# Programming Easter

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programming-easter/202743>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 20, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programming-easter/202743 "2003-09-20T02:57:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programming-easter/202743/1 "2003-09-20T02:57:25Z")

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Easter is defined as the first Sunday AFTER the first full moon AFTER the first day of spring (vernal equinox). Let’s say you need to write a program that will give you the day Easter will be celebrated for any year \> 2000. Just the logic will do, I don’t need the real code.

Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programming-easter/202743/2 "2003-09-20T03:01:10Z")

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[Here](http://members.brabant.chello.nl/~h.reints/easter/index.htm?frame=easteralg2.htm) are some algorithms that will calulate the date of Easter. I used the Gaussian algorithm when I tackled this task.

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programming-easter/202743/3 "2003-09-20T05:35:59Z")

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Geez, and I thought that one was going to be a challenge. I guess I underestimated the resourcefulness of the SDMB populous (esp. Q.E.D.). Maybe I should also learn how to use Google 🙂

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/programming-easter/202743/4 "2003-09-20T05:59:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ccwaterback \*  
> \*\*Geez, and I thought that one was going to be a challenge. \*\*

Not with **Q.E.D.** on the job. Given his ability to reply within minutes to questions on a myriad of topics, with valid answers and cites no less, I am forced to conclude that **Q.E.D.** is not human. He is obviously a cluster of supercomputers engaged in a DARPA experiment involving artifical intelligence and expert systems. If he ever decides to change his name to SkyNet, be afraid.