Brain Teasers are Back!

Do you mean y = 8 - x, being a diagonal?

Thanks Ravvie, yes I do mean y = 8 - x .
My eye must have drop down halfway along the second line when I typed up my equations.

y = 2x
y = 8 - x
0 = 8 - 3x

I think that’s a great solution! One which eluded me. Did you manage to do a PowerPoint or other image? Your description was sufficient for me to visualise it though.

Young Mr R came up with this solution:

  1. Cut diagonals to create 4 triangles.
  2. Place 2 triangles back to back along longest edge to create a square.
  3. Cut diagonal to create 4 half-sized triangles.
  4. Give the two full size triangles to A and B, then give two of the half-sized triangles to C.
  5. The two remaining half-sized triangles can form a square (a quarter of the cake).
  6. Repeat steps 1 to 5…

I think he had spent too long watching me chop down pea sticks the other day.

However, he did not need to use his finger on the knife to create a measurement. Step 2 uses the corners of a square to create an exact half. You could use something similar to modify your solution if you wanted to completely avoid measuring devices. However, Mrs R likes it that your solution involves a small number of finite cuts. Less time cutting means more time for eating chocolate cake!

Actually, Mrs R’s birthday is tomorrow and I am baking the cake this morning. Thanks for your solution, it will ensure harmony in the R household!

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Cutting the Cake !

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Repeat dashed sloping line for the righthand side etc.

Hope the diagrams are self-explanatory.

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Seems pretty clear to me.

A second dashed diagonal line in the left half would give a second point to ensure that the red line is correctly aligned. But that is just minor detail.

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a nice one, nonetheless !

Also your “Place 2 triangles back to back along longest edge to create a square.” to avoid fingering the knife :sunglasses:

Hopefully the diagrams and equations will also help others understand what I had in mind !

Thank you for the “like” Mike.

Hope you, and others, still enjoy a few of these teasers.

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My solution is not based on geometry or any other mathematics. Instead it is based on game theory developed over the years between three chocolate-loving teenage brothers.

Person A: “I will cut one-third, you (B) can choose to take it or give it to me and take the knife.”

Person who is now holding the knife: “I will cut the remainder in half, you (C) can choose which piece you want then I will take the remaining piece.”

Guaranteed exact thirds every time.

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Nice one Ravvie.
Reminds me of the basic “I’ll cut, you choose” process.

I told Mrs R that I would bake her cake with a maximum diameter (distance from any two points across the top) of 8 inches. She promptly decided it should be circular. Luckily she didn’t push for spherical!

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Yes, I’m enjoying them thanks Don. I had started drawing up the cake solution and was thinking along your lines, but got distracted before finishing. Keep them coming folks.

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Well, assuming that “tomorrow” is now “today” - HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!
And I hope you each manage to get exactly 1/3 of that wonderful cake. :sunglasses:

Mrs R says thank you.

It’s quite easy to cut a circle into thirds, but Mrs R exclaimed “You’re not using a compass anywhere near my cake!” So I had to resort to the ‘I cut, you choose’ approach.

Mrs R had first choice, young Mr R second choice.

I don’t think it was exactly thirds. Clearly I need to practise more!

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Here’s a nice golden oldie [please don’t post answer too quickly!!]
Have a good weekend folks :grin:

3 friends are splitting a £30 bill after a meal; each handover £10 to the waiter who heads off to get a receipt. At the till the waiter realizes the bill is wrong and it should only have been £25. Rather than trying to split £5 between the 3 people, the waiter decided to keep £2 and hands back £1 to each customer stating the bill was wrong and should only have been £27.

Therefore, the 3 customers have paid £27 in total, plus the £2 the waiter pocketed = £29. They originally handed over £30, so what happened to the remaining £1?

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It certainly is a goldie.
And I still think these oldies are the best.
Nice one Cluffy.