Understanding the Doomsday Algorithm

The video tutorial explains Conway's Doomsday Algorithm, a method for determining the day of the week for any given date. It introduces the concept of Doomsday dates, which are specific dates that fall on the same weekday each year. The tutorial outlines the steps to calculate the day of the week, including determining the century's anchor day and using modulo arithmetic. It also covers alternative methods for calculating Doomsday and explains the differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars.

What is the primary purpose of Conway's Doomsday Algorithm?

• To determine the length of a year

• To find the number of days in a month

• To calculate the day of the week for any given date

• To predict future events

Which date is considered a Doomsday in a leap year?

• January 3rd

• January 4th

• February 28th

• March 1st

What mnemonic helps remember the Doomsday dates for May 9th and July 11th?

• Thirty days hath September

• Remember, remember the 5th of November

• April showers bring May flowers

• I work five nine at the 7-eleven

What is the first step in calculating the day of the week for a given date using the Doomsday Algorithm?

• Calculate the year's Doomsday

• Find the century's anchor date

• Determine if the year is a leap year

• Count the days modulo 7

In the example calculation, what day of the week does February 24th, 2016 fall on?

• Monday

• Tuesday

• Thursday

• Wednesday

What is the anchor day for the 21st century?

• Wednesday

• Monday

• Tuesday

• Thursday

What is the first step in Chamberlain Fong and Michael K Walters' method for calculating a year's Doomsday?

• Add 11 to the last two digits of the year if they are odd

• Divide the last two digits of the year by 2

• Take the resulting number modulo 7

• Count the number of days backwards from the anchor day

What is the anchor day for a century divisible by 400?

• Wednesday

• Monday

• Tuesday

• Thursday

How many leap years are there in a given century according to the Gregorian calendar?

• 100

• 76

• 25

• 24

What is the main difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars?

• The Julian calendar is used worldwide

• The Gregorian calendar has more months

• The Julian calendar repeats every 28 years

• The Julian calendar has no leap years