Road Sign Math

We are excited to release the 3rd edition of the rules for Road Sign Math on the eve of the first anniversary of the launch of the game. This 3rd edition clears up some minor confusion and provides further clarity around certain areas. The biggest change is in the way the elegance score is calculated for a sign.

Previously the elegance score was calculated in three steps giving 1, 3 or 5 points depending on the number. This didn’t allow for much differentiation, and as a result the top 20 signs had 4-way and 6-way ties for certain spots. We have switched to a more specific scoring mechanism that calculates the score for any number using an adjusted natural logarithm. One new result of this that we really like is that 1 is now worth 0 points in elegance. The graph below shows the difference between the 2nd edition score and the 3rd edition score. This will clearly provide for more differentiation.

In addition to these scoring changes we have also provided further clarification on grandfathering in old signs on rule changes. It is important to note that scoring changes are not grandfathered, and as a result of the scoring change above all sign scores have been adjusted. The top signs haven’t dramatically been shaken up, but there were a number of changes.

The other significant rule change is a new math rule ruling out the use of “trivial math”. This specifically states that you cannot use math that results in the same number provided. So, 2! is no longer allowed since it results in the same number. The same is true for the square root of 1.

We recommend a quick run through the 3rd edition rules to familiarize yourself with any other items that have changed. Now let’s get some more mathematically significant roadsigns.

Remember,