Puzzles with numbers and things

[davis_greatest]

I think we can close all the battleships so far! D_g had a good go at R 227 and 230 as well. Congratulations. So, all can go onto the thread now

I almost finished round 228 as well, just now. Then, at the end, I got overexcited and coloured the remaining squares in the wrong colour and accidentally clicked Save so could not Undo. .. and I'm not restarting it

[snookersfun]

yes Abextra, perfect as usual.

Also I have information that Abextra has solved R227 and 228
And Monique is upto R230 already. Congratulations!

I think we can close all the battleships so far! D_g had a good go at R 227 and 230 as well. Congratulations. So, all can go onto the thread now

[davis_greatest]

Rounds 231 and 232 - a reminder that you do not have to exceed (or beat) previous bids. You can still bid 2 bananas or 2 plums!

[Monique]

R232

And 6 plums

[davis_greatest]

... and simultaneously

Round 232 - Touching Plums

You can now rearrange the balls from round 231 however you like and again find your lowest scoring ball. You are now able to claim a number of plums equal to the length of the shortest line (of 2 or more balls) in which that lowest scoring ball lies.

For example, suppose your lowest scoring ball is worth 33 points, because it lies in one line of 20 balls, one line of 10 balls and one line of 3 balls. (20+10+3 = 33).

You would then be able to claim 3 plums (being the shortest line in which that ball lies - i.e. the smallest of 20, 10 and 3).

Claim here how many plums you think you are owed.

Please state whether you are claiming bananas or plums so that Charlie knows whether you are doing round 231 or 232.

[Monique]

R231

Just to start the bids going ... 12 bananas!

[davis_greatest]

Round 231 - More Touching Balls

OK, the apes are on holiday, so you're on your own with this one.

Take an ordinary set of snooker balls. Place the cue ball on your nose, and the remaining balls on the bed of the table wherever you like.

Whenever there is a straight line of (2 or more) touching balls, in any direction, every ball in that line scores a number of points equal to the number of balls in the line.

For example, if there is a line of 7 touching balls, each of those 7 balls scores 7 points.

If a ball lies in more than one line, it scores points for every line it is in. For example, if a ball is in a line of 7 balls and also is in a different line of 6 balls, that ball scores 13 points, like the top left ball in the example below. (Those balls are supposed to touch, even though they don't appear to.)

Eg.

ooooooo
o
o
o .... ooooooooo
o
o

You are not allowed to place all 21 balls in just one line! Apart from that, anything goes.

Your final score is just the number of points scored by your lowest-scoring ball** (excluding the cue ball, which doesn't score, but must remain nasally balanced while you post your bid). You will then be able to claim from my apes, when they return, a number of FREE* bananas equal to your final score.

Post here the number of bananas you are claiming. Once we have some decent claims, I will then ask you to explain where you placed your balls.


* bananas are free. Simply send Charlie a cheque for £3.95 per banana to cover postage and packing (£8.95 per banana if you are not on Planet Chimpanzicus) + £25 ape handling fee. Bananas may only be returned if faulty and less than 50% eaten.

** if there is a tie for your lowest-scoring ball, e.g. if your bottom 2 (or more) balls each scored 3 points, you would claim the joint lowest (3 bananas).

[snookersfun]

yes Abextra, perfect as usual.

Also I have information that Abextra has solved R227 and 228
And Monique is upto R230 already. Congratulations!

[abextra]

Round 226: total ships
back to the traditional ships, the regular grid and fleet, except this time the clues are pointing to total number of distinct ships encountered in the specific columns or rows (as opposed to ship-parts as in the previous puzzles)...

One more pic...

[abextra]

Round 225: balls, squared
you have this 10x10 grid (units of snooker ball width), green baize, and should arrange on it ten square arrangements of snooker balls (reds?) (One 4x4, two 3x3, three 2x2, and 4 1x1). Again no touching of those regions...

not sure if it works...

[davis_greatest]

I just need to check your 96 break then - will do that tonight...

"Tonight" has come sooner than expected. The 96 looks good to me! Congratulations!

[davis_greatest]

You didn't say that the 'inner' reds (those not hanging over a pocket) had to be close to the one over the pocket to make the plant though, did you? The other 14 reds can be out in open table where there's room aplenty, then Barry could play each one in turn onto the red over the pocket, in each stroke potting one and leaving the red struck first over the same pocket. No?

Oh, I see! You mean 14 two-ball plants, and then the 15th red as a direct shot? Yes, that would be perfectly allowed.

Sorry, I must have misinterpreted as I had thought before that what you meant was one red over the pocket and the other 14 reds initially arranged in a double-width arc as 7 two-ball plants, not hanging over the pocket. That wouldn't have been allowed (even if Barry played them as 7 three-ball plants to knock in a red hanging over the pocket).

I just need to check your 96 break then - will do that tonight...

[snookersfun]

Just a short reminder that rounds 225-226 should be closed. So, next answers can be put up on the thread.
I did have perfect answers to R 225 by Robert and Monique and R 226 by Robert, Monique and d_g. Congratulations!

R 227-228 meanwhile were only solved by Monique though Anybody else having a go?

And here one more easyish battle:

R 230 digital battleships

10x10 grid (counted) regular fleet, this time the clues at the sides are the sums of the numbers in each of the ship segments appearing in each respective row or column.
introcake.png

answers initially to me

[Robert602]

You didn't say that the 'inner' reds (those not hanging over a pocket) had to be close to the one over the pocket to make the plant though, did you? The other 14 reds can be out in open table where there's room aplenty, then Barry could play each one in turn onto the red over the pocket, in each stroke potting one and leaving the red struck first over the same pocket. No?

[davis_greatest]

Not a 15 ball plant, I was thinking 1 hanging on the pocket and 14 surrounding it (think there'd be room for a nice big arc of them). Apart from the last red each is a two ball plant of the type Barry has a knack for.

Oh, I see. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be allowed. Remember the definition given in the question: "hanging right over the pocket" means that it is teetering on the edge, about to drop, with no room for anything else to pass...