Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/114 - The Pirates' Flag/Solution
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Modern Puzzles by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $114$
- The Pirates' Flag
- Here is a flag taken from a band of pirates on the high seas.
- The twelve stripes represented the number of men in the band,
- and when a new man was admitted or dropped out a new stripe was added or one removed, as the case might be.
- Can you discover how the flag should be cut into as few pieces as possible so that they may be put together again and show only ten stripes?
- No part of the material may be wasted, and the flag must retain its oblong shape.
Solution
- The illustration will show that the flag need only be cut in two pieces -- along the zigzag line.
- If the lower piece is then moved up one step we shall get a flag with the required ten stripes.
Sources
- 1926: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Modern Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Solutions: $114$. -- The Pirates' Flag
- 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Answers: $337$. The Pirates' Flag