HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: radcliff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (David G Radcliffe)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: A Simple Dice Game
Date: 3 Oct 1992 19:15:43 GMT
Organization: UW-Milwaukee Math Department
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4

A dice game is played as follows:

You have nine boxes which are numbered from 1 to 9.  The boxes are
initially open.  You roll a pair of dice, and then you close one or
more open boxes, so that the sum of the dice is equal to the sum of
the boxes you close.  You repeat until you are unable to move.  At
the end of your turn, your score is the sum of the numbers of the
boxes which remain open.  The object is to get a lower score than
your opponents.

Sample turn: 

  Roll      Board
  ----      -----
  5 1       12345-789  
  3 3       -234--789   
  5 2       -234---89
  1 2       -2-4---89
  6 3       -2-4---8-
  2 3       Cannot play

Score = 14

The problem:  Analyze this game.  Can you devise an optimal strategy?

--
David Radcliffe                                
radcliff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu            
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: amorgan@csd-d-3.Stanford.EDU (Crunchy Frog)
Subject: Re: Diameter of earth?
Originator: amorgan@csd-d-3.Stanford.EDU
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organizatoin
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 18:51:14 GMT

In article <1aleqmINNk87@gap.caltech.edu> carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU writes:
>>In article <1992Oct3.163947.17166@hellgate.utah.edu> 
>>  tolman%asylum.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Kenneth Tolman) writes:
>>>  How can you measure the diameter of the earth, using everyday tools
>>>that a typical person would have access to?  This means MEASURE, not look
>>>up the answer someone else determined.  I want to measure the diameter of
>>>the earth, and if some other people did to we could compare answers!
>
>I prefer the originally published technique:  Measure the angle of the sun 
>from
>the horizon at noon from two places at the same longitude but different
>latitudes, and a known distance apart.  Simple trigonometry will give you an
>estimate of the diameter of the earth.  You can either have two people 
>make the
>measurements on the same day, or make the measurements yourself on consecutive
>days (though if the latter, you should to it near a solstice so as to minimize
>the error introduced).

One thing I have always wondered about is how the inventor of this
technique (Erasthophenes?) was able to tell when it was noon at each
place.  Now it is trivial since we have accurate timepieces, but they
didn't back then.  Did he wander over there with an hourglass or something?

>Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL

C Frog
From: RVESTERM@vma.cc.nd.edu
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: No vowels, One syllable
Date: 2 Oct 92 23:13:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: vma.92276.181341RVESTERM
 <1992Oct1.131608.20739@medtron.medtronic.com>

someone asked if there was a word without an a,e,i,o,u, or y in it.
i can think of two offhand.  cwm and crwd.  a cwm is a mountain hollow;
a crwd is a type of stringed instrument.

while this answers the question, it does not answer the original ("any word
without a vowel" or some such), since in both words, "w" is used as a
vowel (specifically, it's pronounced "oo", so we have "coom" and "crood").
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: lrm28@cas.org ()
Subject: Word puzzle (vowels and consonants)
Summary: Better than 80 % ?
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 18:28:56 GMT

Let's try this again:

What is the highest concentration of vowels to consonants in words of
4 letters or more.  Ex. aloha has 60 % vowels.  Strengths has 11 %.

Several words have 80%, and a few have higher.  What are they?


-- 
Luke Mayercin  lrm28@cas.org  "Why does ear wax taste like it does?"
Chemical Abstracts Service is not responsible for these comments.
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz (Bill Taylor)
Subject: Re: Diameter of earth?
Organization: Department of Mathematics, University of Canterbury
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 23:09:59 GMT

Here's another method.

Go to the top of a tall hill (3000 ft should be enough) with a clear view of
the sea's horizon in two opposite directions.

Difficult if you live in Kansas, but quite easy around here.
                                                                         o
Set up pointers toward each horizon from a tripod. They will be about 1.5  off
a straight line.   Use trigonometry.

Not terribly accurate with home-grown equioment, but probably as good as the 
noon measurement method.

