The CONSOLATION PRIZES are hereby awarded in this mail. No trophy. No prize. No nothing except the glory you'll get from fellow participants. Details coming this weekend!!!! THE TOP FIVE: branch_and_hang 112 369 1797900 Jim Roche fulldeck 108 894 1743410 Bob Hall motorhoyle 102 232 1117670 =Vincent Goffin buffalo 86 172 1620690 Dennis Sanger serpico 84 717 205480 Lew Mammel ======================================================================= THE COVETED BEST PROGRAM NAME AWARD - TO Neil Weinstock for "CURLYSHUFFLE" ======================================================================= THE HUMBLE PIE AWARD - TO Daniel Sleator In the original problem statement, I posed the question: * is there any way to do this problem other than brute force? (the winner will share with us I'm sure!) Daniel Sleator send some input for the theory mailing, but also answered this question with: "Yes. You'll see." ======================================================================= THE "YOU OWE ME MONEY" AWARD - TO Tim Tjarks In the original problem statement, I speculated on the tiebreakers. Tim responded with: "Don't know yet, but brute force isn't looking too bad right now. I'm willing to cover your bet that the deciding factor won't be the second tiebreaker (i.e. I'm betting it WILL come down to sys+user)." I'm waiting for that payoff Tim! ======================================================================= THE "WE GOTTA TRY HARDER AWARD" - TO Dennis Sanger For begging. Dennis writes: "By the way: do I get a prize for finishing in the top four for the third straight time?" Sorry Dennis ... this is it! ======================================================================= THE BIG BUG AWARD - TO Lew Mammel Lew's "serpico" dropped a FLIP on the first final problem. His result was: zyxweQXGEFZKWmlLMihgfHkrbqJYIPsUTSRnoONdpauvtcjVDCBA which unfortunately scored zero points. Without the bug, he would have picked up an additional 22 points!!! This would have brought him to 106 and a third place finish! ======================================================================= THE EFFICIENCY AWARD - AGAIN TO Lew Mammel Serpico managed to use an order of magnitude less time than the other top finishers, and still managed (bug notwithstanding) a great finish! ======================================================================= THE "WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON IN THERE" AWARD - TO David Loewenstern David's Wayfinder took over 12 hours of clock time to run!!!! Without going over the 10 minutes sys+user time limits on any of the final problems. Come on David .... what were you REALLY doing with all those clock ticks??? ======================================================================= THE "GOOD SPORT AND ALL AROUND WONDERFUL PERSON: AWARD - TO Vincent Goffin When it looked like Vincent (a previous POTM winner) might have a shot at winning again, I figured I'd warn him that he couldn't take posession of the trophy a second time (hey - it's a LAW!). Vincent was most magnanimous. (of course, I haven't heard from him since .... 8*) ======================================================================= THE VERBOSITY AWARD: To Bob Hall A total of 894 moves on the five final problems. Nobody else was close. Score/Moves shown below! fulldeck 22/284 24/245 22/168 18/35 22/162 But he finished second! ======================================================================= THE BEST ENTRY BY A COMPLETE NON-PROGRAMMER: TO Fred Hicinbothem Once again proving that programming skills and tricks and techniques are not the most important facet of solving stupid problems like these! (Hey - I gotta win SOMETHING!!!) Sixth place is not too shabby!!!! =======================================================================