Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Cerebral distractions of every kind, mostly but not exclusively Countdown-related.

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Dinos Sfyris
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Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Mate at work set this for me last night. I still have no idea what the answer is. What comes next in this sequence?

1
11
21
1211
?
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Charlie Reams
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Charlie Reams »

111221 (it's the say-what-you-see sequence)
Dinos Sfyris
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Ah very good. Never would have gotten that. You're answer's not very blinvisible tho xx
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Charlie Reams
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Charlie Reams »

Dinos Sfyris wrote:Ah very good. Never would have gotten that. You're answer's not very blinvisible tho xx
I've seen it before, it's one of those puzzles like SEND MORE MONEY which resurfaces occasionally. By the way if you get stumped on a sequence puzzles, a good place to start is OEIS.
Howard Somerset
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Howard Somerset »

There is a less common variation to this one, and in both versions the first four terms are as you've given, Dinos.

Charlie's offer of a fifth term is a say-what-you-see reading left to right.

The less common alternative is say-what-you-see looking at the whole thing regardless of order. For this alternative, the sequence continues:
3112
211213
312213
etc.

The alternative eventually loops, whereas the more common version just keeps extending.
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Charlie Reams
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Charlie Reams »

Howard Somerset wrote:There is a less common variation to this one, and in both versions the first four terms are as you've given, Dinos.

Charlie's offer of a fifth term is a say-what-you-see reading left to right.

The less common alternative is say-what-you-see looking at the whole thing regardless of order. For this alternative, the sequence continues:
3112
211213
312213
etc.

The alternative eventually loops, whereas the more common version just keeps extending.
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Howard Somerset
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Howard Somerset »

One unfortunate habit of mine when seeing a puzzle I like is to try to extend it.

So ... using the rule as described by Charlie, suppose you can choose any starting number, rather than being forced to start with "1". What is the longest closed loop you can find?
Finding a loop of length 1 is trivial. But can any longer loops be found? I should add that I've no idea of the answer to this; I've only just thought about it.
Eoin Monaghan
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Eoin Monaghan »

I heard this one on the radio, what connects:

3
7
10
11
12
17?
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Kai Laddiman
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Kai Laddiman »

Eoin Monaghan wrote:I heard this one on the radio, what connects:

3
7
10
11
12
17?
E
16/10/2007 - Episode 4460
Dinos Sfyris 76 - 78 Dorian Lidell
Proof that even idiots can get well and truly mainwheeled.
Eoin Monaghan
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Eoin Monaghan »

Kai Laddiman wrote:
Eoin Monaghan wrote:I heard this one on the radio, what connects:

3
7
10
11
12
17?
E
Yeah.
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Kai Laddiman
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Kai Laddiman »

Eoin Monaghan wrote:
Kai Laddiman wrote:
Eoin Monaghan wrote:I heard this one on the radio, what connects:

3
7
10
11
12
17?
E
Yeah.
Oops, I forgot to spolierise that, sorry if I spoilt your puzzle.

What connects the following users?

Kirk Bevins
Harry Newton
David Ashby
Dan Abrey
16/10/2007 - Episode 4460
Dinos Sfyris 76 - 78 Dorian Lidell
Proof that even idiots can get well and truly mainwheeled.
Gavin Chipper
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Did they all lose to Richard Pay?
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Jon Corby
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Jon Corby »

Kai Laddiman wrote:What connects the following users?

Kirk Bevins
Harry Newton
David Ashby
Dan Abrey
They're all Richard Brittain aliases?
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Kai Laddiman
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Kai Laddiman »

That was the trick, there are 4 different answers to this question, 2 of which have already been mentioned.
16/10/2007 - Episode 4460
Dinos Sfyris 76 - 78 Dorian Lidell
Proof that even idiots can get well and truly mainwheeled.
Dinos Sfyris
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Re: Maths Puzzly Wuzzly

Post by Dinos Sfyris »

Haha no way! I thought those suggestions were jokes for the other 3 people, given that they were true for Kirk!

A less colourful link: They all have 3 vowels in their full name
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