By the way, it's quite easy to *see* from this hill, that the horizon is curved.
If flat-earthers had lived near these places, they would never have been such...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Bill Taylor              wft@math.canterbury.ac.nz
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Galaxies - results of chaotic amplification of quantum events in the big bang.
 Free will- the result of chaotic amplification of quantum events in the brain.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: dseal@armltd.co.uk (David Seal)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: An ancient Chinese puzzle
Date: 6 Oct 92 15:52:10 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: A.R.M. Ltd, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambs, UK

In article <BvK2M9.J46@hplabs.hpl.hp.com> potamian@hpl.hp.com (Spyros
Potamianos) writes:

>Take a tank big enough to squeeze the elephant inside, fill it with water,
>convince the elephant to take a bath (this is probably the hardest part...),

>From what I've seen on various television programs, elephants *love* water,
so this probably isn't hard. What *is* likely to be hard is persuading the
elephant not to spray water all around the experimental chamber :-)

>measure how much water is displaced (i.e. measure how much the water level
>rises and multiply it by the surface of the cross section of the tank),
>calculate its (i.e. the displaced water's) weight, and voila!
>
>Of course in order for this to work the elephant must float, which
>(fortunately for these cute mammals) is usually the case...

David Seal
dseal@armltd.co.uk

All opinions are mine only...
From: sanzgiri@bombay.metaphor.com (Ajit Sanzgiri)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: Astronomy: farther = closer
Date: 28 Sep 92 16:32:33 GMT
Organization: Metaphor Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA

In article <19h3diINNqj2@gap.caltech.edu> keith@cco.caltech.edu (Keith Allan Schneider) writes:
>
>expanding.  That is, all of the galaxies are moving away from us, yet we are
>not the center of the universe.  There is no center.
>
	Just curious. Reasonable as it may appear that we (or anyone else)
	are not at the centre of the universe, has this assertion actually been
	verified experimentally or is it just an assumption ?

	Ajit Sanzgiri
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: M.F.Fox@massey.ac.nz (M.F. Fox)
Subject: Re: diameter of the earth
Organization: Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
X-Reader: NETNEWS/PC Version 2c
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 03:11:16 GMT


As someone has already pointed out, the tropic of cancer is nowhere near
Greece.  However, Eratosthenes travelled to southern Egypt for some reason,
and discovered a place there where the sun fell vertically down a well
shaft.  He knew that this never happened in Alexandria.  He therefore
figured out that the earth must be spherical.  By measuring the angle
of the sun down the well in Alexandria (on the longest day, to get the
smallest deviation from the vertical), and by measuring the distance
from Alexandria to this hamlet on the tropic, he was able to calculate the
diameter of the Earth.

The tricky part is measuring the North-South component of the distance.
He used a specially trained cohort of foot soldiers, who counted their
steps to measure the distance.  I forget how he only took the N-S
component.  This is a well known story in Greek literature (ancient Greek),
although I can't think of a source off the top of my head.  If I remember
correctly, the distance he got was 36,000 kms - not bad for a chappie
whose been dead for well over 2000 years.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        M.F.Fox@MASSEY.AC.NZ
  Michael F. Fox,  Massey University,  Palmerston North,  New Zealand
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: dwr2560@zeus.tamu.edu (RING, DAVID WAYNE)
Subject: Re: Brown/Blue eyes (SPOILER!)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 03:13:00 GMT

rmjarvis@cco.caltech.edu (Robert Michael Jarvis) writes...
>> What happens if the foreigner lies and says
>>    "At least 301 of you are blue-eyed"?
>
>The second case is much more disasterous.  On the first night, all of the 
>brown-eyed people will think they have blue-eyes, and will kill themselves.
>The blue-eyed people, however will know that the foreigner is lying, but they
>won't know whether he is off by 1 or 2, so they won't do anything.  After the
>first night's catastrophe, all of the blue-eyed people will realize why the
>brown-eyed people killed themselves, and will realize that they themselves
>must therefor have blue eyes, and will kill themselves.  So in two nights,
>that one comment will cause the death of everyone on the island.  So, if 
>ever you feel like making a comment to such a group of people, make sure you
>don't over-estimate.  :-).

So what happens if he says "At least 400 of you are blue-eyed"?

