The other day I was thinking about the problem where you have to connect a 3x3 grid of dots using only 4 lines without 'picking up the pencil' as it were. Click the link for the conventional solution.
It reminded me of my days back in Algebra class, circa 8th grade year. We had this as a bonus problem or something and I thought to myself...self, surely there's a better way to solve this problem.
The way it was phrased was that you had to draw a line through ALL the dots (not points, but dots, that's important.) and you could not draw curved lines, nor pick up the pencil and you only got 4 to work with.
Naturally people are flustered at first (at least 8th graders) because you have to draw the line outside the confines of the grid so that you can complete the puzzle. As a joke Ms. Collins said she'd give an A to anyone who could solve the problem while keeping within the rules using less than 4 lines. I examined the simple matrix and pondered it for a few minutes and finally came up with a brilliant solution using only 3 lines.
Care to see?
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Keep going VVVVVVVVVVVV
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Ok so check it out. Here's the solution using only 3 lines.
Ok I know my graphic is TERRIBLE but it was the best I could do without hating myself for wasting the time. In case it's too awful to tell the first line begins left of center for the 7 dot and crosses the right edge of the 1 dot. This line travels up to an unspecified point (I didn't do the math because I don't really care about distance and my mspaint skills aren't up to par.)
So anyway as I recall the teacher REFUSED to accept my solution citing the mathematical convention of 'point' being a formless, massless and zero space entity. I protested on the grounds that even if each dot was a single angstrom thick you could still get enough parallax to form the three line solution. It's kind of like a really steady EKG but oh well.
Needless to say my creativity, and I think that's a pretty damn creative solution, was wasted and I received a single point of extra credit for 'defending my idea' This was the same teacher who spent five minutes lecturing me on how I had a terrible work ethic, couldn't show my work and displayed very little aptitude for math (which I'll concede) and then dismissively remarked that I wouldn't fail the class because I happened to land a near perfect score on the state mandated math exam.
Gotta love standardized testing eh?
Here's your homework now. Go to google and type 'ubuntu logo' and then see what pops under images. Oh and be sure to turn safesearch off. It'll blow your mind.
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