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Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#191

Post by copperx »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #113
nscalf wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would 100% talk about this in interviews depending on the interviewer. I can think of a couple interviews I had in SF that would probably be appreciative of this level of effort because you principally reject memorization.

Admitting to significant academic fraud during a job interview is a very, very bad idea. Furthermore, I would question the ethics and morality of any company that said "Wow, you solved an incredibly tough problem in order to commit fraud. Boy, are we the place for you!"

> Admitting to significant academic fraud during a job interview is a very, very bad idea.

Sure, it's a no go if you're looking for a job at an academic institution, and a big company will reject you because fraud of any kind is a huge HR liability, but I bet nose people would be impressed.

It might be well received at a startup, though. As long as you recognize your action was highly unethical.

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#192

Post by sizzle »

yholio wrote: post #90

I somehow decided I needed to cheat to pass a certain exam because I was basically crap at memorizing stuff. So I used an analogue wireless headphone, an induction loop around my neck and a mobile phone. Since I lacked an accomplice to dictate, I read aloud the hundreds of pages and recorded myself, careful to preserve and properly serialize things like complex formulas. This was before the era of iPods and SDCard pl…

This is one of the most interesting comments I've read in a while, thanks for sharing!

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#193

Post by austincheney »

bordercases wrote: post #162
austincheney wrote: post #133

A simplified universal parsing format (AST) that equally describes all languages. It needs to allow seamless switching between different languages in the same file and also allow recursively nesting of different languages within each other without resulting in a deviating from the simplified parse format. The solution is written and it appears correct and viable. As in all things related to parsers the devil's in the…

That sounds unbelievably useful, is it open source?

Yes.

https://github.com/unibeautify/parse-framework

The demo is at http://prettydiff.com/parse-framework/runtimes/browsertest.x...

The backstory is at https://github.com/Unibeautify/parse-framework/issues/54

Please keep in mind this is a single person's pet project, so it doesn't cure world hunger or eliminate all disease just yet. Drop in some JSX or HTML with embedded JavaScript to see it go.

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#194

Post by copperx »

jv22222 wrote: post #104
yholio wrote: post #90

I somehow decided I needed to cheat to pass a certain exam because I was basically crap at memorizing stuff. So I used an analogue wireless headphone, an induction loop around my neck and a mobile phone. Since I lacked an accomplice to dictate, I read aloud the hundreds of pages and recorded myself, careful to preserve and properly serialize things like complex formulas. This was before the era of iPods and SDCard pl…

A scriptwriter could make a movie out of that!

To work as a (commercial) movie, the stakes would have to be phenomenally high. I can't imagine the scene without the viewers saying "he did all that ... just to pass a test he objected to?".

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#195

Post by kenneth »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #113
nscalf wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would 100% talk about this in interviews depending on the interviewer. I can think of a couple interviews I had in SF that would probably be appreciative of this level of effort because you principally reject memorization.

Admitting to significant academic fraud during a job interview is a very, very bad idea. Furthermore, I would question the ethics and morality of any company that said "Wow, you solved an incredibly tough problem in order to commit fraud. Boy, are we the place for you!"

Would be a fantastic answer to the YC interview question on how you've handed a system, though

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#196

Post by jackconnor »

yholio wrote: post #90

I somehow decided I needed to cheat to pass a certain exam because I was basically crap at memorizing stuff. So I used an analogue wireless headphone, an induction loop around my neck and a mobile phone. Since I lacked an accomplice to dictate, I read aloud the hundreds of pages and recorded myself, careful to preserve and properly serialize things like complex formulas. This was before the era of iPods and SDCard pl…

This is incredible, but seems more time consuming than studying. Cheers to you!

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#197

Post by herodotus »

When I was a CS prof, many, many years ago, our undergraduate lab had Macs with floppy disks. I asked the University to pay for installing 10MB Hard Drives in the Macs. I was asked to present my case to the deans council. At the meeting, I said that the students used the floppy to load their development environment. I said that, with a hard drive, it took 10 secs to load and be ready. With the floppy, I said it took 30 seconds. Then I said, "That does not sound like much difference, but this is 10 seconds ...." I paused and looked at my watch for 10 seconds. Then I said "And this is 30 seconds" - again I looked at my watch. At the 20 second mark, the VP Academic (chair of the meeting) said "You have your money".

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#199

Post by zzo38computer »

yholio wrote: post #90

I somehow decided I needed to cheat to pass a certain exam because I was basically crap at memorizing stuff. So I used an analogue wireless headphone, an induction loop around my neck and a mobile phone. Since I lacked an accomplice to dictate, I read aloud the hundreds of pages and recorded myself, careful to preserve and properly serialize things like complex formulas. This was before the era of iPods and SDCard pl…

If it is exam about computer programming, then I might say, that is very good and I will not disqualify you for cheating in that way that you have managed that (although still the answers must be given correctly, like any exam).

Re: Ask HN: What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

#200

Post by ttoinou »

scottshapiro wrote: post #161
yholio wrote: post #90

I somehow decided I needed to cheat to pass a certain exam because I was basically crap at memorizing stuff. So I used an analogue wireless headphone, an induction loop around my neck and a mobile phone. Since I lacked an accomplice to dictate, I read aloud the hundreds of pages and recorded myself, careful to preserve and properly serialize things like complex formulas. This was before the era of iPods and SDCard pl…

How did the teacher not notice the headphones and question you about it during the exams?

Personally for theses kind of things I used to use one earphone in my left hand, wearing a long sleeve shirt and laying my head over my left hand, covering the whole operation :)
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