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I'd like to propose a different perspective into this. In a respectable aerospace organization, a typical effort into such an optimization project would be in
by millerc 14y ago
I'd like to propose a different perspective into this.
In a respectable aerospace organization, a typical effort into such an optimization project would be in the order of 3 mid-to-senior staff, for a duration of 6 months. Consider a loaded rate of $200k/year (remember, overhead makes it much more expensive), and you'll be looking at about $300k for a single tentative. Let's suppose they probably tried no more than 3 to 5 approaches already, that's $1.5M of taxpayer's money they already put on that. And they still can't figure out a way to keep a good configuration of shadows on the longerons when they push it for a little more power.
If I came up with an optimal solution to this problem, I'd be miffed to be let go with $10k (or $30k as they seem to have updated) and a nicely worded letter. I would hope my carreer to be guaranteed✝ for a few years, instead of being thrown back on my own into the void.
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✝ No, the letter is not a guarantee of employment elsewhere. If anything, it might very well scare off "normal" employers from hiring a prospect.
- paulgb 14y ago> If I came up with an optimal solution to this problem, I'd be miffed to be let go with $10k (or $30k as they seem to have updated) and a nicely worded letter. You would have known in advance that that's the prize. If you would be miffed to get the prize, you shouldn't enter this particular contest.
- millerc 14y agoStating an opinion, not looking to debate logistics. Feel free to share the opinion or not.
- icegreentea 14y agoMore or less true, but remember that even submitting the winning submission does not carry the same weight of responsibility or liability that it would normally carry at an engineering firm. Your submission doesn't even have to come close to providing an optimal, or even safe solution, and that won't hurt you (beyond not winning) one bit. Validation and testing will no doubt be done by actual fully paid NASA (or whatever space agency) employees, at their usual rates.
- sliverstorm 14y ago"Crowdsourcing is not a panacea" - sliverstorm
- bjxrn 14y agoThat 30k is the total prize package. The 1st place prize is still 10k. More on the prizes here: http://community.topcoder.com/tc?module=MatchDetails&rd=15520 http://community.topcoder.com/tc?module=MatchDetails&rd=...