St Ives
closed account (z05DSL3A)
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Each wife had seven sacks
Each sack had seven cats
Each cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?
I met a man with seven wives
Each wife had seven sacks
Each sack had seven cats
Each cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?
closed account (z05DSL3A)
I love the imprecision of natural language. What are you actually being asked for? What assumptions will you make without thinking about it?
well, u said that u went to St Ives, and met a man, but its not specified of that man was heading there as well, u mentiod the wives and sacks and so on, but never told us if they where with the man right now or maybe back home, and besides, who knows how much ppl where going there, just because u mentioned only yourself dosnt mean that there isnt a lot off ppl going there
closed account (z05DSL3A)
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Each wife had seven sacks
Each sack had seven cats
Each cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?
Is it now a different question? The correct answer is that there is not enough information to give a correct answer.
I met a man with seven wives
Each wife had seven sacks
Each sack had seven cats
Each cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?
Is it now a different question? The correct answer is that there is not enough information to give a correct answer.
Last edited on
The answer could be zero.
If you are not a kit, cat, sack of wife then you cannot include yourself.
| Kits, cats, sacks, wives |
If you are not a kit, cat, sack of wife then you cannot include yourself.
closed account (z05DSL3A)
It could be zero because the man and his seven wives are not going to St. Ives, or because the wives are not actually with the man when you met him.
Depending on whether their belongings were with all of them (sorry for generalizing and calling wives belonging) and whether you are a kit, cat, sack or wife.
The value (n) is: 0 ≤ n ≤ 1+74
Then again, there might be other kits, cats, sacks and wives going to St Ives..
EDIT:
Just read all other posts and figured that mine doesn't really add anything... .. .
._.
The value (n) is: 0 ≤ n ≤ 1+74
Then again, there might be other kits, cats, sacks and wives going to St Ives..
EDIT:
Just read all other posts and figured that mine doesn't really add anything... .. .
._.
Last edited on
The number of people/wives/sacks/cats/kits going to St Ives is:
N = R * fp * ne * fℓ *fi * fn * fI * fg * fG * nw * fw * ns * fs * nc * fc * nk * fk * L
Where
R = the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy
fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets
ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets
fℓ = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point
fi = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life
fn = the fraction of civilizations that develop a language which allows St Ives as a name of a place
fI = the fraction of places that actually are called St Ives
fg = the fraction of the male population of the civilization which want to go to St Ives
fG = the fraction of the above that actually go to St Ives
nw = the number of wives of the above
fw = the fraction of the above that go to St Ives as well
ns = the number of sacks of the above
fs = the fraction of the above that are carried to St Ives
nc = the number of cats in the above
fc = the fraction of the above in the sack while being carried to St Ives
nk = the number of kits of the above
fk = the fraction of the above that are with the cats while being carried to St Ives
L = the length of time for which such civilizations will go to St Ives
N = R * fp * ne * fℓ *fi * fn * fI * fg * fG * nw * fw * ns * fs * nc * fc * nk * fk * L
Where
R = the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy
fp = the fraction of those stars that have planets
ne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planets
fℓ = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop life at some point
fi = the fraction of the above that actually go on to develop intelligent life
fn = the fraction of civilizations that develop a language which allows St Ives as a name of a place
fI = the fraction of places that actually are called St Ives
fg = the fraction of the male population of the civilization which want to go to St Ives
fG = the fraction of the above that actually go to St Ives
nw = the number of wives of the above
fw = the fraction of the above that go to St Ives as well
ns = the number of sacks of the above
fs = the fraction of the above that are carried to St Ives
nc = the number of cats in the above
fc = the fraction of the above in the sack while being carried to St Ives
nk = the number of kits of the above
fk = the fraction of the above that are with the cats while being carried to St Ives
L = the length of time for which such civilizations will go to St Ives
@ Bazzy: Please tell me you have a Macro or something to do sub-script, otherwise you just put WAY too much effort into typing that up... Otherwise GREAT answer!
I have the - slightly tautologous - exact answer: the amount of kits, cats, sacks and wives going to St Ives is the amount of kits, cats, sacks and wives going to St Ives.
Eat that Drake! :P
Eat that Drake! :P
@Computergeek01
It was mainly copy-paste
@Kyon
That doesn't take in account the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy :^P
It was mainly copy-paste
@Kyon
That doesn't take in account the average rate of star formation per year in our galaxy :^P
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