Kogorous Riddle Thread and eworms Deduction Thread

[Akonyl]

that was a pretty straightforward riddle though, I don't see anything wrong with it.

A man follows a crude treasure map into the middle of a desert, where it's said that near a small oasis there is a great treasure buried. The map also mentions that there are two statues nearby, one of an eagle and one of a snake. The map's crude directions state:

- From the oasis, walk straight towards the eagle statue and count your steps. When you reach the eagle statue, turn 90 degrees to your left and walk the same number of steps away from the statue. Drive a stake into the ground at this point.
- From the oasis, walk straight towards the snake statue and count your steps. When you reach the snake statue, turn 90 degrees to your right and walk the same number of steps away from the statue. Drive a stake into the ground at this point.
- Exactly midway between the stakes lies the treasure.

The man walks through the desert for some time and eventually encounters the eagle statue. Looking around, he sees the snake statue in the vicinity as well. However, he can't see any oasis... it seems that it dried up. However, the man really wants to get the treasure anyway. Is there any way that the man can still find it with the information given?

[aly_angelflight]

Spoiler:

If the oasis is directly between the statues, that's easy, but there's nothing that proves this to be true...

[eworm]

Spoiler:

He counts the number of steps between the statues and then takes the same number of steps from the snake statue to the right, from the snake statue to the left, from the eagle statue to the right and from the eagle statue to the left. He marks the points, making it a rectangle. The treasure is somewhere on the symmetry axis of the rectangle... So he digs. But that's quite a lot of digging.

that was a pretty straightforward riddle though, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Mine or Kogorou's?

[sstimson]

Spoiler:

He counts the number of steps between the statues and then takes the same number of steps from the snake statue to the right, from the snake statue to the left, from the eagle statue to the right and from the eagle statue to the left. He marks the points, making it a rectangle. The treasure is somewhere on the symmetry axis of the rectangle... So he digs. But that's quite a lot of digging.

that was a pretty straightforward riddle though, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Mine or Kogorou's?

But you are forgetting a very important point. We do not know at which angle between the starting point and the statues. Think of it this way Draw an ellipse with two focus points being the two statues. The distance between the edge and the focus being the distance between the starting point and each statue. But here the problem. We do not know that distance. It could be a foot or it could be 10,000 miles. We know the treasure is in the ellipses some where.

Spoiler:

Yes he could find the treasure if he digs up the entire desert, but that is not practical. I leaning to Not enough Information.

[eworm]

Spoiler:

He can ask some old desertman passing by where the oasis were. Or he can ask some geology-knowing man.

[sstimson]

Spoiler:

He can ask some old desertman passing by where the oasis were. Or he can ask some geology-knowing man.

Agreed. But the question becomes what does Akonyl mean by this statement:Is there any way that the man can still find it with the information given? Does that mean extra information is allowed, or only the information given in the riddle?

Spoiler:

Scary. We agreed on something.

[Kleene Onigiri]

Spoiler:

He counts the number of steps between the statues and then takes the same number of steps from the snake statue to the right, from the snake statue to the left, from the eagle statue to the right and from the eagle statue to the left. He marks the points, making it a rectangle. The treasure is somewhere on the symmetry axis of the rectangle... So he digs. But that's quite a lot of digging.

that was a pretty straightforward riddle though, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Mine or Kogorou's?

But you are forgetting a very important point. We do not know at which angle between the starting point and the statues. Think of it this way Draw an ellipse with two focus points being the two statues. The distance between the edge and the focus being the distance between the starting point and each statue. But here the problem. We do not know that distance. It could be a foot or it could be 10,000 miles. We know the treasure is in the ellipses some where.

Spoiler:

Yes he could find the treasure if he digs up the entire desert, but that is not practical. I leaning to Not enough Information.

No, eworm was right.
If you do it the way eworm described, you'll get a line (more line a parallel line between the lines you formed with walking left and right from the statues). Somewhere on this parallel line, the treasure is hidden. But that's not a exact point.
Try it out.

[Akonyl]

Addendum to the riddle:

An eagle flies up to the man and looks at him. It says "If you desecrate this desert fruitlessly, I will peck your eyes out. I'm watching you."

So you can only dig in one spot. Or your eyes will be pecked out.

[sstimson]

Spoiler:

He counts the number of steps between the statues and then takes the same number of steps from the snake statue to the right, from the snake statue to the left, from the eagle statue to the right and from the eagle statue to the left. He marks the points, making it a rectangle. The treasure is somewhere on the symmetry axis of the rectangle... So he digs. But that's quite a lot of digging.

that was a pretty straightforward riddle though, I don't see anything wrong with it.

Mine or Kogorou's?

But you are forgetting a very important point. We do not know at which angle between the starting point and the statues. Think of it this way Draw an ellipse with two focus points being the two statues. The distance between the edge and the focus being the distance between the starting point and each statue. But here the problem. We do not know that distance. It could be a foot or it could be 10,000 miles. We know the treasure is in the ellipses some where.

Spoiler:

Yes he could find the treasure if he digs up the entire desert, but that is not practical. I leaning to Not enough Information.

No, eworm was right.
If you do it the way eworm described, you'll get a line (more line a parallel line between the lines you formed with walking left and right from the statues). Somewhere on this parallel line, the treasure is hidden. But that's not a exact point.
Try it out.

The way the riddle is, you would end up with a circle of stakes around the statues BECAUSE you do not know at what angle the starting point is to the statues. You method makes it possible for the treasure to be either above or below your box.

[Akonyl]

also because sstimson already proposed this as an answer: No, there is in fact enough information to solve the riddle. So the question the riddle actually asked of "is it possible" is clearly yes, the question becomes just how (and why  )

[eworm]

Spoiler:

Well, for starters he should kill the bird XD

[Akonyl]

Spoiler:

Well, for starters he should kill the bird XD

The man attempts to raise a hand against the bird to strike it down. However, a blast of light radiates from the eagle as it reveals its true, majestic form, stunning the man. The eagle reveals itself to be the eagle god after which the eagle statue was erected.

The eagle god gives the man a stern, disapproving look.

[eworm]

And the man dies from laughter.
Oh, wait no, it's me.
*dies*

[VQ]

Spoiler:

Apparently, the treasure point never changes no matter where the oasis is located, so as long as you know the location of the statues, it is possible to know the location of the treasure.
Is that right Akonyl?

[Akonyl]

Spoiler:

Apparently, the treasure point never changes no matter where the oasis is located, so as long as you know the location of the statues, it is possible to know the location to the treasure.
Is that right Akonyl?

it is, I'm surprised that nobody tried it out yet

Although you can prove it mathematically, if nobody wants to spend time doing the vector algebra to do it (because I wouldn't exactly call vector algebra a riddle) I'll just go ahead and say that it's VQ's turn.