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Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:46 pm
by Colonel Kernel
LOL... Really? That would be an automatic fail in the interview process where I currently work...
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 1:15 am
by DeletedAccount
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:41 am
by DeletedAccount
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:46 am
by suthers
This is a well know one but anyway:
1)What has 4 legs in the morning, 2 at noon and 3 in the evening?
2)What has a spine, but has no bones?
Jules
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:50 am
by AJ
1) A human - this one never sits well as it's a bit metaphorical for me
2) A book.
Cheers,
Adam
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:52 am
by suthers
Wow that was fast...
Oh well...
Jules
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:57 am
by Combuster
iammisc wrote:Combuster wrote:Nice attempt, but the answer to 4 turned out to be 4.
I don't get it. Did you not write the riddle correctly? Or are you trying to use my algorithm to solve the riddle for 4 because for 4 the answer would be 1 not 4, according to my method.
My method, however, works for your riddle.
Your method works for the three provided cases, but not the general one, and hence not for the riddle in question.
Three things:
1) I had to translate it. In its original language there are several more occurrences where #letters = number/2
2) Your method is a general solution for any such problem. Given 3 points, you need a second degree polynomial to cover them all. You generated an equation of the same degree. Basically, any two properties that are not colinear can be used to generate a fit for this specific riddle. You could even now think of a different parameter and include it to make a third degree equation that would cover the 4-4 case and be exceptionally complex.
basically, you could fit ax²+bx+c to the riddle. (you constructed an au + bv + c, where u and v are not of the same order, just as x and x² aren't)
3) The solution is too complex. Given the circumstances of the riddle, even the most unintellectual person has to be able to solve it by hard, hence generating the solution must be very simple (once you know it, that is), and common people suck at maths
So once again, kudo's for the attempt, but I hope this explains why it wasn't good enough.
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:06 am
by AndrewAPrice
Decode this: 6413625345136
I've had it on my MSN personal message since June 2008 and nobody has got it yet.
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:11 am
by Solar
It's 178156259567 times 36. D'oh.
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:37 am
by AndrewAPrice
Well sure, but it decodes to an English word.
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:55 am
by Combuster
6413625345136
110 100 011 110 010 101 011 100 101 001 011 110
1101 0001 1110 0101 0101 1100 1010 0101 1110
D 1 E 5 5 C A 5 E
if its an bit error, "dies for (the) case"
Or did I just give you the hidden meaning?
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:53 pm
by AndrewAPrice
Erm no..
It's not as simple as that.. (base system, big/little endien bits/digits, text encoding method, etc)
I'll tell you what, if it's not decoded by December I'll post the answer and how to decode it.
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 3:21 pm
by iammisc
@Combuster: According to your riddle, there were only 3 cases. How can I expect to know these other cases that you speak of when you never mentioned them? I can only conclude that you did not write the riddle properly.
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:45 am
by thomasloven
That's the whole point with a riddle, isn't it?
If you have all the information, you won't have to guess and it's not a riddle, it's a ... problem.
Re: MS Riddle
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:47 am
by inflater
Classical Slovak riddles, pardon me if I would mis-translate anything (since it rhymes with the original):
It has a long beard, but doesn't look too smart. - What is it?
On wine he'll be out of pocket, on water he'll make money. - ?
Who will notice him, let him suppress, who wants to pet him, get yourself warned. Give to him stupidly and with greed, if you'll give him lard, he'll grow fast, when he'll grew up real high, he'll steal and rob, from your own house he'll pluck you hard and right in front of your eyes he'll destroy everything. - ?