20 February 2025

Geometry puzzle


The diagram is NOT drawn to scale, so don't put a ruler on line x to measure the distance.  Figure it out in your head using simple logic and math.

7 comments:

  1. I wish the note was, "Drawing SUPER NOT to scale".

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  2. Zero! Nice little head-scratcher.

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  3. [[and now I realize I should not have spilled beans, if those are the right beans. So I’m sure you won’t put that comment up if it will wreck the fun for others. And: I’ve been following you for a long time. I grew up in Minnesota, lived in Madison, and my grandparents and my mom were from Walker — where I spent a lot of time — so when I hear about your history I feel like our lives rhyme in a remarkable way. I appreciate your efforts, and think you would be a great pal to have around — which you are, I guess. Best, Paul Bendel-Simso, Westminster, Md.]]

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    Replies
    1. You didn't spoil anything... because your answer is wrong. Close - but close doesn't count. (The triangle is degenerate, but note that A and D are not equally distant from B and C).

      (I'll see if our library has The Oyster Navy)

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    2. By using the zoom feature on my browser, I was able to shrink the picture such than x=1.

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  4. That would be hard to draw it to scale!

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  5. And just to clarify, for those readers who are still "puzzled" by the problem, the "triangle" as drawn is what mathematicians call "degenerate."

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degeneracy_(mathematics)

    If you were to draw it to scale, the angle BAC would be 180 degrees, making BAC a straight line, and congruent with line BDC. The distance from A to D along those superimposed lines would be 1.

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