Euler – Coder.si

Largest exponential

Problem 99

Comparing two numbers written in index form like 2¹¹ and 3⁷ is not difficult, as any calculator would confirm that 2¹¹ = 2048 < 3⁷ = 2187.

However, confirming that 632382⁵¹⁸⁰⁶¹ > 519432⁵²⁵⁸⁰⁶ would be much more difficult, as both numbers contain over three million digits.

Using base_exp.txt (right click and 'Save Link/Target As...'), a 22K text file containing one thousand lines with a base/exponent pair on each line, determine which line number has the greatest numerical value.

NOTE: The first two lines in the file represent the numbers in the example given above.

import math
from tools import load_data_table_integers


def run():
    data = load_data_table_integers(99, delimiter=',')

    maximum = 0
    line_number = 1

    result = 0
    for line in data:
        base, exp = line
        current = exp * math.log10(base)

        if current > maximum:
            maximum = current
            result = line_number

        line_number += 1

    return result