Social distancing 2
Posted: July 1st, 2020, 10:59 am
Last Thursday, I happened to be awake and listening to Radio 4 when their daily puzzle was broadcast. That's not something I normally make a point of doing, partly because it's broadcast quite early (about 6:45 am) and partly because all too often it is extremely trivial. But this one was rather more difficult than most and on similar lines to the question discussed in the earlier "Social distancing" thread:
"A theatre has a perfectly square seating area. With a minimum 2 metre separation, it can fit at most 9 people, with no room to spare. How many can fit at most if the minimum separation is reduced to 1 metre?
(Note: Ignore the space each audience member takes up, and assume nobody needs to use the facilities in the middle.)"
Their solution is obtainable by clicking on "> Click here for the answer" in the above link to the puzzle, though people might want to try it before looking there. That answer is correct as far as it goes, but for extra credit ;-), what is incomplete about it? And can you fill the gaps in it, preferably in a way that has a 'puzzle solution' flavour to it rather than a 'mathematical research problem' flavour?
I should perhaps say that I don't have an answer of the preferable type to that last question!
Gengulphus
"A theatre has a perfectly square seating area. With a minimum 2 metre separation, it can fit at most 9 people, with no room to spare. How many can fit at most if the minimum separation is reduced to 1 metre?
(Note: Ignore the space each audience member takes up, and assume nobody needs to use the facilities in the middle.)"
Their solution is obtainable by clicking on "> Click here for the answer" in the above link to the puzzle, though people might want to try it before looking there. That answer is correct as far as it goes, but for extra credit ;-), what is incomplete about it? And can you fill the gaps in it, preferably in a way that has a 'puzzle solution' flavour to it rather than a 'mathematical research problem' flavour?
I should perhaps say that I don't have an answer of the preferable type to that last question!
Gengulphus