Tricky Puzzles

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:55 pm

Ah, the old good overflow/underflow mistakes! This is as many different numbers as you can get with one byte.

Did you know, that if you're on your last life in Sonic The Hedgehog 2, and then drown and get hit at the same time (= results in double death, which takes two lives at once) you get 255 lives? And then have to die like 40-50 times to make the "extra" lives for finishing an act safe for you?

Did you know that Pacman goes berserk at level 256?

Did you know that Dig Dug also goes berserk at level 256?

Did you know that in Super Mario Bros, if you get 128 lives in Super Mario Bros by the infinite 1-up trick (one over the maximum a signed byte can hold) the next time the game checks your lives (finishing a level, or getting one more life) is an instant GAME OVER?

A lot of old games have something related to overflows/underflows.

Now a puzzle for you.

In a list of four irregular verbs, find the odd one out and explain your reasonings.

No trial and error!

think
bring
build
fight

Marinus · Post by **Marinus** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:07 pm

Thanks Muzo, but I'm sorry for your work to write that all, most of it doesn't mean much to me.

I was only talking about the fact that if all bits of one byte (without +-bit) are 1, (1111 1111) you have the number 255. If you add 1 you get overflow because it's gonna be 0000 0000 and the overflowing 1 goes to the other byte. In fact that's the only thing I know about the word "overflow".

I'll think about your riddle, but if I need some knowledge about other computergames then Wonderland (or Sokoban) then please warn me, for I don't have.

EDIT:

This is as many different numbers as you can get with one byte.

Actually it's 256

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:12 pm

Odd one out is 'think' because it does not involve movement? EDIT: Or it does not involve physical movement?

(listen, I've had a rough day, please be kind when you tell me I'm wrong)

Lutz · Post by **Lutz** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:17 pm

build is not an irregular verb so maybe this is the one you're searching for

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:25 pm

Lutz, I think yours is wrong!

na na na na boo boo

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:39 pm

build IS an irregular verb, but Lutz's reasoning is actually very close. It IS "build". Now figure out why and you're done.

Dizzy1, sorry but you are wrong, even though your answer is pretty clever. In fact I could have used "buy" instead of "think" and it would still work... but then everyone would be complaining about three letters instead of five.

Lutz is just one step away from the solution though... I drew attention to the verbs being irregular, and it wasn't for nothing.

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:47 pm

Thought, brought, fought and built! None of them use 'ed' for past tense, but I'm not sure what you're looking for.

EDIT: Oh, maybe the reasoning is 'built' only changes one letter?

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:54 pm

...

No, seriously.

You're so close to the solution you've practically done it, congrats on that -- and you're still "not sure"? Since it seems you've had a rather rough day with Marinus's yes/no question, I'll just spell it out to save any more brain pain:

thOUGHT, fOUGHT, brOUGHT... and built is the only misfit.

By the way, once Lutz said that BUILD is not irregular, I've just done a search for "builded".

Turns out, that such a form indeed exists!

It's not in common use though.

It's very rarely seen even in British English -- NEVER in American.

And when it's seen, it's usually archaic poems.

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:56 pm

I was editing my post at the same time you posted the answer. And I guessed it!

Good one Muzozavr.

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:34 pm

Then...technically Lutz had the correct answer! (I'm American, so I didn't know.)

Muzozavr wrote:By the way, once Lutz said that BUILD is not irregular, I've just done a search for "builded".

Turns out, that such a form indeed exists!
It's not in common use though. It's very rarely seen even in British English -- NEVER in American.

So, Lutz will you please forgive my frivolous banter? (especially the undeserved "na na na na boo boo")

I'm the brat!

And now, do you have a 'tricky puzzles' question?

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 5:51 am

Both of you are now correct, so decide for yourself, Dizzy1 and Lutz.

Marinus · Post by **Marinus** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:53 am

I think this one was a little difficult for a simple Dutchmen who only had a few years English at school. Dizzy and Lutz, I hope you don't mind, but in the meantime I have one especially for Speegled, about squares

I remembered that riddle since I think squares was such good answer to my riddle. Muzo I'm sure you'll find out but please wait a while.

You have 1 big square, existing from x² little squares. So x squares from left to right, and x squares from top to bottom. There are at least x² + 1 squares but there are more, because there are also squares out of 2 * 2 little squares.

So how many squares are there total? You may give a math-formula like x² + ............

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:07 pm

Marinus wrote:Dizzy and Lutz, I hope you don't mind, but in the meantime I have one especially for Speegled, about squares

Grrrrr! Just kidding.

Lutz....You go ahead, because you haven't done one in awhile.

