GeekDad Puzzle of the Week Solution: Trick or Treater's Dilemma

This week's puzzle continued my Halloween theme by pitting a Trick or Treater named Eddie against his neighborhood. Before I get to the winner I will give the solution. Here is the puzzle as it was presented last week:

Puzzle:

Find the most efficient route for Eddie to take to hit all the houses and the distance he traveled using these clues:

A= 100 Feet
B = Log(A) x 6 Yards
C = 0x50 Feet
D = (B/6)! inches
G = C - B Feet
I = J - 10 Feet
J = (G + 16) Yards
angle x = 45 degrees
angle y = 45 degrees

A few notes:

1. Round all answers to the nearest foot
2. Before using a number in an equation convert it to feet. For example for the length of line D convert the length of line B to feet before using it in the equation to calculate D.
3. For our European readers 1 foot = 12 inches and 3 Feet = 1 Yard

Solution:

The most efficient route with the distances is as follows ...

A = 100 feet
B = Log(A) x 6 yards = Log(100) x 6 Yards = 36 Feet
C = 0x50 = 80 Feet -- 0X50 is 80 in Hexadecimal
E = sqrt(D^2 + F^2) = 85 Ft
G = C- B feet = 44 feet
G = 44 Feet
F = D = (B/2)! inches = 720 inches = 60 Feet
H = J + I - D = 170 =180 - 60 = 290
I = J - 10 Feet = 170
J = (G + 16) Yards = 60 Yards = 180 Feet

Totaling that up gives us 1089 Feet

Now some of you very astute mathematicians and topology geeks pointed out that the numbers were wrong because the map scale clearly shows a rectangle with a cut off corner. There is no way those angles would work and at least one outright accusation of shenanigans. Well, they are right, if and only if I had said that Eddie was living in a two dimensional world and the huge hills that make up his neighborhood did not exist. Alas our poor tired Eddie had a lot of hills to walk. The moral of that story being never underestimate the power of a GeekDad to rationalize anything! Extra Geek Cred for those who caught that discrepancy.

Despite the supposed issue we did have a winner! Congratulations to Randal Scheib who is this week's winner of the $50 ThinkGeek Gift Certificate. Everyone else gets this GEEKDAD23CD, which will get you $10.00 off your next $50.00 ThinkGeek order.

Come back Monday and Garth will be here with more fun and fabulous prizes. If you're lucky he'll even throw in some zombies because everyone loves zombies.