Think & Derive

Chris Long's monthly mathematical puzzle column for Central New Jersey Mensa's Forvm.

What is Think & Derive?

Problem #1 in each column will range in difficulty from easy to moderate, problem #2 from difficult to impossible. Please feel free to send me solutions, comments, or problem proposals. The answers to each will be given in the following month's column.

The current Think & Derive and all back issues are available on my website, as well.

Think & Derive, July 2000

Puzzle #1: Great Relations

In Dickens' novel "Great Expectations", Biddy is described as Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt's grand-daughter. Pip confesses that he's quite unable to work out the relationship between Biddy and Mr. Wopsle. What is it?

Puzzle #2: He's a bit odd, but he's still kin.

Estimate the relationship between you and a common grey squirrel. Since you have common ancestors, you're cousins; the puzzle is to estimate what kind of cousins you are. Assume that humans and squirrels had a common ancestor 100,000,000 years ago (as according to current theory), that the squirrel branch had a constant generational length of 6 months, and that the human branch had a generational length that increased linearly from 6 months to 25 years.

He's a bit odd,

but he's still kin.

http://math.rutgers.edu/~clong