of inorganic chemistry, but also organic.
As for the Nygma music section, here you can listen to the selected composition using the player built into the search engine, and even download it.
Index
Nigma searches both in its own index and in the indexes of Google, Yahoo, MSN, Yandex, Rambler, AltaVista, Aport.
Nigma.ru error correction system corrects gross mistakes(Yurey Lushkof), typos, offering the user a choice of not one, but several correction options. Errors related to wrong choice keyboard layout fibgrf - error, (including combinations with other errors). The dictionary of the intelligent search system has been expanded with names famous brands, which the user can type in the query line even in Russian, since Nigma automatically expands the search with an alternative spelling of the brand.
Decoding abbreviations
Nigma.ru has a service for decoding abbreviations. Abbreviations are entered into the search bar and, in parallel with the search for documents, a search for transcripts of abbreviations is carried out. Transcripts that have been confirmed in the found documents are included in the list of clusters. And those transcripts that have not been confirmed by documents fall into a special pseudo-cluster “Abbreviations”. Examples:
- IMHO, and also like this IMHO
Services and tools
Mathematical
The Nigma system allows you not only to perform the simplest arithmetic transformations, but also to solve mathematical problems of varying degrees of complexity. Nigma also recognizes more than a thousand physical and mathematical constants and units of measurement, which allows you to perform operations with many quantities (including solving equations with them) and receive an answer in the required units of measurement. In addition to equations, the system solves all problems typical for search engine calculators and currency converters. However, Nygma can count in fractions and knows commonly used synonyms for currencies. So, for example, you can calculate how much wood is in a dollar. Using the new service, users will be able to solve various mathematical problems (simplify expressions, solve linear and quadratic equations, systems of equations, equations with units of measurement, convert currencies, calculate the modulus of a number, simplify trigonometric expressions, reduce fractions and much more) by entering them directly into search string in the form of strict or non-strict (plain) text.
News
In response to a query, users will see the three most recent news stories directly on the search results page.
The developers indexed and processed data from more than 3,500 media RSS feeds and popular blogs. The site also has a form through which users themselves can add news resources to the search engine index. The news database is updated every 5 minutes. δ
Hints
Autocomplete search string
Firstly, the system offers options based on previous requests from Nigma.ru users.
Secondly, opposite the proposed autocomplete examples, the most relevant sites related to the user’s request are displayed. Now you can go to the desired site without even typing in the request to the end, but only by selecting it from the list and pressing the “right” key, or simply clicking on the link. If the desired site is in the first place in the tooltip, then you can not select it, but go to it only using the “right” key. For example, if you enter two letters: “by” and press the “right” key, the gismeteo website will open.
Thirdly, the developers have made it as easy as possible for the transition to the most popular sites among Nigma.ru users. For example, previously, to get to the Odnoklassniki website, you had to type 13 letters, press Enter, wait for the search results, and then click on the first result. Now nigma.ru users, holding down the “O” key for several seconds and then releasing it, will immediately be taken to the Odnoklassniki website. The same will happen when pressing the keys: “v” (the user will be taken to the site “in contact”), “yu” (“youtube.com”), “z” (“zaitsev.net”), etc. Moreover, the user no need to switch the language - instead of “o” you can click on “j”, and it will also be redirected to the classmates website.
Improved version
In the improved version, the search engine answers the user's questions before he completely enters his question into the search bar. The system offers filling options, taking into account the popularity of previous user requests. To the right of the option is the answer to the question. For example, if you enter a short query, the system itself will select similar query options, immediately offering an answer. For start new version automatic completion, the developers used a knowledge base consisting of 12 million questions and answers, which was compiled based on information from Wikipedia.
Tooltips
When choosing the desired option in the search hint, the user can see definitions of the concepts and words that he wants to find. The database contains 340928 definitions. Information is taken from Wikipedia. It is expected to connect other sources of information.
“We are working to ensure that the user does not need to click the “Find” button, select a site, or search for information on the site. Search system must be able to give an answer to a question even before it is completely typed."
Search by music files
Through the “Music” tab, Nygma users will be able to find and immediately listen to their favorite song right on the search results page (“Vivaldi Seasons”). Search robot Nigma.ru finds music files on the Internet and indexes the tags contained in these same files.