Hint: On the 101'th day the brown-eye's are all visibly relieved. :-)

Dave Ring
dwr2560@zeus.tamu.edu





Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: potamian@hpl.hp.com (Spyros Potamianos)
Subject: Re: An ancient Chinese puzzle
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 17:15:43 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard

>From: sb102760@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg
>
>    Here's an ancient Chinese puzzle:
>
>    During the end of Eastern Han Dynasty, warlords rule over different
>    parts of China. The strongest was Cao Cao who held the Imperial family
>    and most of Imperial authority (de facto ruler)
>
>    One day, he received an gift from foreign envoys : an elephant. Being
>    a creature not native to China, it became the subject of much
>    speculation, one which was on its weight.
>
>    Curious, Cao Cao decided to find out. Alas, no weighing scales were
>    found suitable though his men searched the entire palace, forge,
>    kitchens, workshops etc etc. Undaunted, Cao Cao threw the problem
>    open to the court, wanting to see if any has a talent for solving
>    unconventional problems. 
>
>    Unfortunately, none of his courtiers, generals or ministers could
>    come up with a solution. The problem was only solved later by his
>    ten year old son Cao Chong.
>
>    Question is	:	How did Cao Chong do it ?
>			    Perhaps the solution is not unique, so okay,
>			    how would you do it ?
>    Conditions	:	Elephant is full grown (probably from India or
>			    Siam)
>			    Elephant must remain the same, very much
>unharmed.
>			    No complicated/sophisticated solution please.
>
>ET.

Well, I am 30 years old, but I'll give it a try...

Take a tank big enough to squeeze the elephant inside, fill it with water,
convince the elephant to take a bath (this is probably the hardest part...),
measure how much water is displaced (i.e. measure how much the water level
rises and multiply it by the surface of the cross section of the tank),
calculate its (i.e. the displaced water's) weight, and voila!

Of course in order for this to work the elephant must float, which
(fortunately for these cute mammals) is usually the case...

Spyros "good, I am as clever as a 10 year old" Potamianos
potamian@hpl.hp.com
From: dwr2560@zeus.tamu.edu (RING, DAVID WAYNE)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: Brown/Blue eyes (SPOILER!) -- that is, FINAL SPOILER!
Date: 29 Sep 92 21:51:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: zeus.29SEP199216515066
Followup-To: rec.puzzles
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

hiraga@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Yuzuru Hiraga) writes...
>* Along that line, note that the number 301 is critical.  Had the foreigner
>  said any larger number (eg. 302, 400), nothing would have happened.
>  In the 301 case, while the blue-eyes can recognize the statement to be
>  false, the brown-eyes won't and falsely believe it to be true.
>  On the other hand, for a larger number, everyone (both blue and brown)
>  would know it to be false, and also know that everyone else knew that.

If he said 302, a brown-eye does NOT know that other brown-eyes knew that.

Haven't we heard this argument before? like: "everyone already knows there
are blue-eyes on the island so the visitor's comment adds no information"

>  So this is only a reverse of the trivial case (replacing
>  self-evidently TRUE with self-evidently FALSE).
>  Those of you who made the 400 case, sorry, you fell in the trap.

Perhaps you should reread the original '400' post more carefully. Especially
note the hint. It contains an important piece of information.

Dave Ring
dwr2560@zeus.tamu.edu
From: mpe@shamash.cdc.com
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: More logic problems please...                   <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Date: 29 Sep 92 19:55:14 GMT

I am looking for some more of those wonderful logic problems that were
posted several weeks ago.  The kinds of problems that contain a sparce
number of seemingly unrelated clues and require the reader to deduce 
the ordered-set conclusions of who (first and last names), what, when,
where, why and how. 
 
mpe@shamash.cdc.com
From: hamel@uakari.primate.wisc.edu (Ray Hamel)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: No vowels, one syllable
Date: 30 Sep 1992 15:33:53 -0500
Organization: UW-Madison Primate Center
NNTP-Posting-Host: uakari.primate.wisc.edu


> From: kml@cellar.org (Scott Tiger)
> Subject: No vowels, One syllable
> 
> Given that we've beaten the one-vowel, two-syllable puzzle into the ground,
> how about a no-vowel, one-syllable word.  I know of one in Webster's.
> I does not contain an A,E,I,O,U,or Y.
> 
> Any takers?
> 

How about "crwth"?

Ray Hamel
University of Wisconsin
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: 20 question stories
From: jhsegal@wiscon.weizmann.ac.il (Livy)
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 17:06:27 GMT
Organization: Weizmann Institute of Science, Computation Center

>There is a second problem with your solution too: It is impossible to walk ten
>miles south if you start at the south pole...
>
>Dag Espolin Johnson  -  dagjo@ifi.uio.no

Theoretically no.But if you do some trick with the Georaphical South Pole,and
the Magnetical South pole,maybe.Depends what trick you do.(For example,you
can stand at the Geog. South P.,and to look at the busole,which is still working
,and to go 10 miles to the Mag. Soth pole.)
Otherwise,I don't think you can!

