ran@ho95e.UUCP (RANeinast) (02/13/86)
Here's an old puzzle that I have nonetheless seen only once, so
maybe you've never seen it before. It is rather tricky.
Which figure is the MOST different from the rest, and why?
[The shapes are either boxes or diamonds, non-touching; the asterisks
denote shading.]
/\
---------- ---------- / \ ----------
| | | | / \ | |
| /\ | | ---- | / ---- \ | ---- |
| /**\ | | |****| | / |****| \ | | | |
| \**/ | | |****| | \ |****| / | | | |
| \/ | | ---- | \ ---- / | ---- |
| | | | \ / | |
---------- ---------- \ / ----------
\/
1 2 3 4
Have fun.
--
". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."
Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95c!ran)
AT&T-Bell Labsverma@ucla-cs.UUCP (02/18/86)
In article <488@ho95e.UUCP> ran@ho95e.UUCP (RANeinast) writes: > /\ > ---------- ---------- / \ ---------- > | | | | / \ | | > | /\ | | ---- | / ---- \ | ---- | > | /**\ | | |****| | / |****| \ | | | | > | \**/ | | |****| | \ |****| / | | | | > | \/ | | ---- | \ ---- / | ---- | > | | | | \ / | | > ---------- ---------- \ / ---------- > \/ > > 1 2 3 4 > I think #2 is most different. My reasoning is this, #1 is the only one with a small diamond #3 is the only one with a big diamond #4 is the only one with no shading #2 is the ONLY one with no unique features. alternate reasoning: Use bits to represent the figures. Bit 0 (from left) means shaded if 1, unshaded if 0. Bit 1 means small box if 1, small diamond if 0. Bit 2 means Big box if 1, Big diamond if 0. Now the figures are: #1:101, #2:111, #3:011, #4:110. Obviously #2 is different and the underlying reason is the same as above, but is less aparent. TS Verma
dim@whuxlm.UUCP (McCooey David I) (02/18/86)
> Which figure is the MOST different from the rest, and why? > [The shapes are either boxes or diamonds, non-touching; the asterisks > denote shading.] > > /\ > ---------- ---------- / \ ---------- > | | | | / \ | | > | /\ | | ---- | / ---- \ | ---- | > | /**\ | | |****| | / |****| \ | | | | > | \**/ | | |****| | \ |****| / | | | | > | \/ | | ---- | \ ---- / | ---- | > | | | | \ / | | > ---------- ---------- \ / ---------- > \/ > > 1 2 3 4 > I think that number 2 is most different for the following reason: Number 1 is the ONLY one with a diamond on the inside. Number 3 is the ONLY one with a diamond on the outside. Number 4 is the ONLY one with no shading. Number 2 is the ONLY one that has NOTHING unique about it (unless, of course, we consider THIS fact, but we get around that by saying that number 2 is the ONLY one that is META-unique... or something like that....???) This reminds me of the following notion: How does one go about being average in every way? (Obviously, if he were very good at it, he wouldn't be average anymore, now would he.... Think about it.) If its too confusing, there was an article in Scientific American on this about 2-3 years ago. Dave McCooey AT&T Bell Labs, Whippany ihnp4!whuxlm!dim
weemba@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Matthew P. Wiener) (02/19/86)
>It is rather tricky. Not really. >Which figure is the MOST different from the rest, and why? >[The shapes are either boxes or diamonds, non-touching; the asterisks >denote shading.] > > /\ > ---------- ---------- / \ ---------- > | | | | / \ | | > | /\ | | ---- | / ---- \ | ---- | > | /**\ | | |****| | / |****| \ | | | | > | \**/ | | |****| | \ |****| / | | | | > | \/ | | ---- | \ ---- / | ---- | > | | | | \ / | | > ---------- ---------- \ / ---------- > \/ > > 1 2 3 4 The answer: #1 differs by having a lozenge center. #3 differs by having a lozenge exterior. #4 differs by having an unshaded exterior. So #2 is the MOST different. ucbvax!brahms!weemba Matthew P Wiener/UCB Math Dept/Berkeley CA 94720