Yes, it's a basic math question... and one any developer really ought to be able to solve. But does it belong on a Software Development test? I argue that if

Yes, it's a basic math question... and one any developer really ought to be able to solve. But does it belong on a Software Development test? I argue that if you blew your math class, that should screw up your degree, but it's not specific to software development. In my experience, there are terrific developers, but only a handful are math nuts (and I mean that in the kindest way). Question 3, for example, is obviously much more higher order math than the first spam question, but question 3 doesn't really have (IMHO) a damned thing to do with software development. The bigger question is whether calculus is a fundamental part of advanced software development, and the article does make an effort to indicate that it is, but I generally find that in a working environment there are a few math-oriented individuals, but most are more logic-oriented (which doesn't preclue math, admittedly), and unless you're on a project where higher-order math is required, you get along just fine. For those projects requiring physics calculations or whatever, you bring in the math geek. That doesn't mean it's not a testable question, but I contend it's not a requirement to be a damned good developer.