August 2009
10 posts
5 tags
Answer: Tuesday Teaser #2
The answer is a surprisingly small 6.29m. Recalling that the classic high-school formula for the cirumference of a circle is 2*Pi*r, where r is the radius, we see that by increasing the radius by 1m, we increase the circumference by 2*Pi metres. Easy.
4 tags
Tuesday Teaser #2
This week’s Tuesday Teaser is another simple, counter-intuitive maths puzzle. It goes like this:
Suppose I have a rope which stretches all the way around the circumference of the Earth. How much longer does the rope have to be in order to raise the rope so that it’s always one metre above the surface of the Earth and its ends still meet?
5 tags
“In difficult ground, press on; in encircled ground, devise strategems; in death...”
– Sun-Tzu
6 tags
Answer: Tuesday Teaser #1
Despite being very similar to the Monty Hall problem, the odds in the Deal or No Deal scenario are different and actually work out to there being an equal chance that the player’s box contains the top prize. To see why this is the case, simply consider why both games are different: In the Monty Hall problem, we can never reach the stage where the top prize cannot be won, but in Deal or No...
6 tags
“Under fragrant bait, there is certain to be a hooked fish.”
– Sun-Tzu
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“Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious,...”
– Sun-Tzu
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“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
– Sun-Tzu
7 tags
“When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing.”
– Sun-Tzu
6 tags
“All warfare is based on deception.”
– Sun-Tzu
4 tags
Tuesday Teaser #1
Having done an Oxford maths degree, I’ve heard my fair share of good logic puzzles and so I thought it would be a good idea to post some of my favourites on a regular basis in this Tuesday Teaser series. Here’s the first one to kick-off with:
I am a contestant on Deal or No Deal. I am only concerned with winning the top prize of £250,000, so I am delighted to get to the final two...