Quantum Stuff Can Feel Like A Cheap Trick But Here It's Executed Very Well - Tumblr Posts

Fandom: Homestuck Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Archive Warnings: Major Character Death(s) Category: Gen Characters: Sollux Captor, Karkat Vantas, Terezi Pyrope Additional tags: Doomed Timeline(s) (Homestuck), Computer Jokes, Suicidal Thoughts, Or Are They Technically Homicidal?, Anyone out there wondering what the Mage class does, it's probably something like this, Existential Angst, Moral Ambiguity, Trolley Problem, ~ATH (Homestuck) Summary: CG: WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS A HINT ON THIS PROGRAMMING PROBLEM I TOLD YOU ABOUT LAST WEEK, YOU RECALCITRANT BEESLURPER. CG: I'VE BEEN LOSING MY GODDAMN MIND TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT SEEMS LIKELY TO TERMINATE BEFORE THE END OF THE UNIVERSE. TA: 2ee, that2 probably your problem riight there. CG: WHAT. WHAT IS MY PROBLEM. CG: WAIT A SECOND, IS THIS ACTUALLY A HINT?! IF SO, IT'S TERRIBLE. TA: never miind. ju2t a 2hiitty joke.

Notes:

Quantum bogosort: A hypothetical sorting algorithm based on bogosort, created as an in-joke among computer scientists. The algorithm generates a random permutation of its input using a quantum source of entropy, checks if the list is sorted, and, if it is not, destroys the universe. Assuming that the many-worlds interpretation holds, the use of this algorithm will result in at least one surviving universe where the input was successfully sorted in O(n) time. -- From the Wikipedia article for "Bogosort"

This started out as a joke fic because obviously, obviously, any real implementation of Quantum Bogosort would have to be written in ~ATH. But I found myself engaging seriously with the premise, which gave it all quite a bit darker (though canon-typical) flavor. At the end of the day I'm always pleased to find new ways (for me!) to engage with beloved and familiar characters.

Fondly written for the Retcon Timeline gang. Happy 4/13, friends, and thanks for sharing a fandom with me. :)