h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks for that!!! Same we can't see the solution there, but it confirms the answer is indeed 5 queens. (I find it difficult to believe). I'll see if I can track it down.

Please can someone post another im not really any good at setting them at all.

There are 5 apples in a basket.
There are 5 boys.
The boys are given an apple each.
But there is still 1 apple left in the basket.

Can you explain this?

"Shame we can't see the solution there"

Icy, the solution to the 15 x 15 grid is 9 queens - page 118, figure 8.5




There are 5 apples in a basket.
There are 5 boys.
The boys are given an apple each.
But there is still 1 apple left in the basket.

Can you explain this?

One of the boys climbs into the basket with his apple, I guess?

No, he does not climb into the baasket.

I don't see that page, RE. It says "You have reached a page that is unavailable for viewing or reached your viewing limit for this book." for all pages beyond 116.

That's odd, Icy. Clicking on the link I gave you takes me directly to page 117, when I can either scroll up (to go down to page 118) or click once on the little arrow (to the right of the page number) and scroll down a touch to find the diagram.

The book is both fascinating and very well written; reviews here: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7714.html

Yes, I don't doubt that!

It might be my ISP. I'll try it again when I'm at home.

Oh, is the last apple rotten, so the boy throws it up into the basket?

"One of the boys climbs into the basket with his apple, I guess?"

I think you should accept that answer; it's perfectly plausible.

The Spencer-Cockayne Construction is particularly elegant, I think you'll agree.

For the 15 x 15 board:

Place the first queen at h8 (bang in the centre of the board).

The central queen is surrounded by 4 more queens, each a knight's move from the centre, at f9, g6, i10 & j7.

The remaining 4 queens are placed at c11, e3, k14 & m5, each one 3 knight's moves from her closest sister!

Regarding the 5 boys and 5 apples. There is a logical answer, which nobody has thought of yet.

The first four boys are given an apple each. The last boy (for example) is handed his apple inside the basket?

How did he get in there!

It's a BIG basket, see.

Would you like me to rephrase?

I hope you tipped all the sick out first.

Was one boy given an apple that wasn't originally in the basket?

Rudest.Elf has the answer.
The last boy was given the basket with the 5th. apple in it. So, they each had an apple and one of them also had the basket.