Puzzle

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  • Doug_the_HeadDoug_the_Head Join Date: 2003-03-26 Member: 14909Members
    You would have to run the rope around the world and tie one end of it to the other. But by then you're on the other side of the canyon anyway.....
  • TalesinTalesin Our own little well of hate Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
    Additionally, you still wouldn't have the rope across the canyon, going the around-the-world route. Just one end of the rope on one side, and one on the other side. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • Doug_the_HeadDoug_the_Head Join Date: 2003-03-26 Member: 14909Members
    Oh yeah......

    /smacks forehead
  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    From a book, a number of pages are missing. The sum of the page numbers of these pages is 9808.
    Which pages are missing?

    <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • WindelkronWindelkron Join Date: 2002-04-11 Member: 419Members
    that's too easy <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
  • BogglesteinskyBogglesteinsky Join Date: 2002-12-24 Member: 11488Members
    i dont understand. the pages missing coul be from anywhere in the book?

    so they could be the first page (1) and the last page (9807) or do thay have to be from the middle of the book? are they consecutive or does that give too much away? is that the answer?
  • AkfekaAkfeka Join Date: 2002-11-05 Member: 6991Members
    (I assume its alright to throw out alternate answers once the solution has been given.)

    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I challenge you to get this to work if they are points, and not the size of houses. It is impossible <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Actually, if the points are on a torus, its pretty easy. - I can't take credit for that, I saw it on the MOO3 forums, I believe.


    Also, on the painting problem, if you have both nails in the wall crossed over one-another, you can weave the string over the top nail and under the bottom one. If you remove one, the painting falls.
  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    Well lets see, the number is 9808. So what is the sum of numbers x from 1 to n, where x is the lowest number after 9808 (since there are pages missing, the sum without the pages will be greater than 9808)?

    I'll save you the trouble. The formula is n * (n + 1) / 2 is the sum between 1 and n.

    So solve for n, where the sum is = 9808.

    9808*2 = n*(n + 1)


    19616 = n^2 + n
    0 = n^2 + n - 19616

    (-1 + sqrt(1 - 4*1*-19616))/2*1 = 279.11604738036698207318511628957
    (-1 - sqrt(1 - 4*1*-19616))/2*1 = -281.11604738036698207318511628957

    Obviously n can't be negative (negative number of pages?). So you have 279.116... That represents the number of pages added together consecutively make up 9808. Obviously, we aren't done yet. From here, we have to figure out the next integer n after 279.116 that would allow any two consecutive numbers between 1 and n to be subtracted from it to get 9808 as the sum. Why two consecutive numbers? When you take out a page, you take out 2 page numbers, not one. I'll let you guys figure out the rest.
  • BogglesteinskyBogglesteinsky Join Date: 2002-12-24 Member: 11488Members
    yeah, but my solution is simpler
  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    edited September 2003
    <!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->so they could be the first page (1) and the last page (9807) or do thay have to be from the middle of the book? are they consecutive or does that give too much away? is that the answer? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    The end page number isn't 9808. That's the sum of all the pages. It could be to any number. The trick is that you take at least one pair of consecutive integers from the sum and you get 9808.
  • WindelkronWindelkron Join Date: 2002-04-11 Member: 419Members
    um, it seemed to me like it was just missing page number 9808.
  • p4Samwisep4Samwise Join Date: 2002-12-15 Member: 10831Members
    edited September 2003
    <!--QuoteBegin--Windelkron+Sep 24 2003, 01:18 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Windelkron @ Sep 24 2003, 01:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> um, it seemed to me like it was just missing page number 9808. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    No, because if it was missing page 9808 it'd be missing page 9807 as well, and 9807+9808 > 9808.

    [edit - to clarify further for those of you who have never handled actual books, they usually print on both sides, and number them separately.]
  • WindelkronWindelkron Join Date: 2002-04-11 Member: 419Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--[p4]Samwise+Sep 24 2003, 09:22 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> ([p4]Samwise @ Sep 24 2003, 09:22 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin--Windelkron+Sep 24 2003, 01:18 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Windelkron @ Sep 24 2003, 01:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> um, it seemed to me like it was just missing page number 9808. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    No, because if it was missing page 9808 it'd be missing page 9807 as well, and 9807+9808 > 9808.

    [edit - to clarify further for those of you who have never handled actual books, they usually print on both sides, and number them separately.] <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
    You know, a puzzle in itself just asking how many pages were one 1 sheet of paper would have fooled me. /me hangs head in shame
  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    No no, I think you guys are missing the point of the puzzle

    If the total sum of the page #s was say 29, then looking at the pages,

    (1 + 2) + 0 + (5 + 6) + (7 + 8) = 29. The missing pages in this case are 3 and 4. That's the problem.

    Figure out the missing pages for the sum equalling 9808 instead of 29.

    *gives mouth to mouth resusitation to thread to keep it alive*
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