◇ф(3ψ2)=666
February 19, 2019 7:37 PM Subscribe
The Devil's Calculator: A Math Game “In the The Devil's Calculator, all normal arithmetic operators (addition, multipication, etc...) are replaced by a strange diamond symbol, "◇". This represents an evil mathematical operation, a function that does something unknown to its input, and it becomes more difficult and obscure each level. You objective is, through interpolation, to uncover the "◇" function and then work backwards to use it in calculating 666. Once the number 666 has been calculated using the ◇ key, the level is won.” [YouTube][Trailer] [via: Rock Papers Shotgun]
The first thing that came to mind when I saw the name of this, as irrelevant as it may be, was something a programmer in a Discord chat mentioned a few months ago. He had a dream, and in his dream, he had invented a new sorting algorithm that he named "devilsort," and the example he gave of what it looked like was
He has yet to find a real-world application for this sorting algorithm.
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:33 PM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
1From least to most, but sub-sorted within number of digits, and also sorted by leading digit.
12
17
133
156
1234
1567
2
25
27
244
256
2345
3
35
…
He has yet to find a real-world application for this sorting algorithm.
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:33 PM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
I'm really enjoying this, thank you! I'll probably end up getting the full version, which apparently has an "MMO postgame." ????
...？？？？？？？？？？？？
posted by valrus at 8:48 PM on February 19, 2019
...？？？？？？？？？？？？
posted by valrus at 8:48 PM on February 19, 2019
I think that's a jokey reference to the function editor, er, function.
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:50 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:50 PM on February 19, 2019
Playing the Android version now. It's pretty engaging. I've managed to cover this spare piece of paper next to me with sequences of numbers and symbols. If I die suddenly, don't get all excited like I was working on something important.
posted by Avelwood at 9:09 PM on February 19, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by Avelwood at 9:09 PM on February 19, 2019 [16 favorites]
a new sorting algorithm that he named "devilsort," and the example he gave of what it looked like was
[...]
From least to most, but sub-sorted within number of digits, and also sorted by leading digit.
This is basically how sorting by alphabetical order works under the hood, isn't it? Certainly a lot of naive alphabetical sort systems order numbers like this (earlier versions of windows, for example - newer releases are more intelligent about sorting numbers).
posted by Dysk at 9:51 PM on February 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
[...]
From least to most, but sub-sorted within number of digits, and also sorted by leading digit.
This is basically how sorting by alphabetical order works under the hood, isn't it? Certainly a lot of naive alphabetical sort systems order numbers like this (earlier versions of windows, for example - newer releases are more intelligent about sorting numbers).
posted by Dysk at 9:51 PM on February 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
sweet jeepers you're right
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:28 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:28 PM on February 19, 2019
Wait, no, because 180 comes before 1120.
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:33 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by DoctorFedora at 10:33 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
You're right! My bad. Maybe it is the sort with no applications! /derail
posted by Dysk at 10:36 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Dysk at 10:36 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Immediately after looking at this I found the bi-yearly impulse to retake the Idiot World's Math Geek Test[1] only to find that it seems to be down for good. This game perfectly scratches that itch and then some, so if you're the kind of people that liked to crack these kinds of puzzles, this seems right up your alley.
BTW I never got beyond 14 in that old test and now I feel like I can never legitimately earn those cookie points now.
[1]: Although the latest snapshot at the Internet Archive seems to be working, so you can play it there if you want to.
posted by andycyca at 10:40 PM on February 19, 2019
BTW I never got beyond 14 in that old test and now I feel like I can never legitimately earn those cookie points now.
[1]: Although the latest snapshot at the Internet Archive seems to be working, so you can play it there if you want to.
posted by andycyca at 10:40 PM on February 19, 2019
> re:my last comment: Playing the full version on Steam. Level 10 is not the most difficult operation, but I let out an audible «Oh, come ON!» once I figured it out. I believe this level is a good indicator on how well you know your way around "common" operations.
posted by andycyca at 11:33 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by andycyca at 11:33 PM on February 19, 2019
devilsort
It's length sort, with lexicographic sort used as a tiebreaker.
posted by axiom at 11:36 PM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
It's length sort, with lexicographic sort used as a tiebreaker.
posted by axiom at 11:36 PM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
The game looks interesting -- thanks.
Maybe it is the sort with no applications! /derail
I imagine it might be useful if you needed all the numbers grouped under a specific number. Like, visually speaking. At a glance, like. Sometimes one just thinks: 'I'm looking for a number that starts with 2,' and that makes it easy to see all the numbers that start with 2, regardless of how long the number is.
