Merge Sort was one of the first efficient sorts used with computers. Over time its merge operations have proven ideally suited to streaming data from disk or other computers, and are easy to parallelize across many computers. Therefore the first step for processing large data sets is almost always to sort it - and the sort used is some variant on a merge sort. When you peek under techniques like "MapReduce", it is a merge sort under the hood.

On this board we start with all of the letters of the alphabet in random order and sort them. Each letter can attack its neighbors (if any) and the same letter one level up or down in the sort. Each grouping at each level is a continent, as is each letter traced through all levels of the sort. Continents are worth half their size, rounded up. Return to attack after fortify and return to placement after attack are both on.

Good luck!

PS The picture was taken by gmacklin of Flickr. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmacklin/2063794355/sizes/l/in/photostream/ for the original.

Merge Sort was one of the first efficient sorts used with computers. Over time its merge operations have proven ideally suited to streaming data from disk or other computers, and are easy to parallelize across many computers. Therefore the first step for processing large data sets is almost always to sort it - and the sort used is some variant on a merge sort. When you peek under techniques like "MapReduce", it is a merge sort under the hood.

On this board we start with all of the possible 1-digit hexadecimal numbers in random order and sort them. Each number can attack its neighbors (if any) and the same number one level up or down in the sort. Each grouping at each level is a continent, as is each number traced through all levels of the sort. Continents are worth half their size, rounded up. On the first turn only, everyone gets 5 units regardless of what random continents you were assigned. Return to attack after fortify and return to placement after attack are both on.

Good luck!

PS The picture was taken by gmacklin of Flickr. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmacklin/2063794355/sizes/l/in/photostream/ for the original. The colors in the preview sort to the colors in the visual spectrum.

Merge Sort was one of the first efficient sorts used with computers. Over time its merge operations have proven ideally suited to streaming data from disk or other computers, and are easy to parallelize across many computers. Therefore the first step for processing large data sets is almost always to sort it - and the sort used is some variant on a merge sort. When you peek under techniques like "MapReduce", it is a merge sort under the hood.

On this board we start with all of the possible 1-digit hexadecimal numbers in a scrambled order (somewhat random, but with less "clumpiness") and sort them. Each number can attack its neighbors (if any) and the same number one level up or down in the sort. Each grouping at each level is a continent, as is each number traced through all levels of the sort. Continents are worth half their size, rounded up. On the first turn only, everyone gets 5 units regardless of what random continents you were assigned. Return to attack after fortify and return to placement after attack are both on.

Good luck!

PS The picture was taken by gmacklin of Flickr. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmacklin/2063794355/sizes/l/in/photostream/ for the original. The colors in the preview sort to the colors in the visual spectrum.