Puzzles with numbers and things

[vuce]

Indeed it would have been impossible had that been the case. The rows (or columns) all sum to 61. So if you had 5 squares (1x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 + 4x4 + 5x5) they would not add up to enough; and if you had 6 or more, they would add up to too much!

yeah well, i've never been good with this sorts of puzzles

[abextra]

... I might as well put up the solution here now, solved independently by 3 people: d_g, Monique and myself...

Very well done everyone, congratulations!

vuce, don't give up! This one wasn't easy...

[snookersfun]

Round 242 update and R 243

Monique in first again with a beautiful piece of modern art
Congratulations...


and I have just decided to put up the next one already (it might need some spare weekend time), so:

Round 243: diagonal battleships

all the ships are positioned diagonally in this grid (again they never touch, even diagonally)
DSC00166.JPG

answers initially to me!

[snookersfun]

...and Monique did that as well in no time at all (long before I got to write this update). 'takes hat off' Congrats

[davis_greatest]

Round 244 by special request

Let's also have round 244 - by special request from dantuck_7. (I haven't even begun to think what the answer might be to this one!)

Round 244 is identical to round 241 below, except that this time, at no point do three of the breaks that Miss Mabb has called out add up exactly to another one. For example, if she had called out “5” at some point and “10” later on and then “20” later on , then never does your break go to exactly 35 (5+10+20).

Post your bids here on the thread for the value of the highest break that you think you could have made. Please also send me a PM explaining how you got your break.

There will be a short time limit on this one - bids will only be accepted up to 10a.m. BST tomorrow morning!

Round 241 - Give me a break

You have made it! It is the night of Monday 5 May 2008 and you are playing the deciding frame of the World Snooker Championship 2008 at the Crucible against Gordon the Gorilla.

Gordon has played a loose safety shot (but did not foul) and you come to the table for your shot. You proceed to make a break, making all sorts of amazing and outlandish shots. After each pot, the delectable Talia Mabb calls out your break, as she is prone to do.

Meanwhile, Steve Davis is commentating in the arena, with a microphone, so that the whole crowd (and you) can hear. “Pot this one and I’ll throw you a banana,” he says, as you line up for your 2nd shot. Miss Mabb loves that line and laughs.

It so happens that, throughout your break, at no point do two of the breaks that Miss Mabb has called out add up exactly to another one. For example, if she had called out “5” at some point and “13” later on, then never does your break go to exactly 18.

No one spots this, however – not even Davis, who a few minutes earlier had won the World Professional Snooker Championship for the 7th time, before you and Gordon came on for your 1-frame World Ape Snooker Championship match (what else did you think you were playing?).


Post your bids here for the value of the highest break that you think you could have made.
Later, I’ll ask you how you got your break.

[Monique]

113 as a first bid

[davis_greatest]

113 as a first bid

Nice, quick bid! Can you send it to me to check so I can confirm it's valid?

[davis_greatest]

OK, that 109:
2 reds to start out, green, all remaining reds with blacks (no colours possible again, due to that 2 break at the beginning)

And, to close round 241, that was also the 109 break found by abextra.

So, congratulations to snookersfun and abextra (both on 109) and Monique (106).

[davis_greatest]

Nice, quick bid! Can you send it to me to check so I can confirm it's valid?

Monique's bid has been sent to me - and yes, it is valid!

[Monique]

114 ! not a big improvement but ...

[davis_greatest]

114 ! not a big improvement but ...

Yes, this is valid too. (It's what I had!)

[dantuck_7]

I always seem to miss this thread! Haven't even begun to think about how to sort this out - 114 seems very high.

[davis_greatest]

Round 244 - won then by Monique, for being the first to submit the 114 break. Congratulations!

This break was also found by snookersfun, and abextra was close to being there also - both sent by pager.

I'll allow another 24 hours for dantuck_7 or anyone else to find and post the 114 break on the thread, before asking Monique to do so.

[davis_greatest]

A quick round 245...

This is a combination of rounds 241 and 244. Everything is the same, except that this time, at no point do either two or three of the breaks that Miss Mabb has called out add up exactly to another one.

For example, if she had called out “5” at some point and “13” later on, then never does your break go to exactly 18. Similarly, if she had called out “5” at some point and “10” later on and then “20” later on , then never does your break go to exactly 35 (5+10+20).

Post your bids here on the thread for the value of the highest break that you think you could have made. Please also send me a PM explaining how you got your break.

Bids will be accepted up to 10a.m. BST tomorrow morning!

[Monique]

Ok. 106.