Ready for a mind-boggling math challenge?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Imparcticle
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Game
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a math game that involves guessing a secret number based on feedback about the correctness of the guesses. Participants explore the rules, strategies, and variations of the game, which appears to be a social and recreational activity rather than a formal mathematical exercise.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the game mechanics, including how guesses are categorized based on correct digits and their positions.
  • Another participant expresses confusion about the rules and attempts to clarify by providing an example of a guess.
  • Some participants suggest strategies for guessing, with one mentioning a fixed sequence of guesses that could lead to the answer in a minimal number of tries.
  • Several participants engage in playful guessing, with some acknowledging their lack of seriousness in the game.
  • There are requests for clarification on the number of digits in the secret number, indicating uncertainty about the game's parameters.
  • Multiple guesses are made, with feedback provided on the correctness of the digits and their positions, but no consensus on the mystery number is reached.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the rules or strategies of the game, and there are varying interpretations of how to play. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the optimal approach to guessing the number.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the game's rules and strategies, and there are multiple interpretations of how feedback should be given after guesses. The discussion includes playful elements that may affect the seriousness of the game.

Imparcticle
Messages
572
Reaction score
4
GROOVY math game!

Aloha!

When we have nothing better to do in my math class, my teacher likes to play this game that I'm going to tell you about. Ok, this is how it works. One person picks a number. In my class, we always make it a 3 digit number, but I suppose you smart alleck physics people could do for more complex numbers? Or should we keep it simple? How about the person picking the number says the number of digits of the number.
Anywho, the other players guess what the number is, and the person who picked the number catagorizes the guessed numbers in the following fashion:

The guessed #---------# of #s correct------# of # in the correct place

And by utilizing their logical deduction abilities, the player can guess the correct number. The player who guesses the correct number can come up with his or her own number for everyone else to guess.

To prevent anyone from cheating, (and changing the number while everyone is still guessing) I suggest the "number-picker" tells the number to a certain amount of people. Does anyone have a suggestion concerning this rule?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
I"m not sure how this game is played but I'm game. I'll start out with a little number to get the hang of it. I'm thinking of a one digit number between 0 and 2. I'll give you 3 guesses.
 
no no no, tribdog you got it all wrong. Here is how the game is played.

Say I pick the number 1234

Now someone guesses the number to be 1993

I will reply by saying one digit is in the right position and one digit is in the number but not in the right position

Then someone else will guess 1239

I will then reply by saying three digits are in the right place

Finally someone else will guess 1234

I will then reply by saying you correctly guessed the number

------------------------------

Ok, I've written down an eight digit number, let the guessing commence.
 
Since when is there nothing better than this to do in MATH CLASS?

- Warren
 
I guess you need to be a real "Mastermind"tm to figure this one out right?
 
tribdog said:
I guess you need to be a real "Mastermind"tm to figure this one out right?
yay, you figured out what the game is called. :)
 
I'm sure there is a strategy I should use, but I don't know what that strategy is so I'll just guess a number. If I get it right on the first guess though I want a dollar.

87609548
 
IIRC, there's a fixed sequence of guesses you can make that will allow you to name the answer on the next try, and I think in a minimal average number of tries too.
 
oh, I can give the answer on the next try, but not the correct answer. or maybe I can. is the answer 32?
 
  • #10
tribdog said:
I'm sure there is a strategy I should use, but I don't know what that strategy is so I'll just guess a number. If I get it right on the first guess though I want a dollar.

87609548
5 digits are in the wrong position
 
  • #11
12345687 ?
 
  • #12
7 digits are in the wrong position
 
  • #13
You also have to say how many numbers are correct in addition to how many are in the correct place.

87609485?
 
  • #14
5 in the wrong position
0 in the correct position (Same for above responses)
 
  • #15
How many numbers are in this mystery number?

guesses:

78609458
67809548
07685984
 
  • #16
lol, you all know I shouldn't be the one guessing because I'm not going to take it seriously and I'll turn it into a joke. but since I've already started guessing I'll keep going. my next guess is:

87609485

see I'm screwing around already.
 
  • #17
SquareItSalamander,

1. 5 correct digits, 0 in the right place
2. 5 correct digits, 0 in the right place
3. 5 correct digits, 0 in the right place

Tribdog

5 correct digits 0 in the right place
 
  • #18
aloha!

Can you PLEASE say how many numbers there are in the mystery number? PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP? WITH WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP OF THE CHERRY ON TOP OF THE PRETTY PLEASE?? :frown: :redface: :-p :confused: :wink: :biggrin: :smile:


aNy WhO, hErE aRe mY GuEsSeS:
78690458
86794085
67804958
55913847
44522736

aNd To TaKe On mOrE dEsPeRaTe MeAsUrEs...
111111111
222222222
333333333
444444444
555555555
666666666
777777777
888888888
999999999

:biggrin: :wink: :cool:

I bet I got pretty darn close this time, eh?
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Graduate Visualizing 4D Euclidian Space: A Book for Mind-Boggling Effects
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
MHB Game Night : Number of combinations
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
High School Validating Darts Tournament Skill Levels: A Non-Intrusive Approach
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad How Many Unique Games of Commander Can Be Played?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Starfield: New First-Person Epic Role-Playing Game by BGS
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
You sports people: methods for qualifying (for darts, in this case)
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
Graduate ELO chess ranking system applied incorrectly in video games
  • · Replies 28 ·
Replies
28
Views
14K
Writing a program to play this game?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Graduate Is Mathematics a Belief System?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
5K
High School Which probability calculation is "more correct" in Baccarat games?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
6K