Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site think.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!think!ejb
From: ejb@think.ARPA (Erik Bailey)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Re: *** The infamous PIRATE PROBLEM ***
Message-ID: <3244@think.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 31-Oct-85 21:21:47 EST
Article-I.D.: think.3244
Posted: Thu Oct 31 21:21:47 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Nov-85 05:48:16 EST
References: <3187@think.ARPA> <34@pixel.UUCP>
Reply-To: ejb@think.UUCP (Erik Bailey)
Distribution: net
Organization: Thinking Machines, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 36
Summary: 

In article <34@pixel.UUCP> vsh@pixel.UUCP (vsh) writes:
>> ... When each man
>> reaches his landmark, they each turn 90 degrees and proceed away from their
>> landmark ...
>
>Does it matter which way each turns (left vs. right, in vs. out, 
>the same vs the opposite)?  It must but you do not specify.
>(Consider two cases that differ only in the direction the pirate at the 
>forest turns; the mid-point of the line segments cannot be the same!)
>

Ahhh... Given there are two choices, but we shall assume (for
simplicity) that the pirates choose the one that works. If the treasure
is on one side of the line determined by the two landmarks, relative to
the boat's landing, they turn one way, but if they land on the same side
as the treasure, they must turn the other way. Granted, this is the one
confusing point about the problem. There is no real way to specify it,
but if anyone can do a better job than me, feel free to speak up!
Anyway, good luck and keep on tryin! I'll try to get some more
interesting problems up here soon... --Erik



-- 
Erik Bailey
_  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _
 -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_

Erik Bailey        -- 7 Oak Knoll                (USENET courtesy of
ihnp4!godot!ejb       Arlington, MA  02174        Thinking Machines Corp.
ejb@think.com.arpa    (617) 643-0732              Cambridge, MA)

"I was walking in a forest one day and a tree fell in front of me,
 and I didn't hear it."
  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _  _
_- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _-