How Many Combinations?

[philip]

Originally posted by dplax: If a light can be either switched off or be one of the five colours, then the total number of possibilities is: 5^19.

aren't that 6 different (5 colors + off) options making 6^19?

[andrewas]

He's right. 6^19.

But any game worth playing should provide clues as to the solution. Guessing combinations is boring even if its just 4 or 5, but something like this is pointless.

[dplax]

Originally posted by philip: quote: Originally posted by dplax: If a light can be either switched off or be one of the five colours, then the total number of possibilities is: 5^19.

aren't that 6 different (5 colors + off) options making 6^19? [/QUOTE]Oops. I could say it was a typo, but it wasn't. the theory was good, except when I got to writing it down I messed it up.

[Tancred]

Originally posted by Dundee Slaytern: Erm... would the game not provide clues?

If it's one of the Myst series, then... no.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Barry the Sprout: If the lights are a fixed colour then the colours are irrelevant. You have 19 lights that can be turned on or off, that will give you the number of combinations available in total. E.g. light one on, lights 2-19 off. If you then try each of those combinations then you'll get the right one eventually regardless of the colour. It'll just take ages. If you were able to chose the colour the light came on as, therefore providing you with 6 options per light, then the colour would be relevant (and there would be a lot more options...).

Ahh yes, see what you're saying. I was always crap at this kind of thing too. It is bloody pointless I reckon, not a logical puzzle per se. I'm still interested in just how many combinations.

[ZaRos]

Originally posted by dplax: If a single light only has two possibilities: switched on, or switched off then the total number of possibilities is: 2^19. If a light can be either switched off or be one of the five colours, then the total number of possibilities is: 6^19.

First one 524288
Second one 609359740010496

Hehe that is a lot of solutions...
There must be some hints in the game...
If we assume that you could try one solution every ten seconds (don't know if that is reasonable)

The first one: It would take 6 days of hard work to try all possibilities
Second one 7052774768 days to try all possibilities

Well if the game is made so that there are no clues to this puzzle, then I must have made some miscalculation.

[ 11-27-2003, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: ZaRos ]

[Barry the Sprout]

Originally posted by Charlie: Ahh yes, see what you're saying. I was always crap at this kind of thing too. It is bloody pointless I reckon, not a logical puzzle per se. I'm still interested in just how many combinations.

Thats my thoughts really - if its just a case of finding the right combination out of 50 thousand or more then its just tedious. Ah well, good luck with finding the right one!