When a user searches in the “music” tab, Nigma finds music files, and the user receives direct links to them as results. The search engine has now indexed 1,600,000 audio files. The developers are planning to expand the base next year, 2009.
Story
- Alpha version launched on April 12, 2005
- September 26, 2005 Nigma provided
The subject of today's article will be Nigma - this is an intelligent search system that stands out among all competitors with an unusual search system that allows you to quickly find what you need and sift out the slag.
When discussing search engines in the community of webmasters and optimizers, it is customary to mention Yandex and Google, everything else remains outside the brackets, sometimes they remember mail.ru, but there is no talk of nigma.ru at all.
The question is - why? It's all about traffic. Website owners are interested in traffic from visitors, and Nigma’s share in the RuNet is negligible. Unpopular search engines are of no interest - too few people use them to spend attention and time.
Meanwhile, for simple user networks, the Nigma search engine is much more interesting than its famous competitors.
Intelligent search system
The uniqueness of Nigma.rf (or Nigma Ru) lies not in secret algorithms for ranking web pages, but in the ability to collect, sort and process information in such a way that only the necessary answers appear on the screen and the user does not have to go through site after site, bumping into different GS and non-thematic resources.
It is very convenient, easy to use, and friendly even for non-technical people.
There are special modules that are responsible for non-standard types of information, for example, searching for torrents or solving mathematical problems - I will talk about them in more detail below.
There is a logical filtering of requests, in which only the category of responses that relates to the topic is selected. For example, many phrases have double, triple or more meanings. A regular search will show everything mixed up, but Nigma will recognize your area of interest and delete it.
The search functions are significantly enhanced by the fact that Nigma takes into account search results from other search engines and can compare and combine them, which allows for better results.
Let's talk about all the functions in more detail.
Normal – Unusual search Nygma
It was mentioned above that the search results, among other things, use the data of others, which makes it better and more complete, but this is far from the most interesting element.
Search query syntax – no need to know!
Unlike other search engines, Nigma does not require knowledge of syntax search queries(all kinds of +, quotes, exclamation marks And so on). Most users don't know how to find exact phrases or exclude words using special characters, so it does not apply them when entering key queries.
Here everything is implemented more simply. We click above the search bar “Advanced Search” and in human understandable form we ask detailed conditions search.
Do you want to exclude unnecessary words– write them in the “without words” field. Let’s say when searching for information about lions, using the query “Lion”, you can exclude the word “Tolstoy” and pages about the great writer will not bother you.
Need exact phrase– there is a special field for it. Searching for a specific site is not a problem.
As a hint, here is an example of what syntax would have to be typed manually if there were no ready-made fields.
You can immediately set the search region, the search engines used, the language, the preferred sorting by date, and several more functions that pre-clarify the search results - and all this without any special knowledge.
Query filtering (clustering)
After you have received the results for your request, Nigma.ru gives you the opportunity to filter them in order to remove deliberately unnecessary trash and save the user’s precious time viewing inappropriate pages.
To do this, a list of categories that appear most frequently in the results appears to the left of the search results. Returning to the example with Leo, we see that many sites relate to astrology, but we need animals - we put crosses in front of the horoscope. Clicking the cross again sets a check mark - a required word.
In this way, from the whole variety of pages using a filter, I left only sites about lions of animals and the king of beasts.
Search tips
Unlike competitors, by entering a query in the search bar you don’t even have to go to the results, since search tips automatically provide information on the entered word from Wikipedia.
This is convenient if you come across an unfamiliar term - enter it into the search bar, hover over the hint, and read the answer. There is no need to press Enter.
Isolation of official sites
Nigma’s user-friendly search element is the highlighting of official sites, and a special icon is added to them in the search results. With it you can quickly find the right organization among mountains of network garbage. This feature helps protect the Internet from scammers, since they will not be able to pass off their website as an official one.
File search (music, books, torrent)
Searching the Internet does not always mean searching for sites with information; often users want to download something - books, music, torrent files with films or programs.
In most cases, turning to Google or Yandex for such data turns life into hell, since the search results show everything, but not the places where something can be downloaded.
