Math Is Fun Forum
You are not logged in.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
#1 2005-12-03 00:07:10
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Cow Bull 1
What's cow bull?
Its a game of guessing the number I have thought!
A four digit number starting with first digit 1 to 9, without repitition of digits.
Cow Bull 1.
I think of a four digit number. You have to guess what it is.
For example, I have thought of the number 9712 (remember, I always thinks of four digit numbers without repitition of digits and the first is always non-zero).
Your guess:- 3410 :- My reply would be 1 bull. Because 1 figures in your guess and my number, and in the same place (tenths place).
Your guess:- 3140 :- My reply would be 1 cow. Because the number 1 figures in both the number I thought and the one you guessed but its not in the same place!
Your guess:- 9087:- My reply would be 1 Bull and 1 Cow, because the number I thought of was 9712, 9 figures in both the numbers in the same place and 7 figures in both the numbers, but in different places.
Your guess:- 3456:- My reply would be Nil as there are no cows or bulls.
The idea is to guess the number with the previous results.
So, here goes................... 
COW BULL # 1
Start guessing!
The first to tell the number is the winner!
Last edited by Jai Ganesh (2005-12-03 19:17:27)
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#2 2005-12-03 04:38:17
- mathsyperson
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-06-22
- Posts: 4,900
Re: Cow Bull 1
So, basically mastermind with numbers then. Fair enough.
Your definitions of cow and bull contradict your examples.
But, as this is only the first guess, that doesn't matter right now.
Guess 1: 9876
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
Offline
#3 2005-12-03 08:33:24
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Cow Bull 1
Sounds like fun!
Do we wait for your answer to someone else's guess? Or do you only give one clue each a day ... or something .. anyway let's carry on and see what happens.
BTW with MasterMind you can have repetitions. For example all yellow. And is it legal to guess with repetitions?
For example, my guess is: 1122
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#4 2005-12-03 10:02:26
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Cow Bull 1
Looks interesting. I think I'll wait until ganesh has replied before I post a guess.
We could have a Cow Bull winner image award too. Except it might mess up images of the Wink Murder game.
Offline
#5 2005-12-03 10:08:36
- mathsyperson
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-06-22
- Posts: 4,900
Re: Cow Bull 1
We could have some kind of bull + wink awards, but that might be a bit over the top.
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
Offline
#6 2005-12-03 16:49:54
- MathsIsFun
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: Cow Bull 1
And who is going to do all those graphics? Artistically-challenged me?
Or do we have someone with true flair and imagination (plus some skill with a graphics editor) ... ?
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
Offline
#7 2005-12-03 19:20:33
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Re: Cow Bull 1
Your definitions of cow and bull contradict your examples.
But, as this is only the first guess, that doesn't matter right now.
Guess 1: 9876
There is no longer any contradiction. I have corrected the examples now. Thanks, Mathsy.
Reply to Guess 1 :- 1 Cow
Reply to MathIsFun's guess 1122 :- Repetition of digits not allowed.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#8 2005-12-03 19:44:36
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Cow Bull 1
Guess 2: 8132
Offline
#9 2005-12-03 20:40:22
- jU
- Real Member
- Registered: 2005-08-17
- Posts: 1,923
Re: Cow Bull 1
7893
Offline
#10 2005-12-04 04:45:39
- Jims
- Member
- Registered: 2005-11-28
- Posts: 42
Re: Cow Bull 1
4501
Offline
#11 2005-12-04 16:30:52
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Re: Cow Bull 1
justlookingforthemoment : Guess 2 : 8132
Reply: 2 cows
jU : Guess 3 : 7893
Reply : 1 cow
Jims : Guess 4 : 4501
Reply : 1 cow
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#12 2005-12-04 18:18:14
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Cow Bull 1
Guess 5: 6320
Offline
#13 2005-12-04 18:19:22
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Re: Cow Bull 1
justlookingforthemoment : Guess 5 : 6320
Reply : 3 cows.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#14 2005-12-04 18:44:29
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Cow Bull 1
Guess 6: 3265
Offline
#15 2005-12-04 18:45:55
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Re: Cow Bull 1
justlooking for the moment : Guess 6 : 3265
Reply : 1 Bull, 2 cows
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#16 2005-12-04 19:45:17
- Roraborealis
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-17
- Posts: 1,594
Re: Cow Bull 1
I guess: 3604
Last edited by Roraborealis (2005-12-04 19:45:49)
School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?
Offline
#17 2005-12-04 20:55:37
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Re: Cow Bull 1
Roraborealis : Guess 7 : 3604
Reply : i Bull, 2 Cows.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#18 2005-12-04 21:06:29
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Cow Bull 1
Guess 8: 3426
Offline
#19 2005-12-04 21:14:38
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Re: Cow Bull 1
justlooking for the moment : Guess 8 : 3426
Reply : 4 Cows
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#20 2005-12-04 22:00:54
- justlookingforthemoment
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-05-26
- Posts: 2,161
Re: Cow Bull 1
Guess 9: 6234
Offline
#21 2005-12-04 22:12:31
- Jai Ganesh
- Administrator
- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,423
Re: Cow Bull 1
justlookingforthemoment : Guess 9 : 6234
Reply :- 1 Bull, 3 Cows.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
Offline
#22 2005-12-05 03:56:29
- mathsyperson
- Moderator
- Registered: 2005-06-22
- Posts: 4,900
Re: Cow Bull 1
Guess 10: The game is impossible.
From guess 8, we know that the four digits are 2, 3, 4 and 6.
Focus on the number 3.
From guess 2, it can't be third.
From guess 3, it can't be last.
From guess 5, it can't be second.
From guess 8, it can't be first.
There needs to be a 3, but it can't go anywhere.
Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.
Offline
#23 2005-12-05 06:02:36
- Roraborealis
- Member
- Registered: 2005-03-17
- Posts: 1,594
Re: Cow Bull 1
Aha!
...or maybe ganesh just made an odd mistake.
School is practice for the future. Practice makes perfect. But - nobody's perfect, so why practice?
Offline
#24 2005-12-05 10:24:05
- Jims
- Member
- Registered: 2005-11-28
- Posts: 42
Re: Cow Bull 1
breakdown:
Guess 1: 9876 (c)
Guess 2 : 8132 (cc)
Guess 3 : 7893 (c)
Guess 4 : 4501 (c)
Guess 5 : 6320 (ccc)
Guess 6 : 3265 (Bcc)
Guess 7 : 3604 (Bcc)
Guess 8 : 3426 (cccc)
Guess 9 : 6234 (Bccc)
Working with the assumption that two, three, four and six are the numbers;
Based on Guesses 1-5 (ignoring the bulls and 4 cows);
numerical locations not available are:
**22
*333
4***
6**6
therfore:
3264
is the only guess for 1-5
However, with the bulls:
G6: 3265
G7: 3604
G9: 6234
therfore:
2364
is the only guess for 6,7,9
minimize:
let's presume the least amount of errors.
3264 disagrees with all guesses 6-9
whereas
2364 only disagrees only with guess 5
"
justlookingforthemoment : Guess 5 : 6320
Reply : 3 cows.
"
so what, the first bull was a cow or something?
CONCLUSION:
In order to prove the game was not impossible, but instead to suggest that an error occured in the process of the game, the most likely solution being that which incurs the least mistakes.
Guess 11: 2364
Offline
#25 2005-12-05 12:13:15
- jU
- Real Member
- Registered: 2005-08-17
- Posts: 1,923
Re: Cow Bull 1
guess 12: 3456
Offline