Like if you were trying to make sure all the figures for some text you were working on were correct, or if you needed to generate an index for a book, or... I'm reaching, aren't I? /end unnecessary input
posted by redrawturtle at 11:40 PM on February 19, 2019
Maybe it is the sort with no applications! /derail
I imagine it might be useful if you needed all the numbers grouped under a specific number. Like, visually speaking. At a glance, like. Sometimes one just thinks: 'I'm looking for a number that starts with 2,' and that makes it easy to see all the numbers that start with 2, regardless of how long the number is.
Like if you were trying to make sure all the figures for some text you were working on were correct, or if you needed to generate an index for a book, or... I'm reaching, aren't I? /end unnecessary input
posted by redrawturtle at 11:40 PM on February 19, 2019
Actually, first digit sort, then length, then lexicographic
posted by axiom at 11:57 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by axiom at 11:57 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
I enjoyed the tutorial levels, so I bought the full version. I'm on level 67 now, but I feel like this game has already run out of steam. The operations usually aren't very interesting, and several of them get repeated over multiple levels. Occasionally you get an exotic function like square root or logarithm, but these actually tend to be the most boring operations; since it's clearly infeasible to do anything creative with them, they're only useful for constructing a small integer, like 2 or 3, that you plug into some other expression. This pattern of using operations for trivial tasks just because you're required to use them all comes up again and again, and it cheapens the satisfaction of solving the puzzle.
A few other complaints: there's one level where the "C" button is blocked by fire. You're not actually prevented from clearing the screen, since you can just hold the button down to clear all your scratch work, but it's annoying for no good reason. Also, I hate hate hate the snarky "hurry up" messages that appear when you're idle for 15 seconds. It's a goddamn puzzle game; I'm playing it because I want to sit down and think about a problem and feel good about myself when I come up with the solution, and getting constantly interrupted by stupid insulting text is completely antithetical to that.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 2:58 AM on February 20, 2019
A few other complaints: there's one level where the "C" button is blocked by fire. You're not actually prevented from clearing the screen, since you can just hold the button down to clear all your scratch work, but it's annoying for no good reason. Also, I hate hate hate the snarky "hurry up" messages that appear when you're idle for 15 seconds. It's a goddamn puzzle game; I'm playing it because I want to sit down and think about a problem and feel good about myself when I come up with the solution, and getting constantly interrupted by stupid insulting text is completely antithetical to that.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 2:58 AM on February 20, 2019
One of their examples, and the one used as the FPP title, is confusing me:
◇ф(3ψ2)=666
◇=x*111 | ψ=x^y | ф=digit of pi
3 squared is 9, the 9th digit of pi is 6, 6*111=666
The 9th digit of pi is not 6.
posted by rocket88 at 6:48 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
◇ф(3ψ2)=666
◇=x*111 | ψ=x^y | ф=digit of pi
3 squared is 9, the 9th digit of pi is 6, 6*111=666
The 9th digit of pi is not 6.
posted by rocket88 at 6:48 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
Well fuck you, I had actual work to do and now I am working on level 11.
posted by jeather at 6:55 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by jeather at 6:55 AM on February 20, 2019
Level 10 is not the most difficult operation, but I let out an audible «Oh, come ON!» once I figured it out. I believe this level is a good indicator on how well you know your way around "common" operations.
I figured out level 10 intuitively -- what I usually do for math, to be honest -- but I have no idea what the underlying formula actually is. I had assumed it was something arbitrary, but based on your comment I assume it is something non-arbitrary. Can you memail me what it is?
posted by davejay at 7:07 AM on February 20, 2019
I figured out level 10 intuitively -- what I usually do for math, to be honest -- but I have no idea what the underlying formula actually is. I had assumed it was something arbitrary, but based on your comment I assume it is something non-arbitrary. Can you memail me what it is?
posted by davejay at 7:07 AM on February 20, 2019
How do I replay level 10? I found that and then it disappeared.
posted by jeather at 7:13 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by jeather at 7:13 AM on February 20, 2019
davejay: "Can you memail me what it is?"Sent. Check your messages.
