Do the portfolio-value calculations to put the technologies in order. (See below.) The resulting order is Epic Poetry, Legal System, The Wheel, Gladiatorial Combat, Agriculture, Draftsmanship, Philosophy, Exogamy, Trading, ...and Literature. The puzzle answers corresponding to these are AUTUMN, BADMINTON, TRAFFIC PYLON, AMERICAN, INGRID, MERCURY, CORN CAKE, GOOIER, TRISKELION, and WANDERING.
Each puzzle answer contains exactly one letter that occurs twice; all other letters occur at most once per answer:
aUtUmn badmiNtoN traFFicpylon AmericAn IngrId meRcuRy CornCake gOOier trIskelIon waNderiNg
These repeated letters spell UNFAIR COIN, the metapuzzle answer.
The ordering problem was meant to be fairly straightforward and well described, but there were some subtleties. The major one is that the same symbol can show up more than once in a single "portfolio" (see "The Wheel").
Here's the calculation matrix:
| Tech name | Components | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Value | Gain | Gain Pct | Fees | Ending Value | Starting Value | Gain | Gain Pct | Fees | Ending Value | Starting Value | Gain | Gain Pct | Fees | Ending Value | Gain | Fees | Net Gain | Rank | ||
| EPIC POETRY | IC, PI, PO | $653.58 | $385.72 | 59.02% | $96.43 | $1,039.30 | $1,039.30 | $331.55 | 31.90% | $82.89 | $1,370.85 | $1,370.85 | $5.97 | 0.44% | $15.00 | $1,376.82 | $723.24 | $194.32 | $528.92 | 1 |
| LEGAL SYSTEM | AL, LE | $503.53 | $318.63 | 63.28% | $79.66 | $822.16 | $822.16 | $436.21 | 53.06% | $109.05 | $1,258.37 | $1,258.37 | ($25.85) | −2.05% | $15.00 | $1,232.52 | $728.99 | $203.71 | $525.28 | 2 |
| THE WHEEL | EL, HE, HE | $327.48 | $101.47 | 30.98% | $25.37 | $428.95 | $428.95 | $148.19 | 34.55% | $37.05 | $577.14 | $577.14 | $220.44 | 38.20% | $55.11 | $797.58 | $470.10 | $117.52 | $352.57 | 3 |
| GLADIATORIAL COMBAT | AL, AT, AT, DI | $710.95 | $330.25 | 46.45% | $82.56 | $1,041.20 | $1,041.20 | ($97.05) | −9.32% | $15.00 | $944.14 | $944.14 | $286.35 | 30.33% | $71.59 | $1,230.49 | $519.54 | $169.15 | $350.39 | 4 |
| AGRICULTURE | IC, LT, RE | $607.38 | $426.10 | 70.15% | $106.52 | $1,033.48 | $1,033.48 | $350.44 | 33.91% | $87.61 | $1,383.92 | $1,383.92 | ($241.45) | −17.45% | $15.00 | $1,142.47 | $535.09 | $209.13 | $325.95 | 5 |
| DRAFTSMANSHIP | AN, RA, SM | $554.96 | $203.40 | 36.65% | $50.85 | $758.36 | $758.36 | $233.91 | 30.84% | $58.48 | $992.27 | $992.27 | ($31.52) | −3.18% | $15.00 | $960.75 | $405.79 | $124.33 | $281.46 | 6 |
| PHILOSOPHY | PH, PH | $264.52 | $178.07 | 67.32% | $44.52 | $442.59 | $442.59 | $343.10 | 77.52% | $85.77 | $785.69 | $785.69 | ($232.57) | −29.60% | $15.00 | $553.13 | $288.61 | $145.29 | $143.32 | 7 |
| EXOGAMY | AM, EX | $286.86 | $85.95 | 29.96% | $15.00 | $372.81 | $372.81 | ($70.61) | −18.94% | $15.00 | $302.20 | $302.20 | $184.00 | 60.89% | $46.00 | $486.20 | $199.34 | $76.00 | $123.34 | 8 |
| TRADING | DI, NG, RA | $578.41 | $8.40 | 1.45% | $15.00 | $586.81 | $586.81 | $5.27 | 0.90% | $15.00 | $592.08 | $592.08 | $186.03 | 31.42% | $46.51 | $778.11 | $199.70 | $76.51 | $123.19 | 9 |
| AND LITERATURE | AN, AT, RA, RE | $536.41 | $227.01 | 42.32% | $56.75 | $763.42 | $763.42 | ($102.21) | −13.39% | $15.00 | $661.21 | $661.21 | $74.55 | 11.27% | $15.00 | $735.76 | $199.35 | $86.75 | $112.60 | 10 |