# Math (puzzle) question - can you help? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 24, 2014, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914 "2014-07-24T08:22:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/21 "2014-07-24T15:26:52Z")
Are all units of measurement the same in all nations? Did Athens or any other Nations have miles? ---
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/22 "2014-07-24T15:27:55Z")
> [@Boogly](#): > > Are all units of measurement the same in all nations? Did Athens or anyone else have miles back then? stoopid double post…reported ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/23 "2014-07-24T15:30:56Z")
Incidentally, the original problem in the PDF states these are cities in “Mensaland”. I think people are overthinking the problem. Think of it like Paris, Texas. These aren’t world capitals but cities which happen to share names with world capitals. The fact the city names are all in caps is also suggestive. Each letter represents a number, and there’s some algorithm to combine the values to get the desired result. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/24 "2014-07-24T15:32:51Z")
I have just noticed a very leading property: If we add the number of letters of each country to the mileage we get 219 + 6 = 225 = 15² 136 + 8 = 144 = 12² 43 + 6 = 49 = 7² 74 + 7 = 81=9² Coincidence? I think not! Thinking on I notice that : 15 is the number of straight line segments in ATHENS 12 in BUDAPEST 7 in LISBON 9 in VILNIUS Which of course makes HELSINKI 17² - 8 = 281 What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/25 "2014-07-24T15:35:24Z")
I’m so pleased with myself, I haven’t won a thread in AGES! ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/26 "2014-07-24T15:40:33Z")
Just noticed the time for submission on the original quiz, which I have to assume is the source for the question that I was asked. There is a deadline for answers to be submitted tomorrow, so in the interest of fairness to all competitors (especially as this thread will no doubt be showing on Google now) if you do find a satisfactory answer to the puzzle, perhaps waiting until tomorrow to post it would be sensible. Thanks. (I’m not entering the quiz, but don’t want to ruin the competition for others should an answer be found). ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/27 "2014-07-24T15:41:42Z")
Ah - never mind them. Only moments too late! Good work though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/28 "2014-07-24T15:42:23Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > I have just noticed a very leading property: I think we have a winner. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/29 "2014-07-24T15:48:27Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > I’m so pleased with myself, I haven’t won a thread in AGES! If you’re right, you should be pleased. That was amazing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/30 "2014-07-24T15:53:36Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > If you’re right, you should be pleased. That was amazing. I’ll be more pleased if my other “solution” is right! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/31 "2014-07-24T16:24:00Z")
The author of this puzzle missed a trick: instead of “How far logically is it to HELSINKI?” they could have asked “Logically, where are you?” OSLO (because 2² - 4 = 0) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/32 "2014-07-24T16:26:57Z")
I was thinking a possible solution might be that you’re not in Europe at all. A lot of small towns in the United States are named after European cities. There are, for example, towns named Athens, Budapest, and Lisbon in Ohio - but apparently no Vilnius or Helsinki. And besides The Great Unwashed’s answer is a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/33 "2014-07-24T16:58:49Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > The author of this puzzle missed a trick: instead of “How far logically is it to HELSINKI?” they could have asked "Logically, where are You could tautologically reply “Standing in front of a signpost.” ---
**Author:** ![Vphoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/838e76/32.png) [@Vphoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vphoenix)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/34 "2014-07-24T20:21:44Z")
How many cities did you try before you got Oslo? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2014, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/35 "2014-07-24T22:06:17Z")
Honestly none. I was getting on with my life when the question struck me “Are there any capitals ‘0 miles’ away?” Two things were apparent: capitals with a square number of letters are the only possible candidates (making 4 or 9 letters the most likely possiblilities) and candidates should contain relatively many curvy letters. And then I thought “Oslo”, did the short calculation to check, and YAY! it worked. But if you want proof of my fallability, I did have to check on Wikipédia that Oslo was in fact a capital. Then I Googled for 4- and 9-letter capitals to see if there were other candidates and quickly satisfied myself that Oslo is the only contender. And then I thought “Sweet!” ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/36 "2014-07-25T01:17:04Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Incidentally, the original problem in the PDF states these are cities in “Mensaland”. I think people are overthinking the problem. No, the solution may have been distances on a spiral or a square in a square shape, but yes well if you translate Mensaland as Rainmanland…?? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/37 "2014-07-26T14:40:30Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > Honestly none. > > I was getting on with my life when the question struck me “Are there any capitals ‘0 miles’ away?” > > Two things were apparent: capitals with a square number of letters are the only possible candidates (making 4 or 9 letters the most likely possiblilities) and candidates should contain relatively many curvy letters. > > And then I thought “Oslo”, did the short calculation to check, and YAY! it worked. > > But if you want proof of my fallability, I did have to check on Wikipédia that Oslo was in fact a capital. > > Then I Googled for 4- and 9-letter capitals to see if there were other candidates and quickly satisfied myself that Oslo is the only contender. > > And then I thought “Sweet!” Trouble is, “Norway” has 6 letters. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914/38 "2014-07-26T14:57:36Z")
And I now see it’s done on the city lenth, not the country. I got confuses as **The Great Unwashed** said “country” and I never went back to check the maths. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-puzzle-question-can-you-help/693914.md?page=1)