Questions tagged [computer-puzzle]
A tag for puzzles dependent upon some degree of computer literacy - for instance, requiring basic familiarity with operating system usage, encryption or programming.
348
questions
5
votes
1answer
102 views
Competitive puzzles
Do you know any sort of puzzles that can work in the context of a short competition? In other words, puzzles that have these features:
The premise should be fairly simple to follow (but the solution ...
-3
votes
0answers
128 views
guessing number game [duplicate]
Alice has a hidden integer x; Bob only knows an integer N such that 1≤x≤N and he has to find x by asking questions. In each question, Bob must choose an integer y (1≤y≤N), and Alice answers 'G', 'L' ...
2
votes
1answer
182 views
Based on 9-trains puzzle
Based on this problem, we have got some algorithms that can sort the 9 train cars in a given specific arrangement. But say if the 9 train cars are given in any-arrangement?
Say
ABC
ABC
ABC
...
3
votes
1answer
207 views
Find the equation of this surface - The Snowman
Here is a surface that resembles a snowman:
Its equation has the form $f(x,y,z)=0$: if a point $(x,y,z)$ satisfies that equations it is shaded, otherwise it is "left blank". Your goal is to find $f$.
...
4
votes
1answer
153 views
How to test a sudoku solver?
I have created a standard sudoku solver using my own algorithm. It relies on a continuous scanning with occasional tuple/pair searching. I am looking forward to test if this works properly. I have ...
15
votes
4answers
2k views
Creating the hardest 10x10 maze
You are given an empty 10x10 grid. You are allowed to paint some of its cells as walls (black), while the remaining cells stay empty (white). A robot is programmed to start in the top-left corner of ...
13
votes
2answers
460 views
One code to rule them all
Kurt, our crusty old mainframe admin, finally retired last week and I've been given the task of sorting through his files. Most of the files were comprehensible, if not understandable, like his old ~/....
46
votes
1answer
1k views
Selective attention: an unusual game
There's a park behind the local basketball courts, where I like to go for quiet time. The other day, a group of thirty people arrived with a basketball as I was sitting down. One sat next to me, ...
11
votes
2answers
391 views
Make -132,680 from these operations
Make the result $-132,680$ using these operations and numbers:
Numbers (cannot be used more than once, but not all need to be used):
$2,4,6,8,9,10,11,12,23,27$
Operations (all operations have to ...
5
votes
2answers
295 views
find the word in a multi-stage internet scavenger hunt
The answer can be anything.
For you can search a lifetime.
To discover the bookmarked answer.
You must traverse down the long long walls.
Using the number of walls of each frame.
The key hides twice ...
7
votes
1answer
275 views
New maths puzzle
The objective is to blacken certain boxes. The numbers outside represent the sum of the numbers contained in the white boxes in the corresponding rows or columns.
4
votes
1answer
126 views
Smudged Sudoku - help me solve it!
One late evening I was making my sudoku. I finally finished until water spilled all over the middle-right block.
The only thing I remember is the numbers present in the block (but not their position):...
8
votes
1answer
205 views
Puzzle of the day - Sudoku Rossini
The arrows outside the grid indicate that the nearest three digits in the corresponding direction are in ascending or descending order (the highest number is always in the direction of the arrow). All ...
3
votes
3answers
535 views
What is a Limited Word™
This is in the spirit of the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a Limited Word™.
Use the ...
4
votes
1answer
134 views
CAPTCHA Popup test
Solve the cryptic clue.
Hidden finance equals to nothing (3, abbr.)
Notice the capitalization in your answer.
Make sure your capitalization is correct.
4
votes
2answers
723 views
Computer puzzle using functions
Write the function that operates as stated below:
In: "get"
Out: "2069"
In: "more"
Out: “5191716"
In: "insight"
Out: "209912231915"
Hint: First, figure out how the function works
& then ...
27
votes
5answers
1k views
Google cannot find me
Google cannot find me,
reflected I'm lemon and lime,
googling 'me' is when you fall,
me and meme will answer all.
What am I?
Line 1 hint: Posted I still
Line 2 hint: Take my reflection
...
11
votes
1answer
677 views
What is a Royal Word™?
This puzzle is based off the What is a Word™ and What is a Phrase™ series started by JLee and their spin-off What is a Number™ series.
$
\begin{gather*}
% set Title text. (spaces around the text ARE ...
2
votes
1answer
152 views
The France Public Holiday's Distance Grid
French Public Holidays
We consider the following rules that apply to the 11 French public holidays :
New Year's Day : 1st of January
Easter Monday : Monday following Easter Sunday which is the next ...
0
votes
0answers
205 views
Reverse Engineering Computer Formula
A computer uses an unknown formula to create a 4 digit Output using specific Input. Here are 3 examples:
Input = 20066 : 020470 : 47 : 1 : 322267 Output = 0927
Input = 20066 : 020470 : 46 : 3 : 198684 ...
7
votes
1answer
177 views
Find the secret word hidden in this message
(TL;DR at the bottom)
The following message was received from a friend:
I need you right away to help me use 0x1DD1A to find out how to set up my ...
38
votes
3answers
2k views
What comes next in the sequence?
My roommate has insomnia so he was counting sheep to help him sleep.
He started with $2986$, then continued with $47786,\ 764586,$ and $12233386$.
What sequence is he following, and what was the ...
3
votes
1answer
604 views
Challenge on ASCII Codes
My friend shared a challenge puzzle with me but I don't have any idea on this? I believe that it's related to ascii characters.
8
votes
2answers
333 views
Can you open a safe with a lengthy complicated combination?
Two cousins were talking about their parents' safes. "They said I can keep my comic books in their safe, if I figure out the right combination, and enter it on the keypad correctly on my first ...
