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Halfway through a timed midterm (no computers or calculators):

Convert this 5-digit decimal number to binary
Convert this 10-digit decimal number to binary
Convert this 20-digit decimal number to binary
Convert this even longer decimal number to binary

Comments
  • 9
    To be a good developer you should think like a computer.... OBVIOUSLY
  • 2
    Write an algorithm to solve it and claim to have solved the general problem. Depending on the prof it might work.
  • 1
    @Godisalie
    I really don't think thats the purpose of the exercise. You don't write the math formula for partial integrals and then claim to have solved every general partial integral.
  • 1
    @ninjaintrouble Yeah, but the purpose of the exercise is stupid. ^^
  • 0
    Ew. That's awful.
  • 2
    @Mitiko be the computer*
  • 1
    Well... Tell them to convert .10 to binary
  • 2
    @mvalentin
    I went in to programming so I would never have to do anything I could make a computer do for me
  • 0
    It is not that hard ... Tz, kids these days
  • 0
    @mrmarbury I'm an embedded software guy and I eat, sleep, and dream in binary and hexadecimal. It's not a matter if difficulty, it's a matter of pointlessness. Goof up one digit during the conversion and the rest will be garbage.

    It's like being asked to do large number modular arithmetic (hundreds of digits) in a cryptography class. Just because it's something that can be asked doesn't mean it should be.
  • 0
    @capnsoup yeah I know that it's pointless. I had this in class back then as well. But I mean most if the stuff you learn is so pointless it makes your head spin. But if it is easy stuff like this I always preferred it over the complicated pointless stuff ... "Low hanging fruit" 😉 Kind of meditative for me. 😁 Like this thing where we had to develop network protocols with stochastics. Pretty easy once you get it but for a 5 node network you easily fill 2 sheets of paper front to back. And one mistake anywhere and you can start over. Advice to the OP: See it as a meditation practice. 😉
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