Another Brainteaser!

[XmisterIS]

Ok. This one is not quite so easy as the last one I posted.

Consider the following layout of asterisks (let's call them dots):

* * *
* * *
* * *

You must connect all 9 dots using no more than 4 straight lines, and you may not take your pen off the paper between lines (i.e. the head of the next line must connect with the tail of the previous line).

 

[Wobbly John]

Do you want to see how to do it in 3 lines?

 

[longers]

Have you just found your long lost Bryant and May collection today Xmister?

 

[Arch]

Don't be too smug, there's nothing straight about one of those lines.

I'm not surprised, I've seen the bikes he builds!

 

[vernon]

Ok. This one is not quite so easy as the last one I posted.

Consider the following layout of asterisks (let's call them dots):

* * *
* * *
* * *

You must connect all 9 dots using no more than 4 straight lines, and you may not take your pen off the paper between lines (i.e. the head of the next line must connect with the tail of the previous line).

Too easy

Try this one:

Divide (2x^3-x-3x-4) by (x-1)

You must not have had any contact with polynomial long division for over twenty years and be expected to solve it in a couple of minutes by a child who has only just started the holiday homework for maths with a deadline of period one tomorrow.

After a minutes panic, memories of the anguish of pure maths came flooding back but, armed with a couple of worked examples from a text book I cracked it.

Phew! Paternal pride survived another challenge.

 

[XmisterIS]

I'd only just been sent it the other day by email, never seen it before! I thought it was quite good at any rate!

Vernon, here we go:

(2x^3-x-3x-4)/(x-1)

=>
____2x^2+2x-2
x-1|2x^3-4x-4
____2x^3-2x^2
_________2x^2-4x-4
_________2x^2-2x
_____________-2x-4
_____________-2x+2
________________-6

=> (2x^2+2x-2).-6/(x-1)

(I think! I'm too tired to do this now! )

But then I had contact with polynomial long division only 15 years ago!

Wobbly - howd'ydoit in three then?

 

[Wobbly John]

You want me to show you how to do it in one?

 

[vernon]

I'd only just been sent it the other day by email, never seen it before! I thought it was quite good at any rate!

Vernon, here we go:

(2x^3-x-3x-4)/(x-1)

But then I had contact with polynomial long division only 15 years ago!

Wobbly - howd'ydoit in three then?

Sorry XmisterIS

There was a typo

It should have been: (2x^3-x+3x-4)/(x-1) but I'm happy that you can solve it.

The solution lies in using the term dots rather than points. It's impossible with points.

 

[XmisterIS]

Tsk! That's cheatin' innit!

 

[Wobbly John]

In one:

Draw dots

Fold paper

Draw along edge

One straight line drawn that goes through all nine dots.

 

[XmisterIS]

Aye - but the lines must be continuous - in the two-dimensional manifold!

 

[colly]

I would say this cracks it.

 

[XmisterIS]

Ok ...

Draw a grid containing 9000000 dots and connect them with a single line ...

*sigh*

 

[marinyork]

Aye - but the lines must be continuous - in the two-dimensional manifold!

Don't be daft. There are plenty of geometries that you could draw with one continuous line as any fule kno. You've clearly been doing too much physics .