Problem 69 is beautiful in its simplicity. A clever bit of algebra and a homespun (or ripped off from Wikipedia) library function rip into this problem like me into a microbrew. Wait, can you rip into a beer? Problem 69 Problem 69 asks: “Find the value of n <= 1,000,000 for which n/φ(n) is a maximum.”, where [...]
Why the big jump? In truth, I just did Problem 57 for the first time (in Python anyway), and it illustrates an important concept that appears over and over in the Project Euler problems: dynamic programming. What is dynamic programming? While a complete (or even minimal) discussion of dynamic programming (which, despite the name, has [...]
The early problems are almost too easy to really write about, Problem 3 particularly so. Problem 3 states: The prime factors of 13195 are 5, 7, 13 and 29. What is the largest prime factor of the number 600851475143 ? There are a number of ways to approach this problem. You could generate primes up [...]
For any quick at-hand programming task these days, the tool I reach for the quickest is Python. I could sing the praises of this frankly often flawed and broken language for hours. I could pen sonnets to Python, or make a Showtime miniseries about it. I love Python. Python is particularly powerful in its terse, [...]
Problem 5 on Project Euler states: 2520 is the smallest number that can be divided by each of the numbers from 1 to 10 without any remainder. What is the smallest positive number that is evenly divisible by all of the numbers from 1 to 20? Lets call the number we are looking for N. Notice [...]
I have probably spent half the last 2 years of my life trying problems on Project Euler. If you are unfamiliar with Project Euler, it is a list of increasingly difficult recreational programming and math problems. You can find out more about it and sign up to play here. Spoiler warning, I’m going to be [...]