The Sphinx's Lair

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bobble

02:23

@GarethMcCaughan this OP would like to move their question to main meta

(I'm using pings instead of flags for stuff on meta, since I don't think the flag queue there is checked regularly)

Sphinx

Q: White en passanted, now what?

Here is a new retrograde chess puzzle based round a new idea. **In the position below, White’s 9th move was an en passant capture. Can either player still castle? (10+9) FEN: r2qk1n1/ppppp2P/P4P2/8/8/3PP3/4PPP1/4K2R Please provide your reasoning in your answer. Have fun! :-)

5 hours later…

Sphinx

07:18

Q: This mystery book referenced here was published in China, and then banned in China

I tried to find a puzzle tagged both cryptic-clues and computer-science but found none. OK, here's one: 8-bit mathematical group, then 32-bit hard canine explorer (7,3,5) (is it tagged correctly?)

mathematics cryptic-clues computer-science

2 hours later…

msh210

08:48

C4 hint.

Sphinx

09:10

Q: Valentines Confusion

Alice decides to write her mathematics-loving girlfriend a cute maths equation in her valentine's day card: i! -------- u!(i-u)! She gives the card to her girlfriend. After reading the equation, her girlfriend begins to cry and runs off. Explain what happened. (My first time posting something...

mathematics

oAlt

09:47

yeah with that logic solver is you... But I'm wondering whether it's "you" or an abbreviated "u"

the letters of "you" don't feel a likely combination, but I'm not quite satisfied with "you" taking an extra step to become "u"

although ofc that's been done already with drug -> ecstasy -> E

2 hours later…

Sphinx

12:09

Q: Explain the figure (hopefully you'll dig it)

Explain how the figure below was created. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ...

enigmatic-puzzle visual

2 hours later…

oAlt

13:42

@msh210 ma n(u)ever, where u = you = solver indeed

Sphinx

14:01

Q: Twins Holding Hands Leave

Line 1: Beatles drummer Ringo (5) anchors that absorb water/nutrients (5) Air Force base in Nebraska (6) U.S. state with 8 bordering states (9) Spanish tennis star David (6) elliptical life containers (4) river in Alan Jackson's hit (13) Line 2: Paul's letter to Thessalonica, abbrev. (5) Bella (n...

riddle word enigmatic-puzzle affix-riddle

oAlt

Got the spelling wrong, it should be ma ne(u)ver. I always get it mixed up.

Jafe

14:23

brits reading this are like "yup, still got it wrong"

Sphinx

15:08

Q: Prove that the equality, 1/a+ 1/b + 1/c + 1/d + 1/e + 1/f = 1 has no solutions in odd natural numbers

Prove that the equality, 1/a+ 1/b + 1/c + 1/d + 1/e + 1/f = 1 has no solutions in odd natural numbers. P.S. I think what it means is that if a, b, c, d, e and f are all odd natural numbers then the above equation cannot be true. From the excellent book, Mathematical circles Russian experience

mathematics

juicifer

@oAlt man, u ever misspell the word "maneuver"? I do it all the time

oAlt

I see what u did there

AncientSwordRage

15:35

@Jafe last I checked we spelt it manaeiouver but I could be wrong

1 hour later…

oAlt

16:40

Yeah the Brit spelling is ~~worse~~ more interesting...

Stiv

17:01

Technically, we spell it the French way - so blame them, not us!

juicifer

there's never a bad excuse to blame something on the french

bobble

;-; i don't like filing taxes on my small business. can i solve a sudoku instead.

juicifer

a little procrastination never hurt nobody

Sphinx

17:22

Q: ARG riddle i can't solve

'before this Lady changed her name when Valiums were her claim to fame this was a place nearest the street where old friends Joe and Jacob meet' i have tried so many things but none have been correct! any help is appreciated. previous puzzles in the arg have been ciphers so it could be hidden or ...