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comment by nowaypablo
nowaypablo  ·  3722 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Hubski quiz: a math puzzle

Just to be clear, this isn't some bullshit where "circles don't actually have edges harharhar" right?

My preemptive answer:

1) Choose one direction/point at the edge, and "draw" a line, from you at the center, to that edge.

2) proceed to go in circles relative to the centerpoint, but in a spiral motion so that your completed revolution is at a point slightly further down the line each time. This forces the monster to constantly go in circles while you move infinitely closer to the edge of the circle.

3) You will eventually be on a point infinitely close to the edge of the circle, i.e. the shore, wherein touching the shore doesn't pass any actual time for the monster to be able to be allowed to move to your position.

4)??????

5) Profit





user-inactivated  ·  3722 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Okay, this is hilarious. That's exactly what my first answer was. But it's not the "true" answer, because it boils down to semantics (or limits, if you prefer).

thundara  ·  3721 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  

Got it. Instead of going in a curve / spiral, you go out a ways, circle away to maximal distance from the monster, then go out again. There's a distance where you can still circle the lake faster than the monster. That head start lets you win.

user-inactivated  ·  3720 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Turns out I told it correctly: https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/2155/the-lake-monster

wasoxygen found it on StackExchange.

thundara  ·  3720 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Psh, symbols. I spew the ideas and leave it to others to work out if they're actually sane.

user-inactivated  ·  3721 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Wow, okay, so I didn't even tell the question right but you still got the answer. The gist of it, I think, is that you can row 1 radius and the monster can run 4r and so you need to "shorten the circle" by rowing to r/4, whereupon you can move around the circle faster than the monster can run. I believe. That was roughly my solution (after I sugged 8bit's everlasting spiral) and my friend said I got it, but I may be mixing up the details. I'll try to get back to you with the actual question.

thundara  ·  3721 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I tried writing it out, but I couldn't find a relation whose answer didn't depend on the size of the lake =/