Math inclined people! Help me!

[Petra]

It's been years since I've been ****** to do any type of algebra or work with variables. Yesterday while out geocaching, we came across a puzzle where you have to find your coordinates through a math problem and I can't for the life of me remember how to deal with double variables such as BC.

So, here's what I know:

A=8

BC= either 2 or 4 (not entirely sure at this point)

Now, for the equation, the parentheses don't signal you're supposed to multiply since each set of parentheses is a number in the coordinates. I don't think the person thought that people might actually multiply.

N52' 4(c).(a-b-c-b)(b+b+c-a)(b+c)
E 005' 1(a+b+c).(a-c)(b+b)(a+c-b)

Now, my issue is in the back of my head I know I'm supposed to do something to split BC so I can do the addition and subtraction above. However, for the life of me I can't fucking remember!! Whatever I do I keep getting negative numbers, which you can't have in a coordinate. I'm pretty sure that C is 1 since the city we were in is N52'41.

So, anyone out there that can help? ;-)

 

[squallumz]

the answer is: inside anders' pants.

but seriously, if someone gave that to me as a clue, id punch him in the face and say, geocache this. i was good at math, but this is some bullshit.

 

[Roald]

get a new hobby.

 

[Jack Davenport]

My ******* is a nuclear engineer. He would ace that in a jiffy.

*** always did like him better.

 

[Petra]

My ******* is a nuclear engineer. He would ace that in a jiffy.

*** always did like him better.

This is why I work in porn...no math involved.

 

[D-rock]

You shouldn't be too hard on yourself here. After all you are the product of the American educational system.

Where did you learn of A = 8 and BC = 2 or 4? What that information that the person that created the geocache supplied or did you arrive at it some other way? Also is BC equaling 2 or 4 where B and C are multiplied together to get that or added?

 

[Petra]

You shouldn't be too hard on yourself here. After all you are the product of the American educational system.

Where did you learn of A = 8 and BC = 2 or 4? What that information that the person that created the geocache supplied or did you arrive at it some other way? Also is BC equaling 2 or 4 where B and C are multiplied together to get that or added?

A is the number of legs on a light house and BC is the number of bolts connecting the leg to the platform. Depending on how the person counted it, it could either be 2 or 4. Or, if they wanted it all together I think it's something like 36....really we wouldn't know which is right until we find the cache from the coordinates.

This is the instructions:

The lighthouse stands on a middle leg and some outer legs.
Count the number of outer legs: this is A
Count the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation, this is BC

The cache is:
N 52 ° 4 (C). (A - B - C - B) (B + B + C - A) (B + C)
E 005 ° 1 (A - B + C). (A - C) (B + B) (A + C - B)

 

[HehehehehehehehehehahaHyena]

My ******* is a nuclear engineer. He would ace that in a jiffy.

*** always did like him better.

Who could blame her?

 

[D-rock]

The longitude coordinate isn't the same as your first post. In one you have A + B + C and in the other you have one that is A - B + C.

If any number in prentices can't be negative can they be above 9 then? Otherwise I don't know if this is solvable at least for the first post.

Assuming that A = 8 if a number can be above 10 then it's possible for B = 3 and C = 2. In that top line that would keep one of (A - B - C - B) [I wonder if there was a reason the C is between both Bs instead of the B's just being together] or (B + B + C - A) from being negative, and both numbers in the coordinate end up 0 in that case. If we go with that then you would end up with something like

N 52' 42.005
E005' 113.667 or

N 52’ 42.005
E005' 17.667 (depending on whether the problem listed has (A + B + C) like in your first post or whether it's (A - B + C) like in the second.

Unless this while thing isn't about adding and subtracting and it's a code for something else. Then I'm stumped.

 

[raimmi]

The lighthouse stands on a middle leg and some outer legs.
Count the number of outer legs: this is A
Count the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation, this is BC

The cache is:
N 52 ° 4 (C). (A - B - C - B) (B + B + C - A) (B + C)
E 005 ° 1 (A - B + C). (A - C) (B + B) (A + C - B)

It is not that hard, the question is just how you interpret the "BC" and well, it is the fault of the puzzle's creator that it is confusing.
It could be "the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation" = B = C
or "the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation" = B * C (multiplication)
or you misunderstood that part with "the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation" and in fact the number of bolts could be in double figures, for example the number of bolts is 12; so BC would be 12 -> B=1 and C=2. (I personally think that it is the last one)

So you say the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation is either 2 or 4, so I think that you have to multiple that number with 8 (the total number of outer legs), in order to get the total number of all bolts.