The Nigma search system uses special modules for these tasks that work specifically for file searches. Music and books are placed in special tabs.
Book search initially selects sites where you can download literature. A music search provides links to ready-made tracks, which means you can listen to them directly in your browser or download them to your computer. By the way, registered users can independently add audio files to the system.
Torrent trackers are not placed in a separate tab. To search for them, Nigma.rf requires entering an additional word in the search bar - “torrent” or “torrent”. All found torrents with this name will be placed in a table indicating the number of uploading and downloading users.
Nigma - mathematics
This is the module for which Nigma is so loved by students and schoolchildren (and will be loved by those who read the article for the first time).
Nigma actually solves problems in mathematics - equations and examples of varying complexity, including logarithms and complex numbers. It’s difficult to call this function a search, since answers are not searched, but counted, but the feature is really cool and unusual.
Moreover, not only the results of the solution are displayed, but also their progress in various ways.
(Click the picture to enlarge)
Not only numeric data input, but also words are accepted for processing. You can write an equation in Russian without numbers and the system will still calculate it (even certain mistakes in words are allowed).
I hope that these opportunities will not reduce the level of education in our country and students will use it only for testing.
Nigma - chemistry
Chemistry is not a separate section, but it works by analogy with Nygma-mathematics. In the search bar, enter substances in words or letters, and the search engine will show all possible chemical reactions between them, supporting the formulas with hints and comments.
Chemistry at school was easy for me, but I know that for many classmates it was such a dark forest that Nygma-chemistry could become the only way out out of him.
Online unit and currency converter
Another feature is the ability to convert various quantities into other units. You can ask to translate the units of measurement of information, for example, by asking the question “how many MB are in 4 GB” we will get the following answer:
Currency conversion possible different countries at the current rate. The system even accepts some common names. It is enough to ask a question in human language and you will find out “how many bunnies are in 5 wooden bunnies”:
When you communicate with Nigma more closely, you begin to believe that artificial intelligence is already a reality.
Nigma for webmasters - site search
Despite the fact that the greatest interest (in this moment) the intelligent search engine provides users with benefits, but it also has benefits for webmasters.
We are talking about searching the site. If you have read my article on how to do a Yandex site search (), then you understand what I mean we're talking about. If not, then I’ll briefly explain.
We get 2 codes:
- We paste the frame code with the search results onto the created page;
- We paste the search form code into the place on the site where we want to see a line for entering queries.
What do all RuNet search services have in common? They do not allow you to filter results.
Today, even the most venerable search services do not allow you to configure the relevance of a query as flexibly as a search engine with a cute spider on its logo (the name of the family of which served as the letter identifier for the search engine).
In addition, Nygma is the only search engine that has taken the slippery slope of music search and torrents, so ardently disliked by copyright holders.
In its output you can listen and download any songs. Against the backdrop of the copyright hype, this looks at least bold. In any case, “not caught, not an artist.”
Another radical difference is the ability to solve chemical equations right in the search bar. To do this, you just need to enter an example, and the search engine will independently solve it and show the conditions and features of the chemical reaction.
Search engine features
Nigma has relatively small human resources (several dozen employees) and adequate funding. Our own index database is small, but using public databases from other services can significantly expand your search capabilities.
Moreover, each of the seven services can be disabled at any time. In this case, the results will not appear indexed by the disabled search engine.
Thus, you can use your usual search engine (Google, for example), but with a convenient system for adjusting relevance.
Issue clustering
The search engine generates from the results separate groups(clusters). In this way, information, commercial and entertainment resources are separated. The user can filter out results that he does not need.
The filter on the right side of the screen allows you to customize search results in detail, excluding marked keywords.
It is enough to put a check mark next to the necessary queries, and a cross next to the unnecessary ones and click the “Filter” button so that only the results that interest the user remain in the search results.
Smart Tips
However, interesting things begin even before the search query is completed. The search engine provides answers to some questions, such as “the capital/currency of such and such a country” before the search results, in a drop-down menu in the query line.
This allows you to receive necessary information without even visiting the pages (hence without dealing with the advertisements placed on them). Most of this information is taken from the free encyclopedia; next to each result there is a link to the source.
