FUQs

[ewmayer]

Q: Where would you go to obtain a degree in Frequently Unanswered Questions?
A: FUQ U.

[aketilander]

Q: Which is the easiest way to find the smallest factor of MM127?
A: If you divide MM127 by its largest factor you get the smallest one.

Yes, yes, but

Q: Which is the easiest way to find the largest factor of MM127 then?
A: If you divide MM127 by its smallest factor you get the largest one.

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by aketilander

Q: Which is the easiest way to find the smallest factor of MM127?
A: If you divide MM127 by its largest factor you get the smallest one.

That answer is unhelpful, but alas also incorrect. If you're gonna try to be a wisecracking math nerd, let's at least try to get the "math" part right.

[Dubslow]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

That answer is unhelpful, but alas also incorrect. If you're gonna try to be a wisecracking math nerd, let's at least try to get the "math" part right.

He didn't say prime factor.

[Batalov]

Q: Is FUQ an acronym?
A: Yes, you just pronounce wrongly if you think that it isn't.

[science_man_88]

Originally Posted by Batalov

Q: Is FUQ an acronym?
A: Yes, you just pronounce wrongly if you think that it isn't.

for some things I can make arguments to support almost all of them:

US - United States uses the initial components therefore it's an acronym.
US - 2 letters is shorter than the phrase United States therefore it's abbreviated.
US - is pronounced you ess therefore it's an initialism.

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by Dubslow

He didn't say prime factor.

Even if you allow trivial factors (units), the answer is incorrect, because in that case no division is needed, ergo, n/n is not the easiest method to determine "1 is the smallest factor."

[Uncwilly]

Q: What is the largest known Mersenne Prime?
A: 383,813,432,499,006,567,940,128,890,939,479,244,323,108,485,896,276,588,430,
953,410,742,355,843,709,083,268,647,257,603,685,755,576,432,496,460,615,685,
892,047,540,436,050,783,692,197,618,658,469,334,121,647,320,471,115,721,375,
248,270,317,298,667,413,885,986,449,190,158,090,512,335,150,379,099,138,100,
399,341,203,804,418,312,058,222,344,749,422,138,096,126,080,879,556,199,432,
215,607,580,443,235,372,610,748,457,708,282,406,189,424,477,174,777,113,454,
219,808,060,304,360,551,617,506,661,245,722,772,351,081,365,361,727,184,008,
626,088,629,774,354,996,912,827,427,281,440,499,049,041,576,203,884,943,192,
684,055,274,941,226,777,713,166,180,704,666,821,661,836,801,599,842,400,753,
555,093,087,939,266,058,092,079,721,697,481,135,174,876,099,183,086,089,790,
629,407,423,499,734,806,185,565,774,380,559,034,010,741,081,512,897,186,784,
805,572,791,197,369,300,268,870,813,900,049,338,389,921,638,224,295,056,714,
454,461,080,883,077,807,756,965,827,409,720,772,505,579,006,260,134,743,029,
388,552,109,572,978,472,439,362,850,714,479,000,235,563,466,922,422,958,721,
089,708,044,663,530,770,968,705,926,840,629,602,574,038,878,388,019,643,087,
612,154,542,045,854,056,540,307,708,459,709,457,315,384,451,564,164,605,205,
270,347,685,697,223,630,493,582,980,421,459,157,794,627,274,676,372,969,627,
024,586,966,924,583,596,405,274,772,819,815,023,538,365,497,746,159,407,402,
985,071,118,486,658,167,977,572,127,791,170,262,993,219,890,667,610,079,861,
523,980,477,699,432,277,250,429,236,731,648,600,517,593,596,727,079,745,602,
454,212,291,388,785,176,078,858,827,536,463,762,779,568,183,706,158,015,662,
514,847,337,685,511,498,075,355,876,317,986,401,027,049,498,458,565,149,532,
973,850,630,135,737,935,365,629,302,924,513,786,786,790,048,323,898,387,186,
548,565,789,758,323,840,386,330,350,805,678,311,661,668,819,487,046,836,628,
773,473,937,016,550,119,694,407,061,934,853,709,391,595,540,848,339,141,339,
562,398,906,165,273,984,800,788,818,476,319,559,628,933,135,045,358,340,071,
467,340,560,718,311,395,257,226,930,060,643,910,945,656,036,369,014,077,650,
204,164,190,957,719,318,064,249,345,069,695,340,774,396,275,899,114,532,813,
398,922,449,231,049,778,114,423,636,491,611,546,062,143,098,016,974,892,361,
181,519,602,676,387,589,608,583,130,651,079,418,394,594,608,733,721,969,897,
698,445,638,959,666,319,946,906,799,294,895,905,987,977,542,184,749,636,726,
284,838,213,133,381,329,103,265,901,431,056,460,552,198,636,544,027,401,553,
454,807,878,800,184,142,237,016,521,674,068,629,539,425,061,540,842,782,875,
150,560,689,263,853,914,174,686,005,311,659,555,581,738,240,293,348,748,829,

... about 12,990,000 digits omitted ...

