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> what this program does is trivial to describe and should have a commensurately simple implementation

Why do you think that a simple implementation follows from a simple explanation? As an example, see XKCD 1425[0], whose transcript I include here:

> Cueball: When a user takes a photo, the app should check whether they're in a national park...

> Ponytail: Sure, easy GIS lookup. Gimme a few hours.

> Cueball: ...and check whether the photo is of a bird.

> Ponytail: I'll need a research team and five years.

> In CS, it can be hard to explain the difference between the easy and the virtually impossible.

[0] https://xkcd.com/1425/



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