---
>jeather: "How do I replay level 10? I found that and then it disappeared."When you have a blank/clear display, press the "GRAPH" button (UP arrow) and the top left button will have the "Replay" option. Input the level you want to replay.
posted by andycyca at 8:50 AM on February 20, 2019
Ah, thank you. I must be missing something, bc level 10 is just some linear equation with a fraction? I couldn't be bothered to figure it out, I just found the number through guessing.
posted by jeather at 8:59 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by jeather at 8:59 AM on February 20, 2019
jeather: "Ah, thank you. I must be missing something, bc level 10 is just some linear equation with a fraction? I couldn't be bothered to figure it out, I just found the number through guessing."Level 10 in ROT13: Gur qrivy'f bcrengvba urer zncf "k" gb svir avaguf bs (k zvahf guvegl-gjb). Guvf bcrengvba vf hfhnyyl xabja nf gur pbairefvba sebz Snueraurvg gb Pryfvhf.
posted by andycyca at 9:10 AM on February 20, 2019
Oh wow I should have recognised that. Level 11 was fun, but now I need to do work and not look at level 12.
posted by jeather at 9:11 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by jeather at 9:11 AM on February 20, 2019
I will probably suck at this game but it turns my non-MENSA membership dunning-kruger brand into overdrive.
posted by symbioid at 9:16 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by symbioid at 9:16 AM on February 20, 2019
> One of their examples, and the one used as the FPP title, is confusing me:
◇ф(3ψ2)=666
◇=x*111 | ψ=x^y | ф=digit of pi
3 squared is 9, the 9th digit of pi is 6, 6*111=666
The 9th digit of pi is not 6.
This has been bothering me, too. If it wasn't a mistake, I can't understand how they might have interpreted "9th digit" in this case.
Incidentally, under that same rule set, ◇ф(2ψ3)=666 because 2 cubed is 8, the 8th digit of pi is 6, and 6*111=666. Maybe this was some kind of postgame meta true final level experience? "Don't trust the Devil" or something?
posted by Arson Lupine at 9:29 AM on February 20, 2019
◇ф(3ψ2)=666
◇=x*111 | ψ=x^y | ф=digit of pi
3 squared is 9, the 9th digit of pi is 6, 6*111=666
The 9th digit of pi is not 6.
This has been bothering me, too. If it wasn't a mistake, I can't understand how they might have interpreted "9th digit" in this case.
Incidentally, under that same rule set, ◇ф(2ψ3)=666 because 2 cubed is 8, the 8th digit of pi is 6, and 6*111=666. Maybe this was some kind of postgame meta true final level experience? "Don't trust the Devil" or something?
posted by Arson Lupine at 9:29 AM on February 20, 2019
Maybe they counted the decimal place as a digit somehow, in which case the 9th character in the text string "3.14159265358979" would, in fact, be 6.
posted by rocket88 at 9:51 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by rocket88 at 9:51 AM on February 20, 2019
This should be right up my alley, but I'm not feeling it yet. Early on I discovered that, say, "6." is interpreted differently than "6" or "6.0", and while that might be an important glitch later in the game, at this stage it just feels... buggy? Anyway, I'll roll along for a bit and see if it gets fun.
If you're into this sort of game you might want to check out Pythagorea and Euclidea, which can be best described as "first person euclid's elements".
posted by phooky at 10:07 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you're into this sort of game you might want to check out Pythagorea and Euclidea, which can be best described as "first person euclid's elements".
posted by phooky at 10:07 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
This game has been around for years!
They used to call it APL, though...
posted by tss at 10:12 AM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
They used to call it APL, though...
posted by tss at 10:12 AM on February 20, 2019 [5 favorites]
I think the game design concept is broken at its core. Once the functions become discontinuous and can't be simply graphed, it turns into a "guess my password" simulator.
posted by painquale at 10:40 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by painquale at 10:40 AM on February 20, 2019
So far I'm liking it, but agree with painquale's critique. Thanks for the pointer post.
posted by Quasirandom at 12:01 PM on February 20, 2019
posted by Quasirandom at 12:01 PM on February 20, 2019
Level 10 in ROT13: Gur qrivy'f bcrengvba urer zncf "k" gb svir avaguf bs (k zvahf guvegl-gjb). Guvf bcrengvba vf hfhnyyl xabja nf gur pbairefvba sebz Snueraurvg gb Pryfvhf.
Oh, ha. I just figured out the formula by punching in 1 through 20, and then solved the desired value in excel.
... now I've figured out how the function works in level 11, but it doesn't seem at all possible to reach 666 with it, so I'm flummoxed.
posted by kafziel at 1:48 PM on February 20, 2019
Oh, ha. I just figured out the formula by punching in 1 through 20, and then solved the desired value in excel.
