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#126 2005-12-10 10:52:14

mathsyperson
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Registered: 2005-06-22
Posts: 4,900

Re: Cow Bull 1

Jims wrote:

There's a problem ... make a program that gives guesses, well, logical guesses based on past ones.

I searched the internet, and there are several ones of varying abilities.

The worst ones just start at 1234 and see if it fits with what it already knows. If it does, that is its next guess. If it doesn't, it tries 1235 instead, and so on.

Better versions did a similar thing, but created random numbers instead of working through them, creating a random number until it made one that fitted.

And there are very good versions that work out the guess that produces the minimum number of possibilities remaining for the next guess in the worst case scenario, if that makes sense.

However, these all work with colours, so there isn't a special restriction on the first number. But still, it shows that it must be possible to make such a program designed for playing Cow Bull.


Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

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#127 2005-12-11 04:43:49

krassi_holmz
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Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

May I join in?
Oh, why am I asking. I've just joined in.


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#128 2005-12-11 04:59:33

krassi_holmz
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Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

OK. Ganesh is out for a while. Why someone doesn't give another until his return?
I have a suggestion. When somebody doesn't answer for some time the player which has the biggest result can replace him-he can think out a number with the same properties as the original one so the game will speed up.
After the returning of the original's poster you can finish the original game and he can solve the new.


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#129 2005-12-11 05:04:52

krassi_holmz
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Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

I'll continue the Ganesh's puzzle until his return.
Guess 1: 7084-c
Guess 2: 4532-cc


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#130 2005-12-11 06:55:31

krassi_holmz
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Re: Cow Bull 1

And a mathematical question-what is the minimal number of guesses to be sure that the last guess is correct?


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#131 2005-12-11 07:01:26

krassi_holmz
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Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

This minimal is greater than 5 so the Ganesh challenge isn't solvable in the general case. And you must have luck, too.


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#132 2005-12-11 07:21:25

krassi_holmz
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Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

Hm, the computer programs for solving cows and bulls...
How can we outsmart them?
I have an idea. In the begining the poster of the  question may give come aditional information about his number that can't be used by programs. For example, my number is prime.


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#133 2005-12-12 20:20:13

Jai Ganesh
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Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,840

Re: Cow Bull 1

Cow Bull 7(hosted by krassi_holmz) :-
Guess 3 :- 2319


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#134 2005-12-16 20:14:19

krassi_holmz
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Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

Ganesh, I'm sorry very much. You have to continue with your game.
Cow Bull 7(hosted by krassi_holmz) : -closed

Last edited by krassi_holmz (2005-12-17 21:49:41)


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#135 2005-12-17 08:56:40

John E. Franklin
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Registered: 2005-08-29
Posts: 3,588

Re: Cow Bull 1

Sounds like krassi_holmz wants Ganesh to give his original
replies to 7084 and 4532, so we can continue, and I would
like to play too.  I always liked MasterMind, but was never
that good at it.


igloo myrtilles fourmis

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#136 2005-12-18 16:23:52

Jai Ganesh
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Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,840

Re: Cow Bull 1

Okay...here goes....CowBull # 7 :-
Guess 1: 7084-c
Guess 2: 4532-cc
Keep guessing smile


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#137 2005-12-18 17:47:56

krassi_holmz
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Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

Guess 3: 1423


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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#138 2005-12-18 20:02:20

jU
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Registered: 2005-08-17
Posts: 1,923

Re: Cow Bull 1

guess 4: 2314

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#139 2005-12-18 22:51:03

Jai Ganesh
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Posts: 45,840

Re: Cow Bull 1

Guess 3 : 1423 : Bcc

Guess 4 : 2314 : ccc

Last edited by Jai Ganesh (2005-12-20 16:09:39)


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#140 2005-12-19 02:37:55

Polly
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Registered: 2005-06-24
Posts: 221

Re: Cow Bull 1

i h8 it when loads of messages r put on one thing create another area to put it on

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#141 2005-12-20 09:03:34

John E. Franklin
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Registered: 2005-08-29
Posts: 3,588

Re: Cow Bull 1

Guess 5b (since ganesh called guess 4 guess 5): 3461


igloo myrtilles fourmis

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#142 2005-12-20 16:11:19

Jai Ganesh
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Posts: 45,840

Re: Cow Bull 1

Corrected now.

Guess 5b : 3461 : BBB


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#143 2005-12-21 09:49:47

jU
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Registered: 2005-08-17
Posts: 1,923

Re: Cow Bull 1

guess 6:  3469

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#144 2005-12-21 16:06:01

Jai Ganesh
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Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,840

Re: Cow Bull 1

guess 6:  3469 : BBc


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#145 2005-12-21 23:58:23

mathsyperson
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Registered: 2005-06-22
Posts: 4,900

Re: Cow Bull 1

Guess 7: 3491

Unless I've gone horribly wrong, that should be right.


Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

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#146 2005-12-22 10:22:26

John E. Franklin
Member
Registered: 2005-08-29
Posts: 3,588

Re: Cow Bull 1

I bet it is cause I almost guessed that, I was gonna choose between
either 6 or 9, but I chose 6.


igloo myrtilles fourmis

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#147 2005-12-22 16:49:36

Jai Ganesh
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Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,840

Re: Cow Bull 1

The winner is.........mathsyperson!

Cowbull # 8
Clue 1 : It's a prime number.


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#148 2005-12-23 00:27:05

mathsyperson
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Registered: 2005-06-22
Posts: 4,900

Re: Cow Bull 1

The prime number clue knocks down the total possibilities quite a lot. Ignoring the non-repeating digits, there are now only 1064 possible numbers to choose from. Ignoring the primes, there are 4536 possible numbers to choose from (where have you seen that before? wink). But I haven't worked out how many there are when you overlap the two rules.

Anyway, the biggest clue that the prime number thing gives is that the last digit is 1, 3, 7 or 9.

I guess 1987.


Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

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#149 2005-12-23 00:29:17

Jai Ganesh
Administrator
Registered: 2005-06-28
Posts: 45,840

Re: Cow Bull 1

Guess 1 : 1987 : BB


It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

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#150 2005-12-23 09:21:51

krassi_holmz
Real Member
Registered: 2005-12-02
Posts: 1,905

Re: Cow Bull 1

Guess 2: 1973


IPBLE:  Increasing Performance By Lowering Expectations.

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