323,407,016,904,361,567,830,071,903,864,774,025,053,110,416,058,196,613,094,
955,975,938,646,943,935,868,918,070,331,493,906,952,648,137,040,131,776,876,
617,048,593,668,262,064,355,033,910,881,815,180,390,172,026,755,646,024,616,
292,382,095,077,590,437,283,901,447,376,690,022,059,384,426,012,317,066,470,
869,219,431,716,650,112,928,272,984,986,766,711,153,567,816,275,152,979,164,
095,829,371,015,762,137,396,597,011,478,852,348,390,912,559,489,818,282,738,
968,950,167,570,795,214,904,673,318,119,873,008,821,144,416,485,117,736,637,
857,677,256,745,414,900,875,611,573,647,476,701,957,643,919,018,828,440,864,
502,237,922,399,137,620,765,025,029,842,960,684,566,478,184,186,295,826,842,
176,642,765,569,430,727,356,490,843,321,204,080,673,041,832,409,292,321,256,
473,393,054,163,052,562,677,186,472,932,611,674,915,953,762,775,681,860,718,
344,200,812,283,592,457,228,276,494,237,728,350,079,708,203,994,133,082,241,
122,428,064,338,995,461,866,304,675,718,496,548,231,972,190,297,045,880,784,
602,723,892,342,115,444,666,061,861,323,183,061,628,128,599,178,345,795,855,
842,535,790,162,490,072,640,446,613,394,996,868,613,163,476,358,679,998,295,
299,773,365,530,104,569,990,320,265,165,950,818,584,330,799,633,194,879,082,
107,324,671,463,310,241,490,844,169,471,553,737,186,369,429,039,740,581,101,
437,085,295,841,668,755,965,295,719,562,756,490,892,782,340,880,618,661,898,
096,373,325,757,836,773,347,585,401,925,192,699,075,006,554,224,142,624,622,
496,528,066,203,551,994,607,613,352,629,652,207,841,081,187,910,944,890,001,
347,799,242,529,651,814,976,836,499,386,884,436,740,886,482,060,071,811,247,
195,055,834,237,819,299,529,361,603,857,982,876,694,283,713,487,077,345,966,
071,752,419,187,855,462,571,406,254,141,153,816,257,055,830,669,911,757,580,
578,130,117,482,432,420,773,774,182,394,588,863,556,244,159,286,199,960,971,
633,075,808,799,720,532,418,023,538,053,223,930,813,154,226,859,203,997,709,
827,864,816,482,556,850,482,259,244,709,671,812,783,672,945,207,080,368,686,
681,989,919,136,839,398,630,892,752,922,996,019,931,727,959,499,499,278,261,
551,073,595,058,617,592,414,485,386,136,580,144,759,430,664,480,366,929,021,
927,652,945,460,758,198,368,845,559,798,348,751,451,724,986,887,117,720,439,
699,831,873,617,287,862,100,837,823,233,230,951,842,294,296,030,070,567,199,
992,298,007,092,387,935,238,729,239,519,184,346,937,205,705,321,336,783,147,
175,457,370,001,250,409,386,578,171,959,528,363,408,498,182,657,250,786,621,
061,354,343,776,701,599,271,330,696,741,830,536,728,405,975,879,310,322,232,
884,089,571,261,924,085,953,345,494,389,359,969,480,734,463,427,854,035,178,
029,638,557,739,783,191,975,757,834,513,191,054,026,456,831,798,884,100,961,
745,858,147,564,135,579,451,423,635,640,324,015,693,851,107,848,340,143,659,
980,859,152,957,957,769,618,358,876,620,706,317,087,046,890,306,756,554,210,
896,922,945,816,621,337,556,613,038,865,299,577,948,126,980,656,161,628,298,
198,351,118,519,099,092,491,544,322,265,943,134,328,733,883,245,223,322,398,
874,647,329,862,798,034,594,791,073,662,141,330,188,581,706,559,296,167,042,
534,319,308,624,902,004,819,175,768,368,940,447,452,704,045,515,892,705,866,
013,782,529,059,481,243,626,415,715,424,971,888,921,422,060,646,316,227,384,
770,595,485,347,796,909,912,379,093,117,319,885,826,335,271,442,487,911,387,
829,044,391,474,170,170,131,554,745,148,668,716,172,067,366,084,587,120,527,
911,056,138,208,628,250,085,078,689,583,240,026,503,830,818,875,647,011,635,
