hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer) (10/20/85)
> The old Polar Bear Problem: > The sequel: (1) From how many points on Earth (assuming it's spherical, etc.) > can you make exactly these moves, i.e., walk 1 mile south, 1 > mile west, 1 mile north, and be back where you started? > > (2) Describe all of them. > > Judith Abrahms > {ucbvax,ihnp4}!dual!proper!judith There is an infinite number of them, all close to the S pole. Take any circle around the S pole which has a circumfrence (1 mile)/n for n=1,2,... and draw another concentric circle 1 mile further away (N) from the pole. Then any point on this latter circle fits the description. --henry schaffer
doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (10/25/85)
> > (1) From how many points on Earth (assuming it's spherical, etc.) > > can you make exactly these moves, i.e., walk 1 mile south, 1 > > mile west, 1 mile north, and be back where you started? > > > > (2) Describe all of them. > There is an infinite number of them, all close to the S pole. All but one: the North Pole is quite a distance from the South pole. -- Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {calcom1,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug
hopp@nbs-amrf.UUCP (Ted Hopp) (10/29/85)
> > The old Polar Bear Problem: > > The sequel: > > (1) From how many points on Earth (assuming it's spherical, etc.) > > can you make exactly these moves, i.e., walk 1 mile south, 1 > > mile west, 1 mile north, and be back where you started? > > > > (2) Describe all of them. > > There is an infinite number of them, all close to the S pole. Take any > circle around the S pole which has a circumfrence (1 mile)/n for n=1,2,... > and draw another concentric circle 1 mile further away (N) from the pole. > Then any point on this latter circle fits the description. Partial credit. You forgot one other point: the N pole. -- Ted Hopp {seismo,umcp-cs}!nbs-amrf!hopp