In 1704 the first issue of the journal appeared in London. The Ladies’ Diarya periodical intended, according to its own slogan, “for the use and entertainment of the fair sex”. There is an almanac, cooking recipes, health advice and, in the last pages, a games section with riddles, rebuses or charades. Readers are invited to participate by sending their solutions and in turn proposing puzzles. This section will quickly take a turn that the journal’s editors did not expect.
In just a few numbers, simple little puzzles turn into real math problems. We ask complex equations, trigonometry questions, differential calculus and a good number of mathematical physics problems. Under the impetus of its readers, The Ladies’ Diary is gradually transforming into one of the most popular scientific journals in the country! This section was of such interest that many men, including professional scientists, began reading the journal, which in 1841 was officially renamed The Lady’s and Gentleman’s Diary.
Here is an example of a riddle that was posed in the 1711 edition:
In a flat garden there are two large fir trees whose tops are decorated with golden balls, one is 100 feet high, the other 80, and they are 120 feet apart at the base. However, the owner wants to place a fountain in a straight line between the trees, equidistant from the top of each. How should this be done?
The answer was provided, in the following issue, by Mrs Anna Wright. Will you be able, like her, to determine the position of the fountain?
As an extension of this enigma, here is a variation of my own:
Peeking over the fence, the neighbor from above decides to do the same thing in his garden. His land is also flat and there are also two fir trees, one 100 feet high and the other 60. Like his neighbor, he wants his two trees and his fountain to be aligned and for the latter to be placed equidistant from the two peaks. Unfortunately, by doing his calculations, he understands that his project is impossible to achieve.
Can you explain why and can you deduce the distance between its two trees?
Find the previous puzzles by clicking here
