CORRESPONDENCE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 58, 2 August 1940, Unnumbered Page

CORRESPONDENCE

R. G. (Waihi): Has sent some more puzzles, several correct answers, and the method for the match game published last week. Captain Cook: With many others, his letter is suffering from an acute case of Hitleritis, of which the symptoms are a paper shortage. S.J.S. (Spreydon): We have asked H.G.L. to explain the toss-up complication. He» has done so and his reply will be published as soon as possible. Your other work has been so good we can’t believe you find the crosswords too difficult. However, if they interest you, that’s the main thing. J.S. (Putaruru): That is already done. Glad to hear from you. M.M.M. (Invercargill): Your city is a hive of good shunters. F.D.B. (Riccarton): Book pages later. L.G.L. (Motueka): Correct S.G.E. (Glenavy): See reference to H.G.L.’s letter. Q.E.D. (Hamilton): No engines in the dead end, unfortunately. Newcomer (Arthur’s Pass): F.D.B., who set ‘the chessboard problem, wrote later to emphasise that the number 64 should be a knight’s move, from 1, so your solution gets full marks. Thanks for the puzzles, but we’ve ‘had magic squares and the fruit trees. Charles Chan (Dargaville): Correct. J.B. (Motu)::The 18 hours were not wasted. corréct. R.Mc. (Timaru): We haven’t graduated | puzzlers to Physics yet, but may try soon. R.T.C. (Wilton): Knows of no less than 18,048 ways of solving the chessboard proband guarantees to start and finish on any Squares required. He sends nine samples of ways of moving the knight from the top left corner to the bottom right and says this can be done 266 different ways. By the same rule he says it is possible to start on any one of the 64 squares and carry out the Same system, giving 17,024 ways. Further, he says it is possible to start on any black Square and end on any white square, giving another 1,024 ways to make the total 18,048. And to think how long we took finding out . one way! ; H.G.L. (Taupo): This correspondent and $.G.E. are having a private duel by mail, with the PP watching anxiously to see what happens. S.G.E. has asked H.G.L. to contemplate Fermat’s theorem for ‘six hours, and H.G.L. agrees. H.G.L. is also joining battle with P.J.Q., of Motueka. P.J.Q. wrote some time ago to point out that our publication of , H.G.L.’s answer to the problem of Paddy the | was impossible. We innocently referred this to H.G.L. only to find him admitting that he had wrongly added 212 to 31% to! make 7 and that we had perpetuated the | error, most carelessly. P.J.Q. therefore wins | that round, but H.G.L. defies him in the matter of feeding the pig. P.J.Q. says the shortest route from the house to the stream and back to the sty was 585 yards. H.G.L. says he’s done it all sorts of ways and finds that the answer should be 583.0952 yards, which he recommends as a shorter route than H.G.L.’s. This problem appeared on May 24. it required readers to find the shortest route Dimpleton would walk to feed his pigs if he first had to go from his house to the stream to get water. His house was 20 yards from the stream and the sty 100 yards from the stream on the same side. From his house to ce ee ee cream at right angles Gata eon eae has P.J.Q. to say now? In reply $.G.E.’s comment printed on July 12, Says it was all his own invention.