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Google's Math Puzzle

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the weeding-out-us-regular-folk dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Commuters in Cambridge, Mass., are scratching their heads over signs challenging passers-by to solve a complicated math problem. The mysterious banners are actually a job-recruiting pitch from Google."

4 of 564 comments (clear)

  1. I'm a Cheater by Smuj · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm lazy, so I just Googled the answer.

  2. Spoiler......... by orion41us · · Score: 5, Informative

    Answer to 2nd puzzle is @ http://www.mkaz.com/math/google/.......

  3. Re:not that complicated by meringuoid · · Score: 5, Informative
    Interestingly, that's not cheating. That's exactly what Google are probably looking for. You didn't go charging through millions of digits of 'e' to find the answer; instead, you went looking for any long numerical URLs registered by Google.

    That's a much more efficient search strategy. Just what they're after, methinks.

    --
    Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  4. One-liner Mathematica solution to billboard puzzle by coult · · Score: 5, Informative

    I wrote this in a few minutes in Mathematica, and found the answer to the first puzzle. The second puzzle was annoying so I just searched google for it instead.

    en = N[\[ExponentialE], 1000]; Table[x = (Floor[en*(10^k)*10^10] - Floor[en*(
    10^k)]*10^10); If[PrimeQ[x], {k, x}, {k, 0}], {k, 0, 100}]

    --

    All is Number -Pythagoras.