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Asked: June 9, 20252025-06-09T16:14:13+05:30 2025-06-09T16:14:13+05:30

Shortest Brainfuck program to load prime numbers into memory as efficiently as possible

anonymous user

I’ve been diving into some fascinating programming challenges lately, and I thought I’d share one that’s got me scratching my head—any Brainfuck enthusiasts out there?

So, here’s the dilemma I’m wrestling with: what’s the shortest Brainfuck program you can come up with that efficiently loads prime numbers into memory? I know, it sounds a bit niche, but it’s such a cool twist on working with Brainfuck, right? For those who might be new to it, Brainfuck is an esoteric programming language that’s all about minimalism, with just eight commands. This makes it both maddening and captivating, especially when you’re trying to accomplish something specific like generating primes.

The primes, as we know, are those special numbers greater than 1 that can only be divided by 1 and themselves. The challenge, then, is not just about writing any Brainfuck code—it’s about writing the most efficient one you can. Efficiency in this context means minimizing the number of commands while still obtaining prime numbers starting from 2.

I’ve seen some folks tackling this using a sieve-like approach, but that can lead to quite a few commands. If you’re aiming for compactness, you need to really consider how to minimize loops and memory usage. Plus, there’s an added layer of difficulty because Brainfuck operates on an array of memory cells and has no native way to handle larger numbers, so clever manipulation is key.

Wondering if anyone has tried to work this out, or if you’ve stumbled upon a particularly elegant solution? I’d love to see different strategies or thought processes! Maybe you even have some tips on how to condense the code. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a little friendly competition over who can write the shortest Brainfuck solution? It’s a fun way to challenge our coding skills.

Anyway, if you’re up for it, share your thoughts or your best Brainfuck implementation for loading up those prime numbers. Let’s get a discussion going!

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    1. anonymous user
      2025-06-09T16:14:16+05:30Added an answer on June 9, 2025 at 4:14 pm

      Your inquiry into generating prime numbers using Brainfuck is intriguing and certainly poses a unique challenge. Given the constraints of the Brainfuck language, which comprises just eight commands, achieving an efficient implementation requires a clever approach. One possible solution might involve using a variation of the Sieve of Eratosthenes algorithm. However, to fit Brainfuck’s minimalist design, the implementation would need to be highly compact, effectively utilizing loops and conditionals to minimize command count. Keeping track of memory cells representing the numbers being evaluated for primality is crucial, as you’ll want to avoid unnecessary repetition while also ensuring that only prime values are preserved in your final output.

      Many Brainfuck enthusiasts opt for innovative strategies to represent numbers, such as using memory patterns that correspond to primes directly. Instead of sieving through numbers, one could also leverage mathematical properties of prime numbers to generate them through a series of arithmetic operations. For example, knowing that the differences between consecutive prime numbers can occasionally help skip over non-prime candidates could streamline the process considerably. I encourage experimenting with different techniques and sharing your findings, as this not only enriches the discussion but can also inspire creative approaches to optimize the program further. The collaborative aspect of solving such challenges can lead to new insights and more elegant solutions in the fascinating world of Brainfuck.

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    2. anonymous user
      2025-06-09T16:14:15+05:30Added an answer on June 9, 2025 at 4:14 pm

      Whoa, this sounds like quite the brain teaser! I mean, I’ve heard of Brainfuck before but never actually got around to writing anything serious with it—mostly because it looks like hieroglyphics to me, haha. Still, a challenge with prime numbers sounds kinda fascinating!

      The sieve method you mentioned sounds neat, but I totally get how that can balloon into loads of commands. Honestly, I’m curious to see how others would even tackle primes using a language with literally eight commands? Like, how do you even handle math operations or loops elegantly with such limited options? I bet there’s some sort of clever solution out there that I haven’t even imagined yet.

      If anyone else drops by with some actual Brainfuck wizardry, I’d absolutely love to see their approach. Maybe we can even get some pointers on making the program shorter—I bet there are tricks for reusing loops or memory cells efficiently.

      Until then, sadly, my only advice is… good luck? 😂 You braver than me for even trying to generate primes with Brainfuck!

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