You are missing the fact that the kata is not about a regular binary encoding, but about BCD encoding. Youl need to look up what BCD is and how it works.

Am I missing something? The test case 10 == 0001 0000 doesn't make any sense. The Decimal number 10 == 0000 1010 (1(8) + 0(4) + 1(2) + (0)1).

I've been working at a leading ball bearing factory for 34 years:

6 years as apprentice ball bearing manufacturer, 6 years as junior ball bearing inspector, 8 years as senior ball bearing inspector, 3 years as ball bearing design engineer, 5 years as ball bearing advanced applications advisor, 3 years as ball bearings as-a-service (BBaaS) consultant, 2 years as ball bearing factory manager (and 1 year where I was injured - a horrific ball bearing safety related incident that I won't go into here).

Needless to say I'm very disappointed with your attitude - the ball bearing industry needs forward thinking people, who aren't afraid to get stuck in with a problem-solving attitude, who don't just give up at the first obstacle they encounter.

This kata was a highly-realistic simulation of the kind of situation we encounter daily in our industry; if you weren't able to stick with it, I'm afraid I won't be able to take your job application to our ball bearing factory any further.

Best of luck in your career outside the exciting ball bearing industry,

The wording on this kata is horrific. It's supposed to be a programming exercise not a riddle disguised as a programming exercise. We are not psychic, so no obscure riddles please.