Re: MathsBombe

On 09/02/2025 22:39, Mike Terry wrote:

On 09/02/2025 15:03, Richard Heathfield wrote:

On 09/02/2025 11:57, Mike Terry wrote:
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And what does "any positive integer" mean? Does it, for example, include bloodybignumber? If so, how about bloodybignumber factorial?

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That's surely easy - it means any positive integer, integers being whole number like 1,2,3,4,... There is no limit to how big integers get!  Also there's no limit to how big the coin values x^k get as k grows.

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But these are actual minted coins, so there must be a finite number of them, yes? Or does the government mint new coins for every transaction? Really?

 It's a puzzle.  If you like, you could assume that the mint will manufacture as many coins as required, but, dude, IT'S A *MATHS PROBLEM* not a manufacturing problem.  :)

No, as stated it defines a manufacturing problem, and an insoluble one.
A maths problem would not bother to mention coins unless so doing clarifies the problem statement, which here it clearly doesn't.
Pace! Evidently we differ over this and neither of us is likely to change the other's mind, so I'll let you grump off into your corner while I grump off into mine, and we can both simmer quietly about that guy over there in the other corner. :-)
If Kevin Stone is still watching, I'd like to raise a related grouse, if I may.
Brainbashers sometimes poses a puzzle of the day along these lines:
David, Marmaduke, Kevin and Sebastian like fried tomatoes in their cooked breakfast, but Andrew, Harold, Luke and Stuart prefer baked beans.
What does Richard prefer?
Kevin would have us answer 'fried tomatoes', but it'll be a frosty day in hell before I eat another fried tomato, no matter how many consonants my name has. Strange as it may seem, people's likes and dislikes have no discernible connection to the number of vowels and consonants in their names.
Yes, "here are example members from two mutually exclusive sets - into which of the two sets would you place /this/ item?" may be a lot balder, but it does have the advantage of not lying about the world.
No, I don't suppose Kevin will change his puzzles for my sake, and arguably the way they are might well make for a slightly more entertaining puzzle for more people than it annoys; nevertheless, I feel better for having dislodged the gripe from my sternum.
--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
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