Petals around the rose

[yanuart]

They say this is a good game to help you understand how ppl's mind work so you can create a better product a.k.a games
http://crux.baker.edu/cdavis09/roses.html

it'll be nice if there's no spoiler here

[mahlzeit]

Nice. There should be a game that randomly generates such puzzles.

[ggambett]

I'm like 2 minutes smart

[Bmc]

is there some trick to it? I can't seem to figure it out. someone pm the trick please. I'm really curious to see what it is.

[yanuart]

no, you shouldnt.... that's the idea of this game, to see how someone can solve it in like 2 mnts and the other can take ages
it has nothing to do with being smart though.. it's just a test that ppl don't think alike.

[Bmc]

ahh i think i might of just figured it out

[z3lda]

I had to look at it 3 different times in the span of 20min to figure it out. I think it has to do more with creativity then smarts.

heh

[Ryan Clark]

I find it funny (and improbable) that the professor described in the story took a year to figure it out. Just using math, paying no mind to the "trick", you can figure it out.

[Ricardo C]

Well, I must be an Einstein/Hawking kind of genius, because I've been trying to crack the formula forever

[AndyN]

Yup, definately possible to overthink that one. Took me a lot of attempts and it does leave you wanting to kick yourself.

Shows how what might be obvious to one person can seem inpenetrable to someone just as smart but who thinks slightly differently. Pretty cool.

[ggambett]

Awww, come on, it's trivial... it takes 2 minutes... the solution is below, in white, so if you want to see it, select it.
Let f(k) = the count of dice that come up with the number k, pi the constant 3.14159..., cos2(x) = cos(x)*cos(x), f(x)dx the derivative of f(x) respect to x, and i the imaginary constant (sqrt -1). Then, the simple formula for the petal count is f(1)*sin(arctan(pi)) + f(2)*(1 - cos2(pi)) + f(3)*(power(sqrt(2.0), cos2(pi/8) + sin2(pi/8) + tan(pi/4)) - f(4)*(2*ln(e) - ln(power(e, 2)) - f(5)*(power(e, i*pi) / log(200.717432))*cos(0)*ln(100) - f(6)*((x dx) dx).
Can you really look at it for more than 2 minutes and just "see" the formula??

[NuriumGames]

Solved at the first attemp, I guess I should be pretty dumb.

[Savant]

Some people are better at recognizing the trick than others. Doesn't indicate intelligence one way or the other.

[Ryan Clark]

the solution is below, in white, so if you want to see it, select it.

lol, nice one Gabriel

I came up with the exact same solution!

[yanuart]

Shows how what might be obvious to one person can seem inpenetrable to someone just as smart but who thinks slightly differently. Pretty cool.

Ahhh... yes, this must be the case why people complaining about my puzzle game being too hard.
Anyway for those of you who play this puzzle believe me I took a minor in psychology once.. and this has nothing to do with being smart, in fact ppl still can't figure out what smart/intelligence is

I believe the profesor only say that as a subtle joke for anyone who tried the puzzle.

[BantamCityGames]

Some people are better at recognizing the trick than others. Doesn't indicate intelligence one way or the other.

I agree... I got it on the first try... the name of the game gives the whole thing away.

[Ricardo C]

I agree... I got it on the first try... the name of the game gives the whole thing away.

*slaps forehead repeatedly*

OF COURSE! DAMMIT!!!! I feel so freakin' idiotic now... It's so dang obvious!

I'm glad I gave it one last try before looking up a spoiler site, or I might have killed myself.

[Savant]

I agree... I got it on the first try... the name of the game gives the whole thing away.

Which really goes to illustrate the differences in peoples thinking. Other people I know who figured it out were pissy because they felt the name was completely irrelevant.

[C_Coder]

I tried it out...man I feel stupid! The name! It's in the name! I didn't read this post for the sake of finding out the pattern myself but it took me a whole hour to figure it out!

[Greg Squire]

Figured it out in two tries! What's in a name? Everything in this case.

[Abscissa]

Solved at the first attemp, I guess I should be pretty dumb.

Me too.

Not sure whether I should use a smiley face or a frowny face.

[Savant]

In reality, the name is totally misleading. If they did it properly, it would be a lot easier to figure out. Meaning:

Petals Around the Roses

[Abscissa]

In reality, the name is totally misleading. If they did it properly, it would be a lot easier to figure out. Meaning:

Petals Around the Roses

Good point.

[ggambett]

What do you mean? Is there a way easier than my formula?

[mot]

There is no formula required. You just count 'em.

[Vectrex]

erm.. I got it the second I saw it. Remind me not to make puzzle games The comments on the website are scary, people spending hours and trying all sorts of maths on it. It's like a the old 'Americans developed a pressured biro to write in zero gravity.. the Russians bought pencils' :P

[Surrealix]

In reality, the name is totally misleading. If they did it properly, it would be a lot easier to figure out. Meaning:

Petals Around the Roses

Now that is nit-picking. I figured it out in 2 minutes, (the name helped). I don't think the name is misleading at all. It's just a matter of how you read it.

[robleong]

I actually expected something more! Not very satisfying solving it...

[20thCenturyBoy]

In reality, the name is totally misleading. If they did it properly, it would be a lot easier to figure out. Meaning:

Petals Around the Roses

I'm with Savant on this

[rodent]

Took me about 15 minutes! Phew!

I love the zen-ness of it.

Anyone got more of these?