Minesweeper Could Hold the Key to Famous Math Q.

http://www.claymath.org/Popular_Lectures/Minesweeper/

"It's not often you can win a million dollars by analysing a computer game, but by a curious conjunction of fate, there's a chance that you might. However, you'll only pick up the loot if all the experts are wrong and a problem that they think is extraordinarily hard turns out to be easy. So don't order the Corvette yet.

The prize is one of seven now on offer from the newly founded Clay Mathematics Institute in Cambridge MA, set up by businessman Landon T. Clay to promote the growth and spread of mathematical knowledge, each bearing a million-buck price-tag. The computer game is Minesweeper, which is included in Microsoft's Windows operating system, and involves locating hidden mines on a grid by making guesses about where they are located and using clues provided by the computer. And the problem is one of the most notorious open questions in mathematics, which rejoices in the name 'P=NP?'. "

edit: I figured I should censor the racial slur, hence the sweet black line.

I've always noted that that image is incorrect; you can only minimize that shit. Maximization is not possible as is evidenced by the greyed maximize button.

It would take me a lot more time than I have right now to go and try to get a more complete understanding of the P=NP? problem.