Happy New Year guzzlers!
Today’s first problem concerns squirrels. Have a nibble - it’s not too hard a nut to crack.
The Squirrel King has buried the Golden Acorn beneath one of the squares in this 6x6 grid. Three squirrels - Black, Grey and Red - are each standing on a square in the grid, as illustrated.
The Squirrel King hands each squirrel a card, on which a number is written. The squirrels can read only the number on their own card. The King tells them: “Each card has a different number on it, and your card tells you the number of steps you are from the square with the Golden Acorn. Moving one square horizontally or vertically along the grid counts as a single step.” (So if the acorn was under Black, Black’s card would say 0, Grey’s would say 4, and Red’s 5. Also, the number of steps given means the shortest possible number of steps from each squirrel to the acorn.)
The King asks them: “Do you know the square where the Golden Acorn is buried?” They all reply “no!” at once.
Red then says: “Now I know!”
Where is the Golden Acorn buried?
If you found the puzzle too easy, or too hard, try the following problem. I would have set it as today’s main puzzle but I did the same one in my first post of 2016 and 2017. I don’t want to be too predictable...
But it is a fun puzzle, and topical, so here it is anyway. New Year’s Day! Let’s count down to the new year from 10.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 2018
The challenge is to turn the above string into an equation that is arithmetically correct by adding any one of the operators +, –, x, ÷ in between the numbers. You are allowed to use as many brackets as you like.
So you could begin
(10 – 9) x 8...
or
10 x (9 + 8)..
There are many solutions, and when I set the challenge before I usually get at least one computer programmer sending me the entire list. More fun is to find at least one solution using paper and pencil. (Clarification: you need to keep the numbers in order. It’s a countdown! I’m being sent several examples with the numbers not in order.)
Even more fun is to forget about the countdown, and write your own equation. The rule is that one side of this equation must be 2018, and the other side can be anything you like. (And the equation must be correct, of course.) You can use the basic operators, or any other mathematical symbols. You can use any number of digits or numbers. Please email me your suggestions here by 4.45pm GMT today and I will send a copy of my book Puzzle Ninja to the creator of the equation that I like the most.
I’ll be back at 5pm with the answer to the puzzles, and my favourite 2018 equation.
NO SPOILERS PLEASE!
UPDATE: Click here for the solutions.
Thanks to Pippa Sutton, head of maths at Farnborough Hill school in Hampshire, who devised today’s puzzle.
I set a puzzle here every two weeks on a Monday. I’m always on the look-out for great puzzles. If you would like to suggest one, email me.
My latest book is Puzzle Ninja, which includes more than 200 original, handmade Japanese logic puzzles, as well as background material about Japanese puzzle culture.
