
for the proof, I went for:
k= number of orangs (excluding Oliver) or babbons
n= 10731 Oliver's square
and here a picture first
mad1.GIF
a) # of balls for the orangs: basically k+1 inner squares of n^2 (green), then can add those lines on the side (dark blue) (need to sum 2kn, so basically k(k+1)n) and then add the sum of little squares 1 until k (red)
b) # of balls for the baboons: similar, but now k innner squares of (n+k)^2 instead of n^2 as above and sum light blue lines k(k+1)(n+k)
as a) = b) I now have the following equation (sum short for the 'little sum', as will cancel out anyway):
(k+1)n^2 + k(k+1)n + sum = k(n+k)^2 + k(k+1)(n+k) + sum
or in the end n^2 = k^2(2k+1+2n)
which after substituting n= 10731 leads to k=73.
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