[Updated on: Tue, 18 November 2003 16:56]

Report message to a moderator

Wow! I guess these *were* a bit harder...

Only one person submitted all 5 correct answers: overworked is this weeks Puzzle Master!

Here are the answers:

1. Minimum number of calls is 8.
Standard mathematics: f(n) = 2n-4 for n>=4. f(6) = 8

2. 3x3x3x3x3x3x2=1458
3+3+3+3+3+3+2=20

3. The answer I was looking for was 294
All the other numbers are in anagram pairs.
There is an alternate answer found by EDog: 196, its the only number that has an integral square root (14).

4. The answer is 35. The numbers represent the position of each letter T in the sentence.
Alternate answer brute forced by Mazda: 64 the series 4,13,19,21,29,64 are the first 6 values (x=1 to 6) of the quartic function (11pow(x,4) - 114pow(x,3) + 373pow(x,2) - 270x + 96 ) / 24.

5. 7:30 Bud White and Lucy Johnson
8:00 Rodney Jones and Stella Fahie
8:30 Nathan Bookman and Eva Hartley
9:00 Thaddeus Smith and Nora Cooper
9:30 Felix Flagg and Rita Sternman


5 people got #5 correct, but I still should have posted a link to instructions on how to solve logic puzzles.

3 or 4 people got #4 correct.

Thread unlocked.

[Updated on: Wed, 19 November 2003 07:56]

Report message to a moderator

congrats to overworked

Report message to a moderator

Yes congrats Overworked.
But I question the answer to puzzle one? I get nine not eight. Do you have a breakdown besides a math formula of how you get eight calls?

Report message to a moderator

BlueTurbit wrote on Tue, 18 November 2003 22:35

Yes congrats Overworked. But I question the answer to puzzle one? I get nine not eight. Do you have a breakdown besides a math formula of how you get eight calls?

I'd be interested in this as well. I'm not a math guy, but I do love spreadsheets. I named all six ladies and worked it out call by call. No matter how I worked it out, I came up with nine actual calls not eight.

To wit:
Amy, Brenda, Chloe, Dana, Evelyn, and Francine are the gossipers.

Call 1: Amy calls Brenda (A=AB, B=AB)
Call 2: Evelyn calls Francine (E=EF, F=EF)
Call 3: Chloe calls Dana (C=CD, D=CD)
Call 4: Amy calls Chloe (A=ABCD, C=ABCD)
Call 5: Brenda calls Evelyn (B=ABEF, E=ABEF)
Call 6: Dana calls Francine (D=CDEF, F=CDEF)
Call 7: Amy calls Evelyn (A=ABCDEF, E=ABCDEF)
Call 8: Brenda calls Dana (B=ABCDEF, D=ABCDEF)
Call 9: Chloe calls Francine (C=ABCDEF, F=ABCDEF)

How can this be done with one fewer call?

BTW, loved the marriages problem. Kept me amused for like an hour when I should have been studying.

EDog

Report message to a moderator

EDog wrote on Wed, 19 November 2003 06:49

BlueTurbit wrote on Tue, 18 November 2003 22:35 Yes congrats Overworked. But I question the answer to puzzle one? I get nine not eight. Do you have a breakdown besides a math formula of how you get eight calls? I'd be interested in this as well. I'm not a math guy, but I do love spreadsheets. I named all six ladies and worked it out call by call. No matter how I worked it out, I came up with nine actual calls not eight. To wit: Amy, Brenda, Chloe, Dana, Evelyn, and Francine are the gossipers. Call 1: Amy calls Brenda (A=AB, B=AB) Call 2: Evelyn calls Francine (E=EF, F=EF) Call 3: Chloe calls Dana (C=CD, D=CD) Call 4: Amy calls Chloe (A=ABCD, C=ABCD) Call 5: Brenda calls Evelyn (B=ABEF, E=ABEF) Call 6: Dana calls Francine (D=CDEF, F=CDEF) Call 7: Amy calls Evelyn (A=ABCDEF, E=ABCDEF) Call 8: Brenda calls Dana (B=ABCDEF, D=ABCDEF) Call 9: Chloe calls Francine (C=ABCDEF, F=ABCDEF) How can this be done with one fewer call? BTW, loved the marriages problem. Kept me amused for like an hour when I should have been studying. EDog

Amy, Brenda, Chloe, Dana, Evelyn, and Francine

Amy calls Francine.
Amy calls Evelyn.
Amy calls Brenda.
Chloe calls Dana.
Amy calls Chloe.
Brenda calls Dana.
Amy calls Evelyn.
Amy calls Francine.

now everybody knows everything!!!!

Report message to a moderator

Quote:

I'd be interested in this as well. I'm not a math guy, but I do love spreadsheets. I named all six ladies <snip>

Ladies? Can't remember busybody being a synonym for a woman

Edog had another point... He was puzzling while he should be studying. I was working while I should be puzzling

Report message to a moderator

Report message to a moderator

Ashlyn wrote on Wed, 19 November 2003 00:17

Ash, Brenda, Chloe, Dana, Evelyn, and Francine Ash calls Francine. Ash calls Evelyn. Ash calls Brenda. Chloe calls Dana. Ash calls Chloe. Brenda calls Dana. Ash calls Evelyn. Ash calls Francine. now everybody knows everything!!!!

Well done! Nothing like getting telephone gossip routing from a professional.

Report message to a moderator

[Updated on: Wed, 19 November 2003 07:59]

Report message to a moderator

Congratulations overworked!

I have to admit that I only got two of the questions correct. I thought that I had got three of them correct but I must have misread number two because I did not realize that I could reuse numbers.

I look forward to next weeks questions to see if I can get a few more correct.

Shadallark

Report message to a moderator

Seems that one busy body is busier than the other busy bodies

Report message to a moderator

BlueTurbit wrote on Wed, 19 November 2003 00:35

Yes congrats Overworked. But I question the answer to puzzle one? I get nine not eight. Do you have a breakdown besides a math formula of how you get eight calls?

I think I supplied something along those lines with my submission (since I didn't do it with a formula.

OK: Six people 1-6 and six info items A-F

1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E
6) F

Three calls: 1-2; 3-4; 5-6

1) AB
2) AB
3) CD
4) CD
5) EF
6) EF

1 calls 3 (4 total)

1) ABCD
2) AB
3) ABCD
4) CD
5) EF
6) EF

1 calls 6 (5 total)

1) ABCDEF (done)
2) AB
3) ABCD
4) CD
5) EF
6) ABCDEF (done)

Now, 1 or 6 could call the rest (to make 9) - but...

3 calls 5... (6 total)

1) done
2) AB
3) ABCD + EF from 5 (done)
4) CD
5) EF + ABCD from 3 (done)
6) done

Now have one that is done call 2 and 4 (8 total)

===========
HTH

- Kurt

Report message to a moderator

Ron wrote on Wed, 19 November 2003 13:59

mazda wrote on Wed, 19 November 2003 03:27 Ron wrote on Wed, 19 November 2003 03:06 1. Minimum number of calls is 8. Standard mathematics: f(n) = 2n-4 for n>=4. f(6) = 8 BTW, what "standard" mathematics are you referring to in question 1 ? That line was quoted straight from Ashlyn's PM to me. I'll let her explain it (or someone else who knows the math).

The gossip problem is a very well known mathematical problem. You can find information on the standard mathematics involved at http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Gossiping.html .

Report message to a moderator