“The program is pretty basic: it runs at the command prompt, in a DOS window … (it gives) the number of steps the program took searching for the solution, plus some search statistics,” Lee’s posting read. DOS refers to disk operating system, an old operating system that was mainly developed by US software firm Microsoft.

“Hope you have fun playing with this. Please tell me if you find any bugs! – LHL,” said Lee, who signs off personally written posts with his initials.

Lee, who has a degree from Britain’s Cambridge University in mathematics and a diploma in computer science, first posted the message on Monday. It had received more than 42,000 “likes” and nearly 15,000 shares on Facebook by Wednesday noon.

“Oh my god, I didn't know that you enjoyed coding, sir. The amazing PM!” said one post on Facebook under the name May Thandar Win.

By contrast in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying does not have his own Facebook or Twitter accounts. The Hong Kong government once had an official Facebook page called “Lower Albert Road” during previous chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen’s tenure, but the page disappeared after Leung took the power.

Major social media networks including Facebook and Twitter have been banned in mainland China for years. No Chinese leader has an official social media account. However, state media, including the official Xinhua news agency and state broadcaster China Central Television, have stepped up their efforts to promote news and culture about China via their verified accounts of Facebook and Twitter in the last two years.