Lutz · Post by **Lutz** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:49 pm

I'm fine with others posting riddles, I prefer solving them (it's the same with level making

).

But I want to go back to build once more. Of course you are right: build is a irregular verb, but indeed I picked it because it doesn't change vowels in it's past tenses. I just described it the wrong way with my insufficient language skills

I'm honoured to share the gold medal with Dizzy. Hope the ribbon is long enough to reach around both our necks

Lutz · Post by **Lutz** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:00 pm

And now for the squares...

x² + (x-1)² + (x-2)² + (x-3)² + ... + (x-n)² with n = x-1

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:05 pm

Dammit, I've just PMed this solution to Marinus and half an hour later I see it here.

And you forgot the +1 at the end. (since there's one big square also)

Lutz · Post by **Lutz** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 4:13 pm

When n = x-1 the last term (x-n)² is always +1

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:35 pm

I don't know anything about the +1, but just wanted to say that Romeo has been away from his computer (working) all day, butttttt he will be back around 3:00 CST, or something, maybe.

Lutz, I think the First Place Ribbon is only 20" long so it'll be a tight fit. Promise you won't try to give me a smoooooooochie?

Ok, I have two: (I can do that, I'm a girlie)

1. What row of numbers comes next in this series?

1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221

2. What is broken every time it's spoken?

You may answer one, or both.

dlcs18 · Post by **dlcs18** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:51 pm

Dizzy1 wrote:2. What is broken every time it's spoken?

broken?

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:55 pm

Sorry, you're right, Lutz. I've just edited my PM to Marinus since it was still in my outbox.

Dizzy1:

1) Old but when I first encountered it I HAD to look it up:
1113213211 (starting from the second line, every line describes the one above it)

2) Silence!

dlcs18 · Post by **dlcs18** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:03 pm

Muzozavr wrote:2) Silence!

*slaps myself*

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:12 pm

Well GEE WHIZ you smart people!!!

Muzozavr, you are correct!

Dlcs, Your answer "broken" is so very clever, you're actually correct too. You get the 2nd Place Ribbon!

So I guess Muzozavr gets to do the next one.

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:21 pm

yrsvjr?

What letter should be in this sequence instead of the question mark?

Lutz · Post by **Lutz** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:04 pm

Dizzy1 wrote:Promise you won't try to give me a smoooooooochie?

Shouldn't this say: Promise you want try to give me a smoooooooochie?

(Always struggling with the English language)

Dizzy1 · Post by **Dizzy1** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:35 pm

Shouldn't this say: Promise you want try to give me a smoooooooochie?

You got me!

OK...here's my guess (and if I hear any laughing in the background, I'll pout for 2 days.)

Got it?

..........................k.............................

.........and I really studied

EDIT: But if that's wrong, I have another thing to try.

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:01 am

I'm sorry, that's wrong. The sequence is so much simpler/harder at the same time. The idea is simple -- getting it is pretty tough.

Try your "another thing" please, and we'll see if it leads you to victory.

mqdar · Post by **mqdar** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:34 am

Muzozavr wrote:yrsvjr?

What letter should be in this sequence instead of the question mark?

You've already done this one on me, Muzo! ...

...k!

What comes next in this sequence of numbers?

Oh no. More absent-mindedness. Edited.

1
2,2
1,1,2
2,2,3,7
1,1,2,6,10
2,2,3,5,11,23

Muzozavr · Post by **Muzozavr** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:19 am

First of all, I don't remember that, mqdar.

Second, even if I did it, it's not k at all.

The numbers... hmm, let me think.

Marinus · Post by **Marinus** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:10 am

Muzo and Lutz,
Of course you are both right, but I didn't even had the idea of that kind of notation. + (x-n)² with n = x-1 What I had in mind was just ......... + 2² + 1² But probably yours is more the official way of math-formula.

Actually I don't have a good idea about: yrsvjr?
I tried to convert the letters to numbers, I tried to invert them so A becomes Z, B becomes Y etc., tried to shift each letter to the next so Y becomes Z etc., but I can't find anything.

About Mqdar's puzzle: Except the first line, the last number of each line is all other numbers of that line together, and the first two numbers of each line are still 1,2,1,2,1,2 but I don't see any logic in it more.

mqdar · Post by **mqdar** » Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:14 am

Muzozavr wrote:First of all, I don't remember that, mqdar.
Second, even if I did it, it's not k at all.

The numbers... hmm, let me think.

OMG, k? K!?!? I must've typed that absent-mindedly.

...

...I meant t.

EDIT: I also did something wrong in my number puzzle. I've edited it now

(And I feel a bit uncomfortable. Everything seems to need to be edited right now.)