Thursday, 7 August 2008
Project Euler
(No, this has nothing to do with my previous article about Euler!)
I was reading some random comments online on an article about frugal ways to have fun, when my curiosity was piqued by one fellow who said that he was learning a new programming language by working on the problems at Project Euler. I had a look at the site, and find it neat enough that I thought I should help spread the word.
Project Euler describes itself as "a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems", wherein each problem is designed to require both mathematical insight and a little computer programming. The problems are designed in such a way that "by solving one problem it will expose you to a new concept that allows you to undertake a previously inaccessible problem".
This is interesting in and of itself, but what I like best about Project Euler is that it is not just a list of problems: there is a social aspect as well. One registers for the site and it keeps track of which problems you have solved. There is also a forum thread for each problem, which is only unlocked once you solve that problem. So the site grows with your progress. There is also a high scores page where you can view your level. As in a video game, you level up as you gain experience points by solving the problems.
For all my enjoyment of and respect for mathematics, I'm actually not very good at pure maths. However in combination with a computer things get a lot easier, and the problems here are not too difficult: I was able to solve the first two in about 10 minutes. (Of course I have some advantage, being a computer programmer for a living!)
For anyone interested in a structured but fun way to get into maths or computers, I recommend giving Project Euler a look!
