---
title: "Charity Engine"
chunk: 1/1
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charity_Engine"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:11:39.893406+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Charity Engine is a free PC app based on Berkeley University's BOINC software, run by The Worldwide Computer Company Limited. The project works by selling spare home computing power to universities and corporations, then sharing the profits between eight partner charities and periodic cash prize draws for the users; those running the Charity Engine BOINC software on their home computers. When there are no corporations purchasing the computing power, Charity Engine donates it to existing volunteer computing projects such as Rosetta@home, Einstein@Home, and Malaria Control, and prize draws are funded by donations.
The company was founded by former journalist Mark McAndrew, who was writing a science fiction novel featuring a similar organisation. He abandoned the book in favour of creating the idea in real life, with the assistance of professor David Anderson from UC Berkeley who created BOINC. The company was incorporated in 2008, but did not start trading until 2011.
The company received €70,000 of EU innovation funding through the Framework Programme 7 (FP7).


== Protein folding ==
In August 2014 the Rosetta@home project reported Charity Engine had contributed over 125,000 new PCs to its grid.
In January 2017, Charity Engine was credited as a significant contributor to solving protein-folding problems in the paper "Protein structure determination using metagenome sequence data" published by the journal Science.


== Sums of three cubes problem ==
In September 2019 a team led by Andrew Booker at the University of Bristol and Andrew Sutherland at  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used Charity Engine to solve the sums of three cubes problem for the number 42, as well as finding solutions for four other numbers in the same problem. The numbers found by Charity Engine are:

  
    
      
        3
        =
        569
         
        936
         
        821
         
        221
         
        962
         
        380
         
        
          720
          
            3
          
        
        +
        (
        −
        569
         
        936
         
        821
         
        113
         
        563
         
        493
         
        509
        
          )
          
            3
          
        
        +
        (
        −
        472
         
        715
         
        493
         
        453
         
        327
         
        032
        
          )
          
            3
          
        
        ,
      
    
    {\displaystyle 3=569\ 936\ 821\ 221\ 962\ 380\ 720^{3}+(-569\ 936\ 821\ 113\ 563\ 493\ 509)^{3}+(-472\ 715\ 493\ 453\ 327\ 032)^{3},}
  

  
    
      
        42
        =
        (
        −
        80
         
        538
         
        738
         
        812
         
        075
         
        974
        
          )
          
            3
          
        
        +
        80
         
        435
         
        758
         
        145
         
        817
         
        
          515
          
            3
          
        
        +
        12
         
        602
         
        123
         
        297
         
        335
         
        
          631
          
            3
          
        
        ,
      
    
    {\displaystyle 42=(-80\ 538\ 738\ 812\ 075\ 974)^{3}+80\ 435\ 758\ 145\ 817\ 515^{3}+12\ 602\ 123\ 297\ 335\ 631^{3},}
  

  
    
      
        165
        =
        (
        −
        385
         
        495
         
        523
         
        231
         
        271
         
        884
        
          )
          
            3
          
        
        +
        383
         
        344
         
        975
         
        542
         
        639
         
        
          445
          
            3
          
        
        +
        98
         
        422
         
        560
         
        467
         
        622
         
        
          814
          
            3
          
        
        ,
      
    
    {\displaystyle 165=(-385\ 495\ 523\ 231\ 271\ 884)^{3}+383\ 344\ 975\ 542\ 639\ 445^{3}+98\ 422\ 560\ 467\ 622\ 814^{3},}
  

  
    
      
        579
        =
        143
         
        075
         
        750
         
        505
         
        019
         
        222
         
        
          645
          
            3
          
        
        +
        (
        −
        143
         
        070
         
        303
         
        858
         
        622
         
        169
         
        975
        
          )
          
            3
          
        
        +
        (
        −
        6
         
        941
         
        531
         
        883
         
        806
         
        363
         
        291
        
          )
          
            3
          
        
        ,
      
    
    {\displaystyle 579=143\ 075\ 750\ 505\ 019\ 222\ 645^{3}+(-143\ 070\ 303\ 858\ 622\ 169\ 975)^{3}+(-6\ 941\ 531\ 883\ 806\ 363\ 291)^{3},}
  

  
    
      
        906
        =
        (
        −
        74
         
        924
         
        259
         
        395
         
        610
         
        397
        
          )
          
            3
          
        
        +
        72
         
        054
         
        089
         
        679
         
        353
         
        
          378
          
            3
          
        
        +
        35
         
        961
         
        979
         
        615
         
        356
         
        
          503
          
            3
          
        
        .
      
    
    {\displaystyle 906=(-74\ 924\ 259\ 395\ 610\ 397)^{3}+72\ 054\ 089\ 679\ 353\ 378^{3}+35\ 961\ 979\ 615\ 356\ 503^{3}.}
  


== References ==


== External links ==
Charity Engine Website