Skip to main content
Code Golf

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

Required fields*

9
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ The trolling answer: Step 1 - work out how much free disk space you have then divide that by the size of the file to get N. Step 2 - append the file to itself N times and append the number N. Step 3 - realize there's no space left to compress the file but end up with an absolute difference in filesizes of several terrabytes (or more).... [To reverse, read N from the end of the file and shrink the file to 1/Nth the size.] \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 23, 2014 at 23:32
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MT0: Ah I think the solution is the differences should not be absolute. If your modified file is larger that should subtract points. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 23, 2014 at 23:35
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MT0 if you modify the file to make it a terabyte large, then your score will be 1 terabyte...pretty bad when you're trying to golf. \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 24, 2014 at 0:55
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MT0 I added a clarification to the post, does that help? \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 24, 2014 at 1:05
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ One quibble. The compressor might make a larger file if t is especially incompressible. In this case you should be rewarded, not punished, no? \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 24, 2014 at 1:14