Bill Gates and Petals Around the Rose

[Patrick M.]

A little brain teaser for you brainaics this Christmas season.

http://www.borrett.id.au/computing/petals-bg.htm

I actually "discovered" a solution that is different from the solution that uses all the clues. I'll post both (if necessary) after some begging and groveling.

[L Schmidt]

Got the answer to the puzzle. I am a genius. I will study the game some more to try and get a second solution, as you have. If you want I will e mail my answer to you.
Robert

How about a hint?

[CharlynnT]

Evil Torture Math Puzzle! I am back in High School! Somebody wake me up....

[Renee K.]

I used to buy logic puzzle books just to stay in gear, but today or in the future, I don't wish to waste all the little nutrition that comes from todays foods. If brain worked well on all the immitations, additives, and depleted food sources, we would all be right up up there with Bill!

[L Schmidt]

So, do we ever get a hint for this puzzle, or what?

[Patrick M.]

I'm not sure how I missed the groveling since my post! My apologies for leaving you twisting in the wind.

Let me try a hint first. Pedals of a rose - that IS an important physical description clue. Which dies might remind you of a rose. How do they relate to the answer?

Patrick

[L Schmidt]

I'm not sure how I missed the groveling since my post! My apologies for leaving you twisting in the wind.

Let me try a hint first. Pedals of a rose - that IS an important physical description clue. Which dies might remind you of a rose. How do they relate to the answer?

Patrick

Ohhhhh, NOW I get it!

[Gina D.]

My head hurts. I haven't a clue why

[Roger H]

Hey Patrick! Good exercise! I hadn't seen this before. Thanks for posting it! I figured it out... about 15 mins... it was easier after I found an interactive version of the game to play... I didn't tumble to the static display version in the article...

For those of you who want to play it... try this:

Petals Around the Rose

Roger

[Patrick M.]

I actually didn't get the pedal clue when I read the puzzle, so I focused on the "even number" clue. Of course adding even numbered dies together results in an even number. Even and odd added together result in an odd number.

Two or four dies of odd numbers do result in an even number. Finally adding odd numbered dies together when there are one, three or five of them results in an odd number. But if you subtract the number of odd numbered dies from their total, it results in an even number, and the solution. A backwards way to the same conclusion.

Confused yest?

[Mary F]

I don't get the same conclusion when I use your alternate method, Patrick.

[Bigfoot Mike]

I found your clue ODD, EVEN when I tried to makes sense of the DIE I didn’t get it. So I focused on the PETAL concept and that didn’t work either.

I decided I needed to think OUTSIDE THE BOX and bingo. I got it.

[Bigfoot Mike]

The ONE thing that helped me was to CENTER my thoughts on the ODD looking dies. When I eliminated that concept, I EVEN got it.

Easy Peasy.

I hope I didn’t GIVE IT AWAY.