##Purpose This repository contains all of my completed Google foobar problem sets. I made the problem sets available for anyone who wants to learn what types of problems Google is using in the challenge, and how to potentially solve them. For some context, the foobar challenge is a recruiting tactic that Google uses. If you use Google search, and you search something of "interest" to Google (e.g. list comprehension python), they will present this challenge, in browser, to you. If you accept, you are taken to the challenge.

Description

Each program in the repository, named after the problem set from the foobar challenge, has the problem statement, problem solution, and how to execute and use the solution:

$ cat minion_hierarchy.py
#!/usr/bin/env python

'''
Author: John D. Anderson (TigerJ)
Usage: minion_hierarchy -n integer
Origin: Google "foo.bar" project - Problem 1.1
Program Description:

   Minion hierarchy
   ================

   Rumor has it there's a mad scientist out there who had abducted hundreds of
   rabbits to test out a new zombie serum.

   Agent Beta Rabbit, spy and brilliant mathematician, storms in the room:
   "I know who's behind that plan. It's a man who calls himself Professor
   Boolean. My preliminary recon data shows that he's operating a lab
   somewhere on the islands near Silicon Valley. I also recently got a tip
   that Professor Boolean's lab minions have a certain hierarchical structure:
   Each manager has no more than 7 direct reports."

   Interesting... This information can help us estimate how many minions are
   working in this lab, and thus, the size of this operation. We need to know
   what we're facing here.

   Write a function called answer(x) that returns the maximum number of minion
   employees a company following the "no more than 7 direct reports" theory
   can have, with no more than x levels of supervision.

   You can assume that:
   1. Professor Boolean is the highest level of supervision and has no
      manager.
   2. Each minion employee (other than Professor Boolean) has exactly one
      manager.

   For example, with no more than 1 level of supervision, we could have a
   maximum of 8 employees: Professor Boolean and his 7 reports.

   x will be a positive integer, not exceeding 10.

   Languages
   =========

   To provide a Python solution, edit solution.py
   To provide a Java solution, edit solution.java

   Test cases
   ==========

   Inputs:
       (int) x = 1
   Output:
       (int) 8

   Inputs:
       (int) x = 2
   Output:
       (int) 57

   Use verify [file] to test your solution and see how it does. When you are a
   finished editing your code, use submit [file] to submit your answer. If
   your solution passes the test cases, it will be removed from your home
   folder.
'''

# libs
import sys


# functions
def answer(x):
   y = 0
   for i in range(x+1):
       y += 7**i
   return y


# executable
if __name__ == '__main__':

   # usage message
   usage = '\nUsage: minion_hierarchy -n integer\n'

   # CLA check
   if len(sys.argv) > 1:
       if sys.argv[1] == '-n':
           print answer(int(sys.argv[2]))
           sys.exit()

       # wrong arguments passed
       else:
           sys.exit(usage)

   # no arguments passed
   sys.exit(usage)

As mentioned above, each problem set has a number (e.g. 1.1 as seen above), corresponding to the level of the challenge, where 1 is the basic level, and 5 is the hardest level. Also, each level has n problems: level 1, has 1 problem, 2 has 2 problems, 3 has 3 problems, etc ... hence the n.n number scheme.