When you hover your cursor over the result, a small help message will appear with basic information. In most cases this will be sufficient. The advertising display is organized in the same way.
Isolation of official sites
At Google help or Yandex, sometimes it is completely impossible to detect the official website of a particular company. The search results are filled with the fruits of the labors of SEOs all over the world, but it doesn’t contain what you need. Nygma overcame this “sore” too.
In its issue official resources companies are marked with a special “thumbs up” icon.
Search engine services
In addition to interesting Internet search capabilities, Nygma has many other additional services. Search by music and torrents, computing capability in the search bar and a developed currency converter. Below you will find more details about each of the services.
Computing facilities
Among the sadly small audience of the search engine there are many schoolchildren and students. The service owes its popularity to its excellent computing capabilities.
Their presence is natural, given that the project was created by a student at Moscow State University and has the support of Stanford University. To solve an equation, just enter it into the search bar.
If necessary, the Nigma search engine will show the sequence of actions for solving a mathematical equation. In addition to linear equations, Nygma is also capable of solving systems of equations.
A full list of possibilities is available at the “List of tasks to be solved” link located under the answer.
And if writing formulas is inconvenient, you can type the example directly in text
It was Nygma mathematics. The same possibilities are available for solving physical and chemical (inorganic and organic) formulas.
Nigma chemistry search system allows you to enter formulas not only using the designations of chemical elements, but also with their names.
In this case, a converter works between systems of quantities that can be indicated in words and used in formulas.
There is also a built-in currency converter that perfectly recognizes slang names for currencies.
Credit must be given to the small group of people who are developing such useful functions resource. I would like to believe that in the future the search engine will “shoot” like its “senior colleagues” Google or Yandex.
Search form builder
Anyone can place a search form from Nigma on their website. For this purpose there is a special constructor. The whole process takes place in three simple steps. First, you will need to select a design option for the form itself and the search query button.
Then assign possible places and search types.
Click “Get code” and copy the code that appears in the form to your website. The search form is ready to use. Computational functionality is not available in it, but it is organized quite well. 
(12th of April). It is unknown whether the choice of such a date was accidental or intentional, but this once again emphasizes the scientific orientation of the search system. For reference, it is worth noting that nygma are spiders of the Dictunidae family, colored greenish, no more than three millimeters long.
System Features
The founder of the project was the former vice-president of the famous company Mail.ru Viktor Lavrenko. A Moscow State University student helped him from the very beginning in creating Nigma. Today the project employs about 15 people.
The Nigma search engine is a kind of laboratory for research. It will be useful to students and with its help they are already defending diplomas and dissertations today. At the same time, like all Internet search engines, Nigma also has a commercial component. For example, search engine results pages contain advertising from Yandex. But the creator of the project still notes that commercial gain was not the main goal of creating this system. The most important thing is efficient search necessary information based on document clustering. Search results are grouped by thematic sites. To do this, the Nigma search system combines all the results obtained from different search engines, using user queries and counters to sort them. For example, the site makes it possible to filter topics that users do not need, which greatly simplifies the search for useful information.
For whom was the Nigma search system created?
Basic user search engine are students. Among other RuNet users, the popularity of the system is at a fairly low level. Of course, the creators of Nigma are interested in promoting their search engine. For this purpose, various events have been and are being carried out. For about a year, Nigma placed its advertisements on Yandex; advertising campaigns on the radio, promotions for particularly active users.
Users can leave feedback on the system's operation or complain about search results using a special form. In addition, surveys are conducted to develop new algorithms and services, functions, including not only search. Systems, for example, correct errors in requests themselves. We can only hope that the creators of Nigma will continue to take into account user opinions in the future.
Index and document base
The Nigma search engine produces results using the database of several machines at once - Rambler, Altavista, Aport, Google, Yahoo, MSN and Yandex. In addition, our own documentary database has been created. In the search results, at the user's request, documents are generated, grouped by topic. This allows you to expand your search conditions by unchecking certain descriptions.
Programmers of the Nigma search engine are developing in an effort to move one more step in creating artificial intelligence. Their main task is to create software for solving intellectual problems. In the future, the developed technologies can be used in other areas of human activity.