Listener 4114 - Three Square by Elap

[Philoctetes]

No - I haven't quite finished it yet. Still, one of the joys of a Listener comes when you learn something new, and primitive triangles are new to me. I assume that the numbers in the threes are also the genuine "answers". I do love the mathematicals!

[jamesah]

Thanks, Mysterons. All done now!

[aldanna]

"Tell drb I had a pdm at 4am!" Thus mathematician husband who happily filled the grid over the weekend, between spells of snow-shovelling (not much else to do Up North at present) and then stalled completely on the end game, despite picking it up and shaking it at intervals. Then said moment in the small hours - fortunately he waited until a reasonable time before fetching his calculator and checking it out, with suitable jubilation.
This is not my sort of puzzle but I do admire Elap's skill in (a) constructing the grid and (b) devising the clues so that it is solvable, and uniquely so.

[JustinTime]

Finished at last thanks to Google, Excel and Real basic (in no particular order)
yet another boring number one completed (YABNOC).
By the by ~ they are changing the dates of the number ones. Do YOU buy the reason ? Maybe it is because number 41xx (or even 42xx) needed to be a Number/Normal crossword and would not have been under the old rules. ?
Suggestions on a postcard to ....

[AndrewG-S]

The bank holiday puzzles tend to be very easy, I guess to seek to hook people and boost circulation. The numbers puzzles seem to have a much narrower appeal so while the last one was I think a bank holiday puzzle and very easy it probably still did not entice many people in. While I don't think this is a great strategy I do buy the reason

[BlackHugh]

Well I haven't yet had any PDMs. I've tried googling all the numbers: with the result that rows 3 & 4 are product numbers for T shirts on some clothing retailer - I really, really hope that the answer does not lie down that route :-)

[fyellin]

BlackHugh: I also got no help from Googling, and I'm not sure what that hint was supposed to mean.

I can only describe how I got is as: an idea suddenly came to me, and the concept was so perfect that I knew it had to be right, even before I checked it.

[BlackHugh]

fyellin - sounds like you had a proper PDM! I've re-checked all my entries and no mistakes detected. I'm going to leave it now in the hope that today's one can be solved in time to come back to this one.

[Alekhine]

Does anyone have a copy? My entry is long gone, but I was chatting to a work colleague who has a mathematical bent and he fancies a crack at this.

Perhaps someone could send me an electronic copy if I provide an e-mail address?

[BlackHugh]

Alekhine - I can send you a copy

[Alekhine]

Marvellous - thanks, BlackHugh.

Now the challenge ... is there a way I can provide an e-mail address without doing so 'in public'?

Not a major problem if not, but I would prefer to give out my e-mail address on an 'as needs' basis.

[BlackHugh]

If you are on Facebook and are prepared to add me as a friend (if only temporarily) we could do it that way

[cruciverbali]

Send me an e-mail Alekhine and I'll send you a copy by reply.

[BlackHugh]

or me at : [email protected]

[Philoctetes]

Hoorah - finished it. The main course was fairly straightforward, with the logical step by step that i love about mathematicals, and all it needed was a pad of paper and a calculator. But i am blowed how I would have discovered the "theme" without t'interweb. Five days of staring at unfeasibly large numbers did not help the brain.

[BlackHugh]

Returning to this one after finishing 4115.
Wish I knew what you people were googling.

[dead-eye]

finally finished.a real nightmare.hope 4115 is easier.

[BlackHugh]

Also just finished the calcs. - phew

[perseverer]

BlackHugh - 2 questions. Did your final grid include the 2 T-shirt codes, and did you ever figure out what was being googled?

[Cruncher]

Bringing up the rear. Have had a filled grid for several days and it's just dawned on me what these wretched numbers are about. More calculation ahead. Do the rows and columns include those made up of three non-continuous cells on the perimeter?

[Clamzy]

Yes cruncher, when complete all rows and columns including shaded corners are of the same ilk.