417,819,686,057,933,825,403,884,413,155,357,698,685,528,069,738,785,885,847,
826,062,333,404,936,391,813,190,649,774,467,455,107,758,215,674,366,699,100,
009,449,116,038,927,901,019,826,438,787,580,819,085,097,880,998,737,185,242,
341,476,910,108,138,153,543,109,600,862,645,698,288,150,028,915,618,208,718,
584,066,018,471,077,955,485,243,207,870,569,918,423,143,412,240,417,712,466,
844,787,410,446,112,909,077,237,605,285,404,586,195,162,832,287,147,336,359,
371,709,349,225,095,343,297,985,989,250,864,615,685,827,173,170,912,130,369,
670,411,425,654,775,456,661,213,444,008,893,938,440,208,637,935,579,812,804,
576,703,104,381,570,028,284,791,408,645,540,682,270,900,319,374,638,330,212,
617,619,257,530,273,381,792,685,640,663,644,941,081,560,241,621,991,495,148,
816,514,858,369,576,454,242,361,116,087,917,130,253,112,518,039,719,274,282,
410,297,382,765,224,671,870,696,751,152,669,091,368,834,472,557,470,336,653,
851,835,012,264,615,030,575,454,867,582,920,465,006,797,338,810,908,443,642,
509,416,434,832,300,992,043,624,407,560,473,334,927,793,351,095,485,038,546,
547,564,450,749,902,860,752,016,087,916,318,365,899,674,144,412,551,419,875,
521,864,601,575,008,775,313,808,092,746,030,737,771,474,827,460,376,120,421,
766,819,988,093,111,859,333,039,200,196,621,154,679,339,808,110,866,397,379,
683,252,712,153,466,703,793,325,615,982,237,697,515,059,757,948,693,128,688,
094,171,974,039,267,436,134,652,090,090,514,797,661,509,552,266,082,816,770,
859,186,062,158,287,951,177,386,802,987,626,023,010,652,739,182,295,541,392,
918,020,056,838,360,135,679,872,860,483,416,916,652,487,086,962,757,779,741,
806,708,471,114,811,595,228,196,181,682,379,446,066,996,833,600,335,035,579,
534,312,511,612,725,344,467,160,112,063,722,352,068,121,255,162,528,031,252,
563,906,005,692,627,824,649,052,422,502,206,934,159,709,803,688,308,998,372,
051,463,441,115,976,028,226,909,156,682,192,013,981,830,822,014,104,610,660,
911,290,342,036,586,081,253,355,079,240,744,261,814,870,918,055,920,432,372,
301,962,016,835,359,462,310,980,067,434,984,625,380,787,247,802,532,758,511,
333,502,460,778,884,339,034,019,700,927,663,958,167,698,908,010,736,101,410,
136,996,852,925,703,272,553,544,622,464,685,928,707,526,568,105,993,689,915,
218,073,801,443,404,945,008,266,425,932,413,139,826,915,084,069,991,159,279,
791,908,398,130,223,304,824,083,119,093,195,998,014,562,456,347,941,202,195,
900,928,079,670,729,447,921,616,491,887,478,265,780,022,181,166,697,152,511

[Dubslow]

I'm sorry, that answer's only useful if it's in binary.

[LaurV]

C'mon men, don't be so nitpicking! I love this:

Originally Posted by aketilander

Q: Which is the easiest way to find the smallest* factor of MM127?
A: You divide MM127 by its largest** factor.

I don't care if the biggest factor is composite, and obviously no one cares about trivial factors... This Q&A is wonderful. If you add "prime" instead of "*" and ""nontrivial" instead of "**" to make it mathematically right, you destroy all the joke...

@Uncwilly: good one too!

[xilman]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

Even if you allow trivial factors (units), the answer is incorrect, because in that case no division is needed, ergo, n/n is not the easiest method to determine "1 is the smallest factor."

Surely the answer to the question of the smallest factor is "1" and to the largest is "MM127".

If you don't ask for prime factors there's no good reason that the answer gives primes.