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    |___   |       /     |    _  \    |  \  | UNIX:
        |  |      /      |   /    \   |     |  JHSEGAL  @ Wiscon.weizmann.ac.il
From: clong@remus.rutgers.edu (Chris Long)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: No vowels, One syllable
Date: 1 Oct 92 03:30:09 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <1992Sep30.200230.21444@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>, Steve Martin writes:
> From article <DV0wRB1w164w@cellar.org>, by kml@cellar.org (Scott Tiger):
>> Given that we've beaten the one-vowel, two-syllable puzzle into the ground,
>> how about a no-vowel, one-syllable word.  I know of one in Webster's.
>> I does not contain an A,E,I,O,U,or Y.

> How about "cwm" - a natural amphitheater.  

The "w" in this case is a vowel.  Better tries are "tsk" and "tsktsk",
both of which are in _The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary_.
-- 
Chris Long, 265 Old York Rd., Bridgewater, NJ  08807-2618
From: deghare@daisy.uwaterloo.ca (Dave Hare)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: Attribute Puzzles
Date: 30 Sep 92 21:14:32 GMT
Organization: University of Waterloo

In article <1992Sep27.065122.1758@techbook.com> dant@techbook.com (Dan Tilque) writes:
>wvanweer@wsuaix.csc.wsu.edu (Wayne VanWeerthuizen) writes:
>>
>>Set#1
>> Item w/ attribute: battery, key, yeast, diskette, bookmark
>> Items without    : rubix's cube, pill bottle, stapler, calculator, envelope

Attribute: Non-self-contained.  Specifically, none of the items in the "with"
list is any good by itself, but all the items in the "without" list are usable
by themselves.

Dave Hare
From: macster@IASTATE.EDU (Michael C Mccarty)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: Astronomy: farther = closer
Date: 28 Sep 92 18:22:24 GMT
Reply-To: macster@IASTATE.EDU (Michael C Mccarty)
Organization: Iowa State University

In article <2571@cronos.metaphor.com>, sanzgiri@bombay.metaphor.com (Ajit
Sanzgiri) writes:

> 	Just curious. Reasonable as it may appear that we (or anyone else)
> 	are not at the centre of the universe, has this assertion actually been
> 	verified experimentally or is it just an assumption ?
> 
> 	Ajit Sanzgiri


Its neither been verified or assumed.  Its just plain impossible to tell. 

Its been shown several times in many ways that an 'absolute' point of reference
in this universe is impossible.  Why, you ask?  

Explanation:

Let's assume that our universe consists entirely of two objects, the Earth and
the Sun, let's say.  From Earth, it appears that the Sun is moving and the Earth
is stationary.  But, it can also be that the Earth is moving and the Sun is
stationary (ignoring any possible effects of inertia, of course).  How can you
tell?  Answer: you can't.

Through a process of induction, you will discover that no matter how many
objects you have in your universe, it is impossible to tell what is moving and
what is not.  (Unless of course, you are God :-) Therefore, you cannot have an
'absolute' point of reference. (QED)

					Absolutely,
					Mike


Does this mean that the universe revolves around me?  Answer: yes. :^)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: haha@vipunen.hut.fi (Harri Haanp{{)
Subject: Re: Chess-problem
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Date:  4 Oct 92 12:04:02 GMT

In <BvIFxz.4K7@news.cso.uiuc.edu> acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng) writes:

>In article <1992Oct2.182648.1904@news.eng.convex.com>, Dave Dodson <dodson@convex.COM> writes:
>>Onar, I'd like to check my understanding of your puzzle.  I think you are
>>assuming that all the queens will placed on the board first such that the
>>king will be in checkmate no matter where it is placed.  Is this correct?
>>
>>If so, I see such a position for 7 queens.

>6 queens can do too.  Put them from b2 to b7.  All rows from 2 to 7
>are checked.  a8 to c8 checked by queen at b7.  d8 to h8 checked by
>queens at b6 to b2 respectively.  Same for the row 1.  All squares
>checked.

SPOILER:

(I sure hope the ^L works)

5 queens is enough. See:

. . . . . . Q .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . Q . . .
. . . Q . . . .
. . Q . . . . . Here the queens protect each other too
. . . . . . . .
Q . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
. . . . Q . . .
. Q . . . . . . Here they don't.
. . . Q . . . .
. . . . . Q . .
. . Q . . . . .
. . . . . . . .

