The seventeen whose solutions are practically valueless are ARDMORE, A
READY RECKONER, ARTHUR, BOG-LARK, BOG-OAK, BRIDGET, FIRST ATTEMPT, J. L.
C., M. E. T., ROSE, ROWENA, SEA-BREEZE, SYLVIA, THISTLEDOWN,
THREE-FIFTHS ASLEEP, VENDREDI, and WINIFRED. BOG-LARK tries it by a sort
of "rule of false," assuming experimentally that Nos. 1, 2, weigh 6 lbs.
each, and having thus produced 17-1/2, instead of 16, as the weight of
1, 3, and 5, she removes "the superfluous pound and a half," but does
not explain how she knows from which to take it. THREE-FIFTHS ASLEEP
says that (when in that peculiar state) "it seemed perfectly clear" to
her that, "3 out of the 5 sacks being weighed twice over, 3/5 of 45 =
27, must be the total weight of the 5 sacks." As to which I can only
say, with the Captain, "it beats me entirely!" WINIFRED, on the plea
that "one must have a starting-point," assumes (what I fear is a mere
guess) that No. 1 weighed 5-1/2 lbs. The rest all do it, wholly or
partly, by guess-work.
The problem is of course (as any Algebraist sees at once) a case of
"simultaneous simple equations." It is, however, easily soluble by
Arithmetic only; and, when this is the case, I hold that it is bad
workmanship to use the more complex method. I have not, this time, given
more credit to arithmetical solutions; but in future problems I shall
(other things being equal) give the highest marks to those who use the
simplest machinery. I have put into Class I. those whose answers seemed
specially short and neat, and into Class III. those that seemed
specially long or clumsy. Of this last set, A. C. M., FURZE-BUSH, JAMES,
PARTRIDGE, R. W., and WAITING FOR THE TRAIN, have sent long wandering
solutions, the substitutions having no definite method, but seeming to
have been made to see what would come of it. CHILPOME and DUBLIN BOY
omit some of the working. ARVON MARLBOROUGH BOY only finds the weight of
_one_ sack.
CLASS LIST
I.
B. E. D.
C. H.
CONSTANCE JOHNSON.
GREYSTEAD.
GUY.
HOOPOE.
J. F. A.
M. A. H.
NUMBER FIVE.
PEDRO.
R. E. X.
SEVEN OLD MEN.
VIS INERTIÆ.
WILLY B.
YAHOO.
II.
AMERICAN SUBSCRIBER.
AN APPRECIATIVE SCHOOLMA'AM.
AYR.
BRADSHAW OF THE FUTURE.
CHEAM.
C. M. G.
DINAH MITE.
DUCKWING.
E. C. M.
E. N. Lowry.
ERA.
EUROCLYDON.
F. H. W.
FIFEE.
G. E. B.
HARLEQUIN.
HAWTHORN.
HOUGH GREEN.
J. A. B.
JACK TAR.
J. B. B.
KGOVJNI.
LAND LUBBER.
L. D.
MAGPIE.
MARY.
MHRUXI.
MINNIE.
MONEY-SPINNER.
NAIRAM.
OLD CAT.
POLICHINELLE.
SIMPLE SUSAN.
S. S. G.
THISBE.
VERENA.
WAMBA.
WOLFE.
WYKEHAMICUS.
Y. M. A. H.
III.
A. C. M.
ARVON MARLBOROUGH BOY.
CHILPOME.
DUBLIN BOY.
FURZE-BUSH.
JAMES.
PARTRIDGE.
R. W.
WAITING FOR THE TRAIN.
ANSWERS TO KNOT V.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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