Another teaser

[max 13]

The simple answer is that in a knockout everybody except the winner gets knocked out. So, in a competition of 259 people 258 people get knocked out therefore 258 matches have to be played. Note, matches not byes.

 

The same goes for any number: 715 players, 714 losers therefore 714 matches.

 

I did say no sums and no writing down.

[nomme 10]

Originally posted by max

The simple answer is that in a knockout everybody except the winner gets knocked out. So, in a competition of 259 people 258 people get knocked out therefore 258 matches have to be played. Note, matches not byes.

 

The same goes for any number: 715 players, 714 losers therefore 714 matches.

 

I did say no sums and no writing down.

 

Damn. You bet me to it. I figured it out as I was eating my breakfast this morning.

 

Nomme

[max 13]

Originally posted by nommedenet

Damn. You beat me to it. I figured it out as I was eating my breakfast this morning.

 

Nomme

 

Sorry, I thought 14 hours was long enough to leave it un-answered. I'll think of another one and leave it longer.

[nomme 10]

Originally posted by max

Sorry, I thought 14 hours was long enough to leave it un-answered. I'll think of another one and leave it longer.

 

Yeah..... but those 14 hours included the average 8 most of us get some kip!!

 

Anyway - any good at cryptic crossword clues? If you *know* the answers to these straight off please refrain from posting the answers (i.e spoiling it for others who haven't seen them before), but if you figure them out then by all means show how clever you are.

Here's some of my favourites :

 

1) HIJKLMNO (5)

2) GEGS (9,5)

3) E (13)

 

Nomme

[Carlwarker 10]

Originally posted by max

The simple answer is that in a knockout everybody except the winner gets knocked out. So, in a competition of 259 people 258 people get knocked out therefore 258 matches have to be played. Note, matches not byes.

 

The same goes for any number: 715 players, 714 losers therefore 714 matches.

 

I did say no sums and no writing down.

 

It could also be argued semantically that only ONE match actually determines the winner!

 

Hence the 'St. Ives' analogy.

[max 13]

Originally posted by Carlwarker

It could also be argued semantically that only ONE match actually determines the winner!

 

Hence the 'St. Ives' analogy.

 

Yeah, I spotted that in one of your earlier posts but you still had to use sums and writing down to get the right answer, eventually.

[Carlwarker 10]

Originally posted by max

Yeah, I spotted that in one of your earlier posts but you still had to use sums and writing down to get the right answer, eventually.

 

If you look at my postings you'll find that I DID NOT use pencil or paper or a calculator - except the old 'bonce' - which did let me down at one stage (130/2 = 75 !!!!!! idiot me). And thanks to JamieW, I did correct the arithmetical error, again solely with the old grey matter.

 

ps. Keep 'em coming Max.

[max 13]

Originally posted by Carlwarker

If you look at my postings you'll find that I DID NOT use pencil or paper or a calculator - except the old 'bonce' - which did let me down at one stage (130/2 = 75 !!!!!! idiot me). And thanks to JamieW, I did correct the arithmetical error, again solely with the old grey matter.

 

ps. Keep 'em coming Max.

 

OK, apologies for implying that. However, the point of that teaser was that you didn't need to do any sort of calculations as it was a logic problem not a maths one.

[Jamie 10]

I love max's solution to the tennis tournament

 

It's funny how human beings can have a tendency to make things more complex than they need to be ... or to look for more complex solutions !!

 

I'm guilty of being too complex loads ... mind you ... it wouldn't look good if people called me simple

[Jamie 10]

Originally posted by Carlwarker

If you look at my postings you'll find that I DID NOT use pencil or paper or a calculator - except the old 'bonce' - which did let me down at one stage (130/2 = 75 !!!!!! idiot me)...

 

 

What amazes me is that you got the 75 .. 37 .. etc .. and after adding up all games played in each round ... you still got 258 !!!

 

 

Pure class lol !!!

[Carlwarker 10]

Thanks JamieW - but I did make that damn error - and at my age that's worrying!

 

Guess I'll just have to check and re-check next time (should do that anyway).

[Jamie 10]

How about this one ... with no pencils / paper / calculators ...

 

There once was a salmon who tried to swim upstream to the place where she was born. She had to swim 1,010 feet upstream to reach the shady pool of water where she had once hatched from her egg.

 

Every five minutes she swam 30 feet upstream, but then in the next two minutes, while she rested,the rushing current would push her 10 feet back downstream.

 

She continued this way, swimming for five minutes then resting for two minutes, until she reached her destination.

 

How long did it take her to swim the entire 1,010 feet?