1) first case number of bolts on one leg is 2 -> A=8; BC= 2*8= 16, so B=1 and C=6

you said we should not multiple the paranthesis with each other, right?

so N 52 ° 4 (C). (A - B - C - B) (B + B + C - A) (B + C) = N 52 ° 4(6). (8-1-6-1) (1+1+6-8) (1+6) = N 52 ° 46.007
E 005 ° 1 (A - B + C). (A - C) (B + B) (A + C - B) = E 005 ° 1 (8-1+6). (8-6) (1+1) (8+6-1) = E 005 ° 113.2213

2) second case would be that the number of bolts on one leg is 4 -> A=8; BC= 4*8 = 32, so B=3 and C=2

so N 52 ° 4 (C). (A - B - C - B) (B + B + C - A) (B + C) = N 52 ° 4 (2). (8-3-2-3) (3+3+2-8) (3+2) = N 52 ° 42.005
E 005 ° 1 (A - B + C). (A - C) (B + B) (A + C - B) = E 005 ° 1 (8-3+2). (8-2) (3+3) (8+2-3) = E 005 ° 17.667

You have to choose which one makes more sense to you.
That's the way I see it, not sure if that is correct.

 

[Petra]

The longitude coordinate isn't the same as your first post. In one you have A + B + C and in the other you have one that is A - B + C.

If any number in prentices can't be negative can they be above 9 then? Otherwise I don't know if this is solvable at least for the first post.

Assuming that A = 8 if a number can be above 10 then it's possible for B = 3 and C = 2. In that top line that would keep one of (A - B - C - B) [I wonder if there was a reason the C is between both Bs instead of the B's just being together] or (B + B + C - A) from being negative, and both numbers in the coordinate end up 0 in that case. If we go with that then you would end up with something like

N 52' 42.005
E005' 113.667 or

N 52’ 42.005
E005' 17.667 (depending on whether the problem listed has (A + B + C) like in your first post or whether it's (A - B + C) like in the second.

Unless this while thing isn't about adding and subtracting and it's a code for something else. Then I'm stumped.

I made a typo in my OP...how I copied and pasted the puzzle a few posts ago is how it's supposed to be. And yes, they can be above nine in theory.

It is not that hard, the question is just how you interpret the "BC" and well, it is the fault of the puzzle's creator that it is confusing.
It could be "the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation" = B = C
or "the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation" = B * C (multiplication)
or you misunderstood that part with "the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation" and in fact the number of bolts could be in double figures, for example the number of bolts is 12; so BC would be 12 -> B=1 and C=2. (I personally think that it is the last one)

So you say the number of bolts where the outer legs are attached to the foundation is either 2 or 4, so I think that you have to multiple that number with 8 (the total number of outer legs), in order to get the total number of all bolts.

1) first case number of bolts on one leg is 2 -> A=8; BC= 2*8= 16, so B=1 and C=6

you said we should not multiple the paranthesis with each other, right?

so N 52 ° 4 (C). (A - B - C - B) (B + B + C - A) (B + C) = N 52 ° 4(6). (8-1-6-1) (1+1+6-8) (1+6) = N 52 ° 46.007
E 005 ° 1 (A - B + C). (A - C) (B + B) (A + C - B) = E 005 ° 1 (8-1+6). (8-6) (1+1) (8+6-1) = E 005 ° 113.2213

2) second case would be that the number of bolts on one leg is 4 -> A=8; BC= 4*8 = 32, so B=3 and C=2

so N 52 ° 4 (C). (A - B - C - B) (B + B + C - A) (B + C) = N 52 ° 4 (2). (8-3-2-3) (3+3+2-8) (3+2) = N 52 ° 42.005
E 005 ° 1 (A - B + C). (A - C) (B + B) (A + C - B) = E 005 ° 1 (8-3+2). (8-2) (3+3) (8+2-3) = E 005 ° 17.667

You have to choose which one makes more sense to you.
That's the way I see it, not sure if that is correct.

You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I think BC being the total number, so a double digit where B is the tens and C is the ones is most logical because your 2nd example looks like coordinates around other areas of the town.

Thanks! I'm going to have to find time to drive over and see if it's right now! ;-)

 

[Vanilla Bear]

Isn't the answer always 42? :dunno:

 

[Philbert]

^
Yes.

 

[Petra]

Isn't the answer always 42? :dunno:

No. That's only the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything. It's obviously not the answer to the geocache.

However, the answer to the question of what BC is...is 32 as we found out.

 

[squallumz]

BC stands for big cock. end of story.

 

[humperbink]

Oh man, math! The dreaded haunting memories of middle school and high school math classes, and having to spend several days after school to get special help which was actually worse than detention

 

[BCT]

See this is why I hated math.

 

[raimmi]

Did you already check the place with these coordinates?

 

[Petra]

I haven't been able to get back yet (it's about an hours drive). I'm thinking about it Saturday since I actually have a free day. ;-)

 

[~~whimsy~~]

Remember that time Petra asked us to do her math homework for her?