2004 U.S. Puzzle Championship Winners

Fortran IV writes "The winner of the 2004 Google U.S. Puzzle Championship has been announced. Roger Barkan, last year's runner-up, scored 367 of a possible 432 points by solving 22 of 25 puzzles in just 2-1/2 hours. (It would take me an hour just to copy down all the answers.) This was previously mentioned here. The complete test is still available for the fun of it."

Comments

Google interview process?

[Grant29]

I wonder if Google takes some of the higher placed winners and offer them jobs? These contestants are probably the brainiacs Google would like to employ.

--
11 Gmail invitations availiable

Re:Google interview process?

[Rageon]

It's actually not all that uncommon for a company to do this. I've actually competed in a programming competition sponsored by Digikey (http://www.digikey.com/). When you think about it, the money they spend on crappy prizes a day of showing the geeks around is pretty smart. Basically, they bring the best students at schools from the area, and then figure out who the best amongst them are...and offer them jobs. Pretty smart idea, really.

Re:Google interview process?

[ZorbaTHut]

Probably. If you remember the Google Code Jam, I was #1 in the world before the finals (and bombed in the finals, so it goes.) There wasn't any pressure about "you should work for us", but it was quite clear that if anyone was *interested* in working for them, it was a definite possibility.

AFAIK only two people were interested - me being one of them - and we both now have jobs at Google, although I don't start for another week and a half.

I'd be surprised if this wasn't a similar deal.

/. Google?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait a minute... did we just slashdot Google?

How ironic

[Zorilla]

...a Google cache of a Google site that got slashdotted: Click Here

Server already melting

[Rupan]

I am trying to get the actual challenge file, but for the moment I have the 180k instructions pdf mirrored here:

http://www.css-auth.com/google/

If/When I get the challenge file I will put it up there.

Here's a site for all you puzzle fans...

[queenofthe1ring]

A great online puzzle site can be found here.

Warning! can be very addictive, especially since the pieces make a most satisfying click noise when you snap them together. The site logs your completion times for the puzzles and the various types of pieces, so this can help everyone practice for next years contest.

oh yeah...

[Rageon]

I'm sorry, I forgot to add this. Nothing says "Hey Ladies", quite like "I've actually competed in a programming competition..."

Re:Different/similar images note differences, etc.

[demsthenes]

So your saying if I were drunk and had crossed vision, I could easily solve the puzzles faster than any sober man. Maybe thats how he finished these puzzles in 2 1/2 hours, the answeres just jumped out.

Hmm, I know that guy....

[strook]

I was roommates with Roger at summer camp way back in the day. His girlfriend would write him encoded letters and he'd figure out how to break the code. Silly me, I thought it was a waste of time....

Re:Hmm, I know that guy....

[Kingpin]

Perhaps you can explain to us why the 3rd hit on a google search for "Roger Barkan" is a nomination for worst roommate!?