Hi!
Yes, the bi-weekly puzzles is back, hopefully for good! I had mentioned this in my previous blog post (unless of course, you didn't understand it) on puzzles.
Anyway, here's Puzzle 27!
CAKE CUTTING
Difficulty: Hard
I know of an interesting fellow that cuts cakes in the oddest ways. Apparently a "fair slice" isn't in his vocabulary.
He cuts the cakes by the number of people there are sharing it, like most of us. Only he does so slightly differently...
You see, he first marks out a number of point(s) on the edge of the cake, which is equal to the number of people sharing the cake. Then he cuts between the point(s).
Here's an example to show you what I mean, with a diagram to make it clearer.
If he's the only person having the cake, he'll mark 1 point on the circumference. Obviously he can't cut anything, so there will only be one slice of cake.
If there are 2 people, he'll mark 2 points on the circumference. He cuts between the 2 points to make 2 slices.
If there are 3 people, he'll mark 3 points on the circumference. He cuts a line between each of the 3 points, creating 4 slices.
And if there are 4 people, he'll mark 4 points on the circumference, and cut a line between each of the 4 points, creating 8 slices.
Now, what is the maximum number of slices of cake there will be if there are 6 people sharing the cake and he cuts the cake in this odd way?
Okay, that might've been a little hard to swallow, but you get the idea, no? Please post your answers under comments!
Right, time for the answer to Puzzle 26. If you hadn't seen it you should at least have a go... it has an unusually low response.
Just turn it upside down!
98 X 60 when turned upside down is 09 X 86, which is equal to 774!
:)
Glen