... now I've figured out how the function works in level 11, but it doesn't seem at all possible to reach 666 with it, so I'm flummoxed.
posted by kafziel at 1:48 PM on February 20, 2019
Yeah it took me a while. I am completely lost on 12. I thought I had an idea but it just blew away.
posted by jeather at 2:13 PM on February 20, 2019
posted by jeather at 2:13 PM on February 20, 2019
I love the devil but I literally don't know enough math functions to play this game very far.
posted by GoblinHoney at 3:53 PM on February 20, 2019
posted by GoblinHoney at 3:53 PM on February 20, 2019
One thing that they don't explain, kafziel, and that is counter-intuitive based on how the calculator responds, is that
(ROT13) Lbh pna cynpr artngvir fvtaf ba rvgure fvqr bs lbhe bcrengbef. Vs lbh unir 1, naq uvg gur artngvir fvta, vg orpbzrf -1. Vs lbh unir b-1 naq uvg gur artngvir fvta, vg orpbzrf -b1; vs lbh uvg gur artngvir fvta ntnva, lbh trg -b-1.
posted by miguelcervantes at 6:15 PM on February 20, 2019
(ROT13) Lbh pna cynpr artngvir fvtaf ba rvgure fvqr bs lbhe bcrengbef. Vs lbh unir 1, naq uvg gur artngvir fvta, vg orpbzrf -1. Vs lbh unir b-1 naq uvg gur artngvir fvta, vg orpbzrf -b1; vs lbh uvg gur artngvir fvta ntnva, lbh trg -b-1.
posted by miguelcervantes at 6:15 PM on February 20, 2019
(Learned what lexicographic referred to yesterday. Thanks, axiom; reading about it was fascinating.)
I started on the game this afternoon but I haven't gotten very far yet.
posted by redrawturtle at 7:16 PM on February 20, 2019
I started on the game this afternoon but I haven't gotten very far yet.
posted by redrawturtle at 7:16 PM on February 20, 2019
I realized, after solving 11, that I'd solved 9 by accident. I never figured out the function, I just figured out a number that would solve it. So, I went back determined to actually figure out what was going on. Eventually, I did. Rot13: Vs gur vachg vf bqq, vg fhogenpgf rvtugl guerr. Vs gur vachg vf rira, vg zhygvcyvrf ol artngvir guerr.
After that I gave up on the rest of the game. If the operand isn't even consistent in what it does between inputs, it's absolutely just "guess the password".
posted by kafziel at 10:41 PM on February 20, 2019
After that I gave up on the rest of the game. If the operand isn't even consistent in what it does between inputs, it's absolutely just "guess the password".
posted by kafziel at 10:41 PM on February 20, 2019
If the operand isn't even consistent in what it does between inputs, it's absolutely just "guess the password".
I don't think it's fair to call it "inconsistent". The operator still gives you the same output when you give it the same input. It just so happens that it behaves one way for one set of inputs, and another way for everything else. Also, even if an operator is too complicated to figure out the rule, the goal of the game isn't to figure out the rule; it's to get to 666 by hook or by crook.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 11:02 PM on February 20, 2019
I don't think it's fair to call it "inconsistent". The operator still gives you the same output when you give it the same input. It just so happens that it behaves one way for one set of inputs, and another way for everything else. Also, even if an operator is too complicated to figure out the rule, the goal of the game isn't to figure out the rule; it's to get to 666 by hook or by crook.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 11:02 PM on February 20, 2019
I think it's fairer to call these "puzzles with a calculator as input device". While they may technically behave as functions, the discontinuities (like the just plain weirdness of level 11) mean you need to make few assumptions of how a calculator is even supposed to behave...
posted by Nutri-Matic Drinks Synthesizer at 6:42 AM on February 21, 2019
posted by Nutri-Matic Drinks Synthesizer at 6:42 AM on February 21, 2019
Reminds me of Junior Arithmancer, a thin interactive fiction wrapper around a series of programming/math puzzles.
posted by Zed at 12:42 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Zed at 12:42 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]
Junior Arithmancer was a lot of fun! Took a few hours, but I finished all the challenges.
posted by alexei at 12:02 AM on February 24, 2019
posted by alexei at 12:02 AM on February 24, 2019
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7805 is the maximum number of pieces a torus can be cut into with 35 cuts
urm, interesting, useful, er, handy, ahh perhaps trivially obvious to some, UKWYA
posted by sammyo at 7:49 PM on February 19, 2019