The second one isn't that hard once you recognise the kind of problem it is; then it's just a case of writing out a standard solution (I don't want to be more explicit in case I spoil it for someone else).
I have done a few of these puzzles; the ones I remember were for Quora and STA. Of those, this had least code and was quickest to write - it was fun to think about, but I didn't really learn much doing it.
In comparison, the Quora question involved various optimisations in C code (for speed) which was a bit of a time-waster - I think this tests a wider range of knowledge much more quickly. But my favourite was an STA question on inferring relatives from DNA which meant learning something new (high dimensional data; particularly locality sensitive hashing).
Personally I would prefer to see all the questions at the start, so I can see how interesting everything is, and how much time is involved. I don't really understand the advantage (to the people asking) of having them chained.
PS I find the spammy comments on this thread very odd. Are Hyperpublic themselves using sock puppets? That really makes you look bad.
I have done a few of these puzzles; the ones I remember were for Quora and STA. Of those, this had least code and was quickest to write - it was fun to think about, but I didn't really learn much doing it.
In comparison, the Quora question involved various optimisations in C code (for speed) which was a bit of a time-waster - I think this tests a wider range of knowledge much more quickly. But my favourite was an STA question on inferring relatives from DNA which meant learning something new (high dimensional data; particularly locality sensitive hashing).
Personally I would prefer to see all the questions at the start, so I can see how interesting everything is, and how much time is involved. I don't really understand the advantage (to the people asking) of having them chained.
PS I find the spammy comments on this thread very odd. Are Hyperpublic themselves using sock puppets? That really makes you look bad.