2
votes
1answer
153 views
What is a Perfect Inquirey Word™?
This is in the spirit of the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a Perfect Inquirey Word™.
...
19
votes
2answers
445 views
Reverse (Big) Boggle
This is a puzzle that I've worked on-and-off for quite a few years, but not being a competent coder, I haven't worked out a definitive solution. I suspect the 1st part is impossible but haven't proved ...
5
votes
0answers
355 views
What is a 255b Word™?
This is in the spirit of the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a 255b Word™.
Use the ...
6
votes
1answer
242 views
12 Distinct Weights' Sorting
There are 12 balls with all different weights. You want to sort these balls by weight. You have a friend who will help you with the ordering process. In each step, you give any 4 balls to your friend ...
7
votes
1answer
279 views
Heavy-duty computing challenge — maximum-density word packing
Caution: This is a challenge for computers only. Humans are advised to stand well clear of the protective safety cage. There may be CPUs on fire before it's over.
Introduction
Nothing makes a ...
3
votes
1answer
175 views
11
votes
4answers
930 views
Can multiple wall timers turn lights on or off when required?
Imagine we have some simple mechanical 24 hour wall timers like this:
There’s one restriction though, they’re badly designed so each one can only turn on once and turn off once in a 24 hour period (...
18
votes
3answers
5k views
A shy person in a queue
I'm so shy when between people.
When in a queue, I'd like to be the last.
That's the only time when I'm not shy.
When consuming food, I'd take one or two, or even four, depending on the context.
What ...
1
vote
1answer
195 views
Molly and a pseudocode
Molly was given a pseudocode by her teacher and told her you need to understand the pseudocode to answer the riddle.
Riddle:
I am _________ like universe and stars
You will find me in computer ...
5
votes
1answer
271 views
map 5 unequal ranges to id
This is actually coming from a business place, but it's all about being able to do math tricks, and that's why I'm posting here.
I want to implement the following function:
...
9
votes
1answer
380 views
“Brainf*ck, but not really.”
Yesterday, I organized a contest with various challenges the participants had to solve. I put 6 very simple puzzles that were solved almost instantly, and the deadline was supposed to be until Sunday. ...
0
votes
2answers
176 views
Hunting for treasure in 1-d grid [duplicate]
In a castle, there are N rooms in a line. Each room has a door to the
two neighbouring rooms (or the one neighbouring room, for the rooms at
either end). A treasure is hidden in one of the rooms. ...
8
votes
1answer
306 views
What is a Fade Word™?
This is in the spirit of the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.
If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a Fade Word™.
Use the ...
6
votes
5answers
481 views
What is my name? It's not “traveler”
The answer to this puzzle is my first name. What is it?
If no progress is made after a week or so, I'll slowly give hints. It's not too hard of a puzzle, so long as you take everything into account.
...
2
votes
2answers
194 views
How to find number of times sequence element $1$ is approached and from where?
Consider a sequence $1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,...,-1$. Start at the first element and move down the sequence according to the following rules:
1) If you jump from a $-1$ to another $-1$, turn the latter into ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
sorting 4 numbers using Min - Max boxes
Min-Max is a box that is capable of determining which of the two numbers is the higher (Max) and which is lower (Min).
I need to use minimum amount of boxes in order to sort 4 different numbers (any ...
0
votes
1answer
170 views
Find the 33rd two characters, and where they belong
I'm working on a puzzle. I'm about 75% of the way through solving the puzzle.
The only thing left is you hash 33 two character pairs. I have 32 two character pairs.
Possible characters are [a-z, ...
8
votes
6answers
843 views
Restoring order in a deck of playing cards (II)
Michelle has a deck of 52 playing cards in a pile with their backs facing up. She takes the first 2 cards in the pile, turns them over, and places them at the bottom of the pile. She now takes the ...
13
votes
3answers
2k views
Restoring order in a deck of playing cards (I)
Michelle has a deck of 52 playing cards, stacked in a pile with their backs facing up. She takes the first 2 cards in the pile, turns them over, and places them at the bottom of the pile. She now ...
2
votes
1answer
209 views
The “Jumbled” Cipher
The elusive "Jumbled" cipher has stumped scientists and cryptographers alike...
Not really, but it will stump you soon...
The Jumbled Cipher is a mysterious text cipher that puts text into an ...
19
votes
2answers
522 views
The Sequencer - da-da-daaa!
This is what the diagram on the machine looked like:
And this is the output that was in the box.
...
3
votes
2answers
154 views
The fantastic matrix
Here's another question that I have been asked in an interview lately.
Let $M$ be an $n × n$ matrix whose values are $”+”$ and $”-”$. M is called fantastic if it is possible to make all it's values $”...
17
votes
2answers
546 views
Maximum Height of a Hotel with Strange Elevators
I encountered this puzzle many years ago, and I think back on it often as it is unique and thought provoking. As far as I know nobody has proved the given solution as optimum, so it may still be ...
21
votes
4answers
934 views
Consecutive integers around a circle
Find a block of positive consecutive integers that can be placed around a circle in some order so that any two adjacent numbers always have a common divisor greater than 1.
2
votes
1answer
110 views
Pairwise coprime numbers in a 3 x 3 board
Find all the ways of placing all the digits 1 to 9 in the cells of a 3 x 3 board in such a manner that the seven three-digit numbers that can be read horizontally (from left to right), vertically (top ...
2
votes
0answers
150 views
A partition of 79633 into thirteen parts [duplicate]
The sum of thirteen positive integers is 79633. If placed appropriately on the vertices of this graph, two of them will be joined by an edge if and only if they have a common divisor greater than 1 (...
