Seventeen Camels and Where They Can Take You
2 days ago
- #mathematics
- #puzzles
- #problem-solving
- The article presents six puzzles that all share a common problem-solving trick: adding an extra element to simplify the problem, which is later removed or ignored.
- Puzzle 1: A trader lends a camel to divide 17 camels among three heirs as per fractions 1/2, 1/3, and 1/9, making the division exact with 18 camels, and then reclaims the lent camel.
- Puzzle 2: Adding 4 'blue' coconuts (owned by the monkey) to the pile allows sailors to divide coconuts evenly each time, leading to the smallest solution of 3121 coconuts.
- Puzzle 3: Adding an edge connects two trees in a forest to form one tree, applying the formula E = V-1, then removing the added edge gives the correct edge count for the forest.
- Puzzle 4: Adding a known good coin enables solving the counterfeit coin problem in two weighings by using it as a reference in weighings.
- Puzzle 5: Adding a joker or cutting the deck at a random position simplifies calculating the expected number of cards dealt until the first jack, yielding an average of 10.6 cards.
- Puzzle 6: Adding an imaginary card (numbered 0) to the deck transforms grand swaps into simple cyclic increments, showing that N+1 swaps restore the original order.