{"ok":true,"trend":{"id":1014845,"platform":"hn","region":"global","key":"a parasitic fibonacci computation inside /usr/bin/top","title":"A parasitic Fibonacci computation inside /usr/bin/top","url":"https://seriot.ch/computation/terminfo/","first_seen":"2026-10-04T18:20:39.659995Z","last_seen":"2026-10-04T19:20:39.669003Z","last_rank":27,"peak_rank":25,"last_volume":17,"peak_volume":17,"seen_count":5,"score":0.61203125,"category_hint":null,"section":null,"category":null,"summary":"A researcher at seriot.ch has documented how a terminfo configuration can force /usr/bin/top, the standard Unix process monitor, to carry out a parasitic Fibonacci computation as a hidden side effect. The write-up explains the mechanism and its performance implications, and it is drawing attention from developers surprised that a routine terminal database entry can trigger unexpected CPU work inside a core system utility.","why":"A technical write-up revealing an unexpected hidden computation in a basic Unix system tool is making the rounds among developers and systems programmers.","tone":"neutral","entities":["seriot.ch","/usr/bin/top","terminfo","Unix"],"summarized_at":"2026-10-04T18:25:00.040619Z","meta":{"lang":"en","link":"https://seriot.ch/computation/terminfo/","hn_id":"49935250","comments":5},"nw":null,"promo":null,"kind":null,"importance":null,"hidden":false,"hide_reason":null,"judged_at":null,"title_en":"Hidden Fibonacci computation found inside /usr/bin/top","timeline":[{"captured_at":"2026-10-04T18:20:39.659995Z","rank":28,"volume":5},{"captured_at":"2026-10-04T18:35:39.656796Z","rank":30,"volume":5},{"captured_at":"2026-10-04T18:50:39.758669Z","rank":27,"volume":7},{"captured_at":"2026-10-04T19:05:39.655095Z","rank":25,"volume":13},{"captured_at":"2026-10-04T19:20:39.669003Z","rank":27,"volume":17}],"posts":[{"platform":"hn","url":"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49935250","author":"beefburger","title":"A parasitic Fibonacci computation inside /usr/bin/top","snippet":null,"posted_at":"2026-10-02T16:17:09Z","likes":17}],"elsewhere":[],"window":"7d"}}