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

including duplicates?

Erm, the letters could be duplicated but the words aren't.


Geggs

To reiterate:
ow, four friends, let's say Alan, Beth, Chris and Deb played a game, in which they scored points. Alan won, but when they compared their points they found something interesting. If they divided Alan's number of points by Beth's points and then added Chris's points the result equalled Deb's points.

They also noticed that the names for each of their number of points contained 5 letters,

What were their scores?

Alan: 87

Beth: 3

Chris: 8

Deb: 37

Interesting. Some of these answers are really inventive, but still not quite what I have in mind. To clarify (as I think I misunderstood Icy's question earlier) the name of each of the 4 numbers you are looking for is a unique single word that is 5 letters long.


Geggs

So each score is one five letter word?

Yes.


Geggs

I can do it, using a slightly archaic word: 'deuce', meaning 'two'.

A = forty
B = eight
C = deuce
D = seven

This really is becoming quite interesting. I still have another answer.

Using 'deuce' is clever, by the way. I like that. Keep thinking along those lines, but not that word.


Geggs

Dozen, maybe?

A = sixty
B = dozen
C = three
D = eight

Icy, I think I'm going to have to give it to you. It's still not the answer I have, but it does meet all the conditions (as did your previous answer).

Do you want to keep trying for my answer, or should I just reveal it now?

If you do want to keep going then I give you this: dozen is good, more of that thinking please!


Geggs

OK, this is my final attempt

A = gross
B = three
C = dozen
D = sixty

Icy

Closer, but still not my answer. I'm wondering whether I left something out, cus in my answer the numbers are all even. Would stating that as a condition exclude the other answers that have been given? Anyway, it's too late to change the rules now.

My answer is:

A - gross
B - dozen
C - eight
And so D - score (it is all about the scores in a game, after all!)

Over to you, Icy!


Geggs

OK, an easy one:

Barry and Gary, working together, can plaster a wall in 12 minutes.
The same job would take Gary and Harry 20 minutes.
When Barry and Harry work together, they can plaster the wall in 15 minutes.

a) How long would it take Harry to plaster the wall on his own?
b) How long would it take if all three worked together?

Re 3136

"No, I'm not accepting that, SF - it's no better than RF's cord idea."

Except that my idea works.

Icy, you seem to be doing a 'Mu Beta' in not providing the solution to your brainteaser. I'll be away again for a couple of weeks, but will look in when the opportunity presents.

Hi RE

You mean the compass one?

The textbook answer is that you can vary the size of the circle you draw (well, you can reduce it) by drawing circles on convex surfaces. A circle drawn on a sphere will be smaller than one drawn on a plane. For a very small circle, draw one on a cone.

Enjoy your holiday

re 3173
Barry and Gary, working together, can plaster a wall in 12 minutes.
The same job would take Gary and Harry 20 minutes.
When Barry and Harry work together, they can plaster the wall in 15 minutes.

a) How long would it take Harry to plaster the wall on his own?
b) How long would it take if all three worked together?


Harry 11 minutes 30 seconds
All three 7 minutes 50 seconds

There not the answers I have, CD.

The answer for Harry working on his own is obviously wrong, as any one plasterer working on his own would take longer to finish a wall than he would if another plasterer was helping him. Harry must take more than 20 minutes to do the job.

Hope this helps

Well, assuming my logic and spreadsheet calculations are correct, Harry will take 38 minutes and 43.8 seconds. The three of them working together will take 7 minutes and 45 seconds.


Geggs

That's not what I have, geggs (but you're a little closer to Harry's figure)

I think I was over-complicating it.

Trying again, I've just re-phrased everything in terms on walls per hour. For example B+G=5 wph.

Following that through, I think B=3 wph, G= 2 wph and H=1 wph, so it will take Harry one hour.

The three of them together therefore work at a rate of 6 wph, so that's 10 minutes.


Geggs