Other Activities

From SanguineV

Here are a random collection of other things I do, added when I felt like it.

ProgSoc Euler

As a way to encourage more programming at the Programmers' Society (to take it away from being the UTS Sys-admins' Society), I started ProgSoc Euler, based on Project Euler. The idea being to collectively solve a whole lot of problems... while combining my own interest in programming and maths.

Progress has been moderately successful, with a number of problems solved by members. Slowly we are building up to a decent level as a society and maybe one day will work on some of the harder ones together).

For now I am going to link to the solutions I have posted. Before you email me telling me how bad they are, please keep in mind that they have been written to encourage review and improvement, as such they are not optimal. In fact some do not even solve the problem fully (but do provide the right solution). That said, I am happy to hear feedback/critique, just keep in mind the spirit in which they are written!

Solutions

Solution number (languages/tools used)

1 (C++, Caml, Haskell, Prolog, SQL) 2 (Caml, Haskell) 3 (Haskell) 4 (Caml, Haskell) 5 (C++, Haskell) 6 (Caml, Haskell) 7 (Haskell) 8 (Caml) 9 (Caml) 10 (Haskell) 11 (Lisp/Scheme) 12 (Haskell) 13 (Lisp/Scheme) 14 (C) 15 (Python, Lisp/Scheme) 16 (Lisp/Scheme) 18 (Lisp/Scheme) 19 (Prolog) 20 (Lisp/Scheme) 21 (Haskell) 22 (Haskell) 25 (Haskell) 26 (Haskell) 28 (Haskell) 29 (Haskell) 34 (Lisp/Scheme) 35 (Haskell) 36 (C) 37 (Haskell) 38 (Pen and paper) 40 (Haskell) 41 (Haskell) 43 (Haskell) 44 (Haskell) 45 (C) 48 (Lisp/Scheme) 49 (Haskell)

52 (Haskell) 53 (Haskell) 55 (Haskell) 57 (Lisp/Scheme) 59 (C) 63 (Haskell) 67 (Lisp/Scheme) 68 (Haskell, Pen and paper) 69 (Haskell) 70 (Haskell) 71 (Haskell) 73 (Haskell) 74 (C, Haskell) 79 (Pen and paper) 81 (C) 82 (C, Python) 85 (Haskell) 87 (Haskell) 92 (Caml, Java) 97 (Lisp/Scheme) 99 (Haskell)

103 (Haskell) 105 (Haskell) 108 (Haskell) 119 (Haskell) 120 (Haskell) 121 (Haskell) 125 (Haskell) 128 (Haskell) 145 (C, Haskell) 146 (Haskell) 187 (Haskell) 197 (Haskell)

205 (Lisp/Scheme) 206 (Haskell) 234 (Haskell) 243 (Haskell)

Programming Languages

I have always had an interest in learning about different programming languages. I find it strange that so many "programmers" think there is one true language that is ideal to solve every problem. This leads to some interesting discussions, but also some odd insights into fanaticism and the painful lengths people go to to force a huge cludgy environment and language into a very simple task.

A side effect of an interest in learning about programming languages is finding comparisons to be interesting, even if not necessarily useful. (Java might be the best language for many reasons, even if C is faster, the Haskell code is easier to understand etc.) So I found this particularly interesting as a way to compare languages:

• The speed, size and dependability of programming languages

The site contains a number of disclaimers about the method used, further I would like to add that it isn't clear just how the code for each solution was developed. I comment because my own experience is that different approaches (even using the same algorithm) can have vastly different results (even in the same language).

An amusing read on the development of programming languages can be found at A Brief, Incomplete, and Mostly Wrong History of Programming Languages. Plenty of in jokes and comments on the views of programming languages amongst the community.