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!linus!philabs!cmcl2!harvard!think!ejb From: ejb@think.ARPA (Erik Bailey) Newsgroups: net.puzzle Subject: *** The infamous PIRATE PROBLEM *** Message-ID: <3187@think.ARPA> Date: Fri, 25-Oct-85 22:15:23 EST Article-I.D.: think.3187 Posted: Fri Oct 25 22:15:23 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 31-Oct-85 04:44:02 EST Reply-To: ejb@godot.UUCP (Erik Bailey) Distribution: net Organization: Thinking Machines, Cambridge, MA Lines: 42 This is known (to me, my friends, teachers, and father) as the infamous 'PIRATE PROBLEM'. It goes something like this... A group of pirates in a ship land on an island (shape is irrelavent; anything will work) with intent to bury their recently aquired booty. They figure that they will use a method, instead of a map to bury their treasure. This island is completely barren, except for two odd, distinct landmarks: Devil's Rock, and the Dark Forest. One man holding some of the treasure walks in a straight line to Devil's Rock, noting the distance that he walks. Another man holding the rest of the treasure walks to the Dark Forest, he also noting the distance that he walks. When each man reaches his landmark, they each turn 90 degrees and proceed away from their landmark the same distance that they each walked from the boat. When they reach these new positions, they decide that they will bury the treasure on the midpoint of the line segment that their positions now represent. ... That was the easy part. Now the puzzle ... PROVE (ie formal geometric proof) that regardless of where they land on the island, provided that there is no earthquake (causing the landmarks to move...), they will bury the treasure in EXACTLY the same place. GOOD LUCK!! (It can be done! [Heh heh heh...]) BTW - A little side note: This problem appeared in chapter * ONE * of my father's FRESHMAN (high school) geometry book! He finaly solved it about 6 months ago... -- 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) "What is the most enforced law in the world?" "Murphy's." ** FREEWARE FOREVER ** _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _- _-