tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8705078887057341738.post4347860263739005590..comments2024-03-19T07:30:55.288-04:00Comments on Curmudgeon: The Trader's Puzzle - Balance WeightsCurmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04323026187622872114noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8705078887057341738.post-33716930614526311582010-10-12T22:35:20.035-04:002010-10-12T22:35:20.035-04:00There are three "states": left side, rig...There are three "states": left side, right side, unused. Therefore, there are 3*3*3*3 possible arrangements of the rings. Of these, one is "no rings" and the others can be logically reasoned to be symmetrical - for each arrangement there must be a mirror image. This means that the 81 possibilities are really 1 NULL, and 40 possible totals. This is where the "10 pounds in 1/4 pound increments" or the "40 pounds in 1 pound increments" comes from.<br /><br />That, and "lucky threes" should be a pretty good hint as to how the weights of the rings are chosen.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323026187622872114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8705078887057341738.post-10499697836143890002010-10-09T11:46:59.892-04:002010-10-09T11:46:59.892-04:00Do you read Tanya Khovanova's blog? She posts...Do you read Tanya Khovanova's blog? She posts lots of weighing puzzles. I think she did this one in the Spring.<br /><br />Hers went up to 40 grams (whole number increments). I like the answers here better, just going to 10 pounds.<br /><br />http://blog.tanyakhovanova.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com