log/fermi problem

Found this tweet about Fermi Problem


A Fermi question is a type of problem-solving technique used to make rough estimations or calculations based on reasonable assumptions and logical reasoning. It is named after the physicist Enrico Fermi, who was known for his ability to make quick and accurate approximations with limited information.

Fermi questions typically involve making educated guesses about quantities and numbers that may seem difficult to determine precisely. They often involve breaking down a complex problem into simpler components and using known facts or reasonable assumptions to arrive at an approximate answer.

"How much data is processed by a popular social media platform like Facebook in a day?"

To approach this Fermi question, we can break it down into simpler components and make some reasonable assumptions:

Estimate the number of active users:
Let's assume there are approximately 2 billion active users on Facebook.

Estimate the average number of posts per user:
Suppose each user makes an average of 5 posts per day.

Estimate the average size of a post:
Let's assume an average post size of 100 kilobytes (KB).

Estimate the number of photos uploaded per day:
Assume that each user uploads an average of 2 photos per day.

Estimate the average size of a photo:
Suppose the average size of a photo is 2 megabytes (MB).

Now, we can calculate the approximate amount of data processed:

(Number of active users × Average number of posts per user × Average post size) + (Number of active users × Number of photos uploaded per day × Average photo size)

(2 billion users × 5 posts per user × 100 KB) + (2 billion users × 2 photos per day × 2 MB)
= (10 billion posts × 100 KB) + (4 billion photos × 2 MB)
= 1 trillion kilobytes (KB) + 8 terabytes (TB)
= 1 petabyte (PB) + 8 terabytes (TB)

Therefore, based on these rough estimations, we can approximate that a popular social media platform like Facebook processes around 1 petabyte (PB) + 8 terabytes (TB) of data in a day.

Remember, these estimates are rough approximations and may not reflect the actual figures, as the precise data processing volume of a specific platform may vary. Fermi questions are primarily intended to develop estimation skills and provide a general understanding of the scale involved in a particular scenario.