5 queens is enough for bigger boards too, I think I recall something like
11x11, but that might be wrong.

Harri H.
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: guy@ulysses.att.com (Guy Jacobson)
Subject: Re: Packing problem
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 18:47:01 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories

In article <1992Oct6.020647.4651@ils.nwu.edu>, blum@news.ils.nwu.edu (Daniel Blum) writes:
> A few years ago, this puzzle appeared in the newsletter of the company
> I was working for:
> 
>    Given an infinitely long rectangular strip which is two units wide,
> and circles with diameters of one unit, one can pack them in parallel
> rows of two, like so:
>                       _____________________________
>                       |oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...
>                       |oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...
>                       -----------------------------
> However, there is a more efficient packing.  What is it?
> 
> Unfortunately, I left the company before the solution was given, and
> as fas as _I_ can see, there is no solution.  Any ideas?  

I can see a way to achieve a density of

6 / (sqrt (4 sqrt (3) - 3) + 1) = 2.012

circles per unit of strip length, which beats the parallel
row packing by a little bit.  Here's how:

Start with a two strips of a hexagonal close packing:

----------------
| O O O O O O O 
|O O O O O O O O
----------------
(It's hard to do this kind of diagram in ascii. Imagine that the
 typical circle above is touching four neighbors)

Now, notice that although the packing density is just as good (2.0) as the
rectangular parallel row packing, there is now a good deal of play, because
our packing strip is 2.0 units wide, but we are only need a width of
1 + sqrt (3) / 2 (= 1.866) units for our two strips.

So we'll do the following:

----------------
| O * * O * * O 
|O O * O O * O O
----------------

Let's call groups of three mutually adjacent circles marked with O and * as
shown above triangles.  We will now shift each triangle as a fixed unit. 
Push all the O triangles down so that they are flush with the bottom of the
packing strip, and all the * triangles up so they are flush with the top of
the strip.  Now there will be small gaps between adjacent triangles, and we
can shift all the triangles to left a bit to close these gaps and boost the
packing density up to 2.016 (you can do the math yourself)

-- 
_________________________________________________________________
Guy Jacobson   (908) 582-6558              AT&T Bell Laboratories
        uucp:  {att,ucbvax}!ulysses!guy	   600 Mountain Avenue
    internet:  guy@ulysses.att.com         Murray Hill NJ, 07974
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: sb102760@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg
Subject: Re: An ancient Chinese puzzle[Spoilers]
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 00:47:22 GMT

In article <1992Oct3.103824.1@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg>, sb102760@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg writes:
> 
> 	Here's an ancient Chinese puzzle:
> 
> 	During the end of Eastern Han Dynasty, warlords rule over different
> 	parts of China. The strongest was Cao Cao who held the Imperial family
> 	and most of Imperial authority (de facto ruler)
> 
> 	One day, he received an gift from foreign envoys : an elephant. Being
> 	a creature not native to China, it became the subject of much
> 	speculation, one which was on its weight.
> 
> 	Curious, Cao Cao decided to find out. Alas, no weighing scales were
> 	found suitable though his men searched the entire palace, forge,
> 	kitchens, workshops etc etc. Undaunted, Cao Cao threw the problem
> 	open to the court, wanting to see if any has a talent for solving
> 	unconventional problems. 
> 
> 	Unfortunately, none of his courtiers, generals or ministers could
> 	come up with a solution. The problem was only solved later by his
> 	ten year old son Cao Chong.
> 
> 	Question is	:	How did Cao Chong do it ?
> 				Perhaps the solution is not unique, so okay,
> 				how would you do it ?
> 	Conditions	:	Elephant is full grown (probably from India or
> 				Siam)
> 				Elephant must remain the same, very much
> unharmed.
> 				No complicated/sophisticated solution please







		[SPOILERS AHEAD]









	Actually, several replies have hit the same solution as the boy.
	This puzzle is probably familiar to those who studied Chinese.

	The simplest method proposed/used to date was marking the side of
	a boat with the elephant on it. Removing the elephant, known weights
	or rocks which weights can be measured are loaded until the same
	mark is reached. This is using Archimedes's principle.

	Thank you for all of you out there who replied. As long as the interest
	is there, I shall seek more of these puzzles to entertain those
	interested.

ET