Ilse van Duin
Pirates’ Treasure Problem
Today is your lucky day! You are the captain of a 10-member pirate ship, and together with the rest of your crew, you have found treasure: 100 indivisible gold coins! Now, the question arises as to how the treasure should be divided. Though it might be tempting as the captain to keep all the gold for yourself, there is a very strict pirate code. You must propose the first division, and every crew member gets to vote on your proposal. If your proposed division receives at least half of the votes, it is accepted. However, if your proposal is not accepted, you must, unfortunately, walk the plank. The second-highest-ranking pirate is then allowed to make a proposal under the same conditions, and so on. So, what is it that you propose in order to avoid the plank?
The Mathematical Mysteries Behind the Great Pyramid
Being the oldest site among the original Seven Wonders, it is not surprising that the Great Pyramid of Giza attracts more than 14 million tourists a year. Seeing these huge structures in the vast, sandy desert, many of these 14 million tourists do not realize the mathematical precision used to build the pyramids. The pyramids reveal the [...]