How to Survive in 'The Martian' By Doing Math (Infographic)

Chart of the math problems of food supply in "The Martian."

Spoiler Alert! Here's the complicated math problems Mark Watney has to solve, to survive in "The Martian." (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

The Ares III mission was supposed to last 31 sols (a sol is a 24.5-hour Martian day). Just to be safe, NASA sent 68 sols’ worth of food, for six people. For Watney alone, that will last 300 sols, extended to 400 if he rations.

Watney needs 1,500 calories every day. He has 400 sols’ supply of food already. So how many calories does Watney need to generate per day during the entire time period to stay alive for 1,400 days total?

Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork). Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web. He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.