CHAOTIC NOT RANDOM READER CHALLENGE NO. 2
Are Chaotic Not Random readers smart or dumb?
Answer: dumb. I asked this question on November 7 of last year and posed two puzzles to be solved, promising a McDonald's gift certificate to anyone who could answer both correctly. I received zero correct responses.
On the off chance that those of you who failed the first time around have gotten smarter since then, I am giving two new problems below. I have also included the two old problems on the off-off chance that smart people have started reading Chaotic Not Random since November 7. Email your solutions to me at call_me_kilgore@yahoo.com. If you're the kind of person who feels comfortable giving your address to a complete stranger you met on the Internet, then include your address, and I will reward correct answers with prizes of nominal value plus recognition here on CNR. Please email your solutions instead of posting them in the comments.
VERY IMPORTANT: correct answers must include a basic level of mathematical rigor. Mathematical rigor does not mean, "Whenever I do this, then this happens." It means, "Whenever I do this, then this happens, and here's why." This should not be a problem if you really understand the solutions -- with the exception of Problem D, the mathematics required to solve these problems is quite simple.
Right now you are saying, "I don't understand why you're saying that people who can't solve math problems are dumb. There are as many different kinds of intelligence as there are ways to understand this complex universe. I personally have many talents that would never help me solve these problems, including but not limited to: interpersonal communication skills, musical ability, eye/hand coordination, writing skills, spatial awareness, spiritual depth, adeptness at public speaking, money management skills, an ability to work with color and design, and a knack for organization and time management. Also, I'm pretty sure that I'm psychic. Don't you agree that a person with these talents would have to be considered intelligent, regardless of his or her ability to solve some math problems that nobody cares about anyway?"
No.
PUZZLE A- You are playing a game against a single opponent. The game starts with a pile of stones. The number of stones in the pile is a random number greater than 10. Both you and your opponent know how many stones are in the pile at all times.
- You and your opponent take turns removing 1, 2, or 3 stones from the pile. No other moves are possible except for removing 1, 2, or 3 stones.
- The player who removes the last stone loses.
- You go first.
Is there a way to play this game so that you will always win? If so, how?
PUZZLE B
Go here and check out the Flash Mind Reader. How does it work? (Yes, you can find the solution online. Have a little pride and solve it yourself.)
PUZZLE C- Choose any number. (A nonzero integer, please.)
- Multiply by 3.
- Multiply the result by itself.
- Add all the digits together, then add the digits of that number together until you end up with a one-digit number. (Example: 561 >> 12 >> 3)
- If the number is less than 6, then add 6. Otherwise subtract 6.
- Multiply by 2.
- Subtract 4.
- Find the letter associated with this number. (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.)
- Think of a fruit beginning with that letter.
- Pick the third letter in that fruit's name, and think of a fruit starting with that letter.
- You are thinking of bananas and nectarines!
Amazing, right? Not really -- but how does it work?
PUZZLE D
With six games to go in the 2003 season, the Detroit Tigers had a 38-118 record. Two more losses would tie them with the 1962 Mets for most losses in a season. What is the probability that the Tigers would finish the season with fewer than 120 losses? Assume that the probability of the Tigers winning any one of the last six games remains constant at .244 (= 38/156).
(Historical note: the Tigers went on a 5-1 run to end the season at 43-119 and remained out of the record books entirely.)
Good luck!
+posted by Lawrence @ 1/12/2004 12:01:00 PM
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