The quest to find the longest-running simple computer program has identified a new champion. It’s physically impossible to write out the numbers involved using standard mathematical notation.Imagine that someone gives you a list of five numbers: 1, 6, 21, 107 and — wait for it — 47,176,870. Can you guess what comes next?If you’re stumped, you’re not alone. These are the first five busy beaver numbers. They form a sequence that’s intimately tied to one of the most notoriously difficult questions in theoretical computer science. Determining the values of busy beaver numbers is a daunting challenge that has attracted a cult following among both professional and amateur mathematicians for over 60 years.Researchers identified the first four busy beaver numbers in the 1960s and 1970s. The conspicuously larger fifth number, called BB(5), was only definitively pinned down last year, by a team made up mostly of amateur mathematicians working together in an online community called the Busy Beaver Challenge.
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177 sats \ 2 replies \ @south_korea_ln 3 Sep
This reminded me of this old video from more than 10 years ago. We've come a long way since then.
The video gives a decent visual on how to understand those rules that are outlined in the quanta article. The quanta notation is a bit more intuitive.
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @0xbitcoiner OP 3 Sep
I don't have time right now, but I'll check out the video later. It looks interesting, with that retrospective. Thanks! @remindme in 6 hours
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33 sats \ 0 replies \ @south_korea_ln 3 Sep
I'm sure there are better ones. This is not the best Numberphile video I've seen.
I'll have a look at the one below myself later; it looks to have better animations. Also, 2023, so likely much more up to date.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Artilektt 21h
That was quite the rabbit hole thanks!
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Entrep 3 Sep
I'm too stump to react
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