1. Innovation Visualized A Wiki-like Open Source Programming Contest November 7, 2005 Ned Gulley The MathWorks, Inc.

2. I started Monday after work. I worked late, but not very late. Let's say 4 or 5 hours. The following days I had to work, but I started to become "obsessed". At home, although I am a father of three children, my full-time job was working on the contest. I didn't sleep much. I worked maybe 10 hours after work each day. On Thursday it was clear that I wasn't going to be able to work seriously (for my job), so I took a day off on Friday. Stijn says…

3. Nathan says… Well, this is my first MATLAB contest and it is giving me far too much enjoyment. It's one of the most addictive and compulsive things I have tried. The exercise is improving my programming skill - true - but in return I have a neckache, a backache, a terrible diet, no social life, and not much of a work life either. Also, I have experienced physical trembling while making the final preparations to submit code. Is that normal?

5. How does the contest work? Visualize results

6. What is MATLAB? A matrix-based language suited for algorithm development

7. Contest goals Entertain Foster community Encourage the exchange of good programming practices

8. Contest features Entries are automatically scored, ranked, and displayed immediately Code, author, and score are visible at all times Anyone can modify anyone else's code and resubmit it as their own

9. How it works rules standings 1 karim 2 carol 3 eric karim. fcn f(x)... view entry new entry ned. fcn f(x)... 1 ned 2 karim 3 carol 4 eric

10. Joining the contest: tweaks... y = [1 2 3 4]...... y = 1:4;...

11. Joining the contest: leaps function f = fb(n) a = [0 1; 1 1]^n; f = a(2); function f = fb(n) if n > 2 f = fb(n-1) + fb(n-2); else f = 1; end Generating the nth Fibonacci number: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,...

12. Previously… Mastermind Protein folding Mapping Mars Golf Gerrymandering

13. Now playing: Sudoku… 1830 143 200 66 576

14. Visualizing the results

15. Visualizing Mastermind

17. Overlapping clans

18. Genetic programming First use of conv First leader with conv Innovation at the periphery

19. Darwinian tweak bombs

20. Tweak bombs up close

21. The zigzag of innovation

22. Collaboration clusters

24. Entry names

25. Turning windmills: The MATLAB File Exchange

26. What have we learned?  Collaborative competition works!  Don’t knock tweaking  Format dissolves contemptuous isolation

27. As a newcomer I was skeptical about the role of "competitive collaboration". However I'm now convinced that it's what makes the contest work. And anyway the really consistent competitors keep returning to the top of the table and staying there with innovations that are more than tweaks. And the fact that it's so popular must mean the basic formula is right. I think there is a self- regulating aspect to it - nobody comments their code overhelpfully, but nobody has gone out of their way to obscure code either.

28. Additional info at URL: http://www.mathworks.com/contest/ I can't tell you how much I enjoy the MATLAB contests. I know it takes time out of your busy schedules to conduct this activity, but I believe it is a great way to promote the product and build user loyalty.