Dev Tools · 1h ago
HackMIT Puzzle Solved by Reverse-Engineering API with Data Science
A participant at HackMIT reverse-engineered a hidden scoring model for a face-customization puzzle by making 10,000 API calls. Using simulated annealing and coordinate descent, they found a configuration meeting all four acceptance criteria. The approach turned a manual slider puzzle into a data science project.
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The story highlights how even simple puzzles can be cracked with systematic data collection and optimization, but the technique is standard for any API-based challenge.
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MIT Hackathon Puzzle That Turned Into a Data Science Project →
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