I think that puzzle requires a decent baseline in terms of math skills/tech knowledge/research ability to provide a minimal baseline to weed out unsuitable cand

I think that puzzle requires a decent baseline in terms of math skills/tech knowledge/research ability to provide a minimal baseline to weed out unsuitable candidates. Also, it's reddit, not the NSA. They're looking to make the application process interesting and unique more than selecting for the best possible programmers. They'll still get dozens of qualified applicants to choose from.