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Sort by Colors

Problem Statement

You are given hundreds of lego pieces with different gradients of colors, and being asked to sort it in the quickest amount of time possible. The person who sorts it by having the lowest latency wins the prize!

How would you sort the lego pieces?

By now, you might have more questions than answers, and that’s a good thing. Whenever you're presented with a problem, it's crucial to ask qualifying questions. Without them, problems often remain too open-ended, making them harder to solve. Open-ended questions, however, are designed to spark further inquiry. This is known as the discovery phase. Your ability to clarify and define the problem before diving into a solution is a valuable skill. It not only helps you solve problems more effectively but also demonstrates strong critical thinking, a quality you'll be recognized for in the future.

Scenario - Refine Constraints Through Dialog

The goal is to understand the constraints of the problem. Every problem has constraints, whether implicit or explicit. By making these constraints explicit, you gain control over the "parameters" of the problem, since you are the one solving it.

For example, there are many different ways to approach solving the problem. On the surface, we can consider three main approaches:

  1. Human(s) only
  2. Computational approach - Math-based, computer assisted using softare tools
  3. Computer-only approach - autonomous or AI-assisted

Simulated Exchange Between Individuals

Click here for an fictious diaglog between two individuals. This dialog simulates an exchange between the problem giver and the problem solver.

Different Approaches to Problem Solvings

Click here for a retrospective analysis of the given problem statement.