I built out a sequence where you take some large integer n, and a smaller positive integer x, the first number in the sequence, such that the next number in the sequence, x_1, is the remainder plus the dividend of n/x, x_2 is the remainder plus the dividend of n/x_1, and so on until you reach a cycle. The problem I'm trying to solve is given some n and some x can you give at least two solutions for x_-1 (one number previous in the sequence)?
Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
221–230 of 831 posts
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#222I’m working on a new way to talk online, with the goal of killing cancel culture, increasing understanding, and basically calming down current radicalization. Picture Reddit, but with the ability to anonymously share ideas with other people in your social circles. My theory is that most reasonable people stay off social media, so places like Twitter end up filled with unreasonable narcissists. At the same time, discu…
This is a great idea. I would love to use a service like this. One of the downsides of anonymity that many people raise (fallaciously) as an argument against it is that too many of the anonymous people are just trolls, therefore it is a negative quality. Having it be people that are known to the person brings about an assumption of character that can solve this issue, so long as the user associates with people that t…
Thank you. I think it’s a really important problem and honestly wish it was already built so I could just use it.
The Gab problem is core. Reddit bans a bunch of assholes so they go off and find alternative platforms. Free speech is great as a principle, but in practice nobody else wants to hang out with these people.
My idea is that a new model of interaction could get around the problem. I’d want this to be a link people would feel comfortable sharing to their LinkedIn network. Using the site doesn’t mean you were banned from other platforms, just that you think this way of communication is better.
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#223I am working on my own on a system that creates long lasting human relationships. It is a solution to loneliness.
I used to run match.com's research division. I left to pursue this project.
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#224I’m trying to map relational algebra onto Rust’s type system. If I’m successful, I’ll have a bunch of collection types with different performance characteristics that are all drop-in replacements for each other.
I'm in the same boat: https://github.com/Tablam/TablaM , only that also building a lang (wish to revive the spirit of the dbase/fox family langs). I have experimented with varied stuff, including columnar, so I think we can help each other!
Our two projects actually look like they have very different goals and approaches: I’m aiming for a rigorous solution for small design problems, like needing to add an index to a datastructure that wasn’t designed for one— nothing really to do with databases proper. I need the overhead for these simple cases to be low, so I’m trying to do as much as I can at compile-time inside the type system.
You’re doing everything at runtime (at least in Rust), which is a more flexible approach but can’t do things like trigger a compile error when attempting to access a field that isn’t present in a record.
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#225How do I satisfy the needs of non-technical middle managers in engineering to appear as if they understand and control their shops, while minimizing damage to those shops?
It's an impossible task. Without direct access to their brains and being able to alter those, you are at a lost cause. Middle Manager Syndrome would be great for machine learning to cure. I hope you come out with your nerves intact
Actually, what they said was:
> to appear as if they understand and control their shops [emphasis added]
Ideally, the manager would provide coordination and clerical support, and insulation from the rest of the bureaucracy (ie actually managing) without necessarily needing to understand or control the details. But if that's how they appear, upper management will classify them as overpaid secretaries, and gut their authority (and, on a selfish note, salaries). So it's important that they appear to understand and control their nominal subordinates, even if they're actually following sound advice of the form
> It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.
(It may still be a impossible task, but it's a different task from having them actually understand and control things; even technical managers rarely accomplish that.)
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#226I am trying to reinvent the web. Replacing HTML/JS/CSS with a language called ALFI. It is stupidly simple in its design but still very powerful. Similarly to HTML you use it to create widgets, place them, and define their behavior. It is humanly readable like HTML but line-based instead of markup-based. Instead of nesting it uses references. This allows it to be streamed. A big difference is that the language itself…
Fingers crossed for this! I've worked on a similar problem in the past and I dreamed about a solution like this.
I guess that alternative or even non-graphical interfaces (like CLI or voice) are possible?
If someone else is interested in a less radical version of this topic, maybe you can share some insights here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23737903
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#227I’m working on a new way to talk online, with the goal of killing cancel culture, increasing understanding, and basically calming down current radicalization. Picture Reddit, but with the ability to anonymously share ideas with other people in your social circles. My theory is that most reasonable people stay off social media, so places like Twitter end up filled with unreasonable narcissists. At the same time, discu…
You are a victim of your own bubble (as we all are). Rational discourse doesn't appeal to most people. Hence this idea won't work at scale - eg. outside said bubble.
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#228Let’s say you have multiple people who want to share their location with each other, but to different degrees of precision. Some people might be willing to share their street address, while others only want to share the city that they live in. Some only want to say “Northern New Jersey”, or “Southern France”. Some might want to just share their timezone.
How do you store this information in a database, in a geographically meaningful way? How do you represent it on a map?
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#229I am trying to build a humanoid with bunch of servos. Back in 2017, I bought 205 servos from a closeout sale. Currently, I am trying to hook them together and come up with basic APIs to control them. Next is printing a 3D model.
This sounds so interesting! Do you have a blog I could follow the project? On that same concept I was recently thinking pvc pipes might be a cheap way to build robots. It’s cheap, somewhat light, and seems strong enough for many tasks. Any thoughts on how to connect pvc pipes up to servos? Also will your robot need feet?
Thanks. I will PM you when I start writing about it.
Yes, it will have torso and limbs.
My plan is to do something similar to this. https://i.imgur.com/8QDENyu.png
Re: Ask HN: What weird or hard problems are you trying to solve?
#230Table balancing in an online poker tournament.
It’s not that simple.
Keep tables balanced, move players from high numbered tables to lowest numbered tables, try to move players to similar positions, Mark players waiting if they drop in small blind and skip the button next hand.