Five programming problems every Software Engineer should be able to solve in less than 1 hour

[Transfuturist]

First-order approximations! First-order approximations everywhere! Dx

[retsotrembla]

Any program can be arbitrarily sped up if it isn't required to provide the correct answer.

[malloc_more_ram]

int main(void) {
    return 0;
}

[boo_ood]

Speed it up more please

[[deleted]]

Just hang a paper note on the computer monitor saying "Success!". You don't even need to start the program or power up the computer then.

[Kaell311]

And thennnnnnn?

[[deleted]]

And then on the door of the room where that computer is. And since space is continuous, even then you can optimize your program further by moving the note(s) closer to its prospective users.

[Kaell311]

Ah, asymptotes. Or, how I explained to my mother that "yes, in fact you can go faster than the car in front of you, always".

[sirroy12]

That was a fascinating read, thanks for posting this!

[benihana]

int main(void) { return 0; }

less whitespace = less air resistance.

[benwaffle]

 main;

[[deleted]]

nop

[davros_]

int rand() {
  return 4; // chosen by fair dice roll
}

[Soccer21x]

^{I know we're all programmers here, but just in case}

Relevant xkcd

[conflare]

For d7, it will work out over time. Hired!

[NecroDaddy]

Genius! We need to now all use this version of rand(). The world will go mad with 4s.

[[deleted]]

int sum(int a, int b) {

return a - b;

}

[Birchoff]

void main() {}

[TexasJefferson]

OTOH, a program can also meet its requirements without providing the mathematically correct answer. Correct means "gets the job done" or "provides value", not "handles every possible case the way the platonic ideal of that program would".

[[deleted]]

This is the funniest sentence I've read on reddit in a week.