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From: jml@cs.strath.ac.uk (Joseph McLean)
Newsgroups: sci.math
Subject: angels and devils
Message-ID: <298@stracs.cs.strath.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 31-Oct-86 05:01:45 EST
Article-I.D.: stracs.298
Posted: Fri Oct 31 05:01:45 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Nov-86 06:17:11 EST
Reply-To: jml@cs.strath.ac.uk (Joseph McLean)
Organization: Department of Computer Science at Strathclyde University, UK.
Lines: 16


The original problem gave the angel a maximum of 100 planets in one jump
each angel's move being in a single direction,i.e.in a single move the
angel can't zig-zag.Let's generalise to the number of planets the angel
is allowed to jump in a move as n.In the one-dimensional case the devil
can trap the angel for all finite n.Thus we have the two-dimensional case.
Can anyone give a strategy by the devil that will work whatever the angel
does,for a particular n (that might not be 100) ? Or does the value of
n matter to the eventual possible success or failure of the devil ?
e.g.consider n=1.Is there an easy way for the devil to trap the angel ?

Cogitate and masticate.

   jml,the thought-provoking mathematician.

(Who are I kidding?)