For Mensa or Densa
Ugh. Somebody showed me this thing over the summer, and it took me over two hours to get it. The more I thought about it, the more I came up with wild and outlandish formulas, and the further I got away from the very simple solution.
On a somewhat related note, has anybody seen this thing?
Ironically, this was the hint I needed to get it. (That is, the title itself.) Thanks!
The “rose” is the central pip on a die (for the purposes of this game.) The “petals” are the pips that surround the central pip. Only three die rolls have a central pip: 1, 3, and 5. For example, 1 has a central pip, but no pips around it, so there are no petals on that rose. Three has a central pip and 2 petals on either side of it. Five has a central pip and four petals around it. Therefore, the only die faces you’re looking for are a 3 and a 5. Every 3 has 2 petals, and every 5 has 4 petals. Add up all the petals across the 5 dice and you’ll get the answer to the question.