Can you solve Dongle's Difficult Dilemma? - Dennis E. Shasha

TL;DR

In a quest to obtain powerful hexagons, you must outbid and strategize against your rival wizard to secure a trio of either golden or silver hexagons.

Transcript

According to legend, when this planet was young and molten, three galactic terraformers shaped it into a paradise. When their work was done, they sought out new worlds, but left the source of their power behind: three powerful golden hexagons, hidden within dungeons full of traps and monsters. If one person were to bring all three hexagons toget... Read More

Key Insights

• ✊ The quest revolves around obtaining three golden or silver hexagons with immense power.
• 🧙 Outsmarting your rival wizard requires strategic bidding and considering the number of gems available.
• 🥺 Dividing gems into groups and bidding in a way that secures an advantage can lead to victory.
• 😒 The use of a magic mirror gives your rival an advantage, which you need to counteract.
• 🏅 Losing a gold auction doesn't necessarily mean defeat if you can prevent your rival from winning a trio of gold hexagons.
• 🚫 The bidding strategy involves calculating the minimum bid to force your rival to spend more and block them from obtaining a trio.
• 🤩 Ingenuity and strategic thinking are key to securing the silver tri-source.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you outsmart your rival wizard in the auction?

To ensure an advantage, you should bid strategically, considering the number of gems you have and how much your rival can bid. For example, bidding zero on certain rounds or calculating the minimum bid to force your rival to spend more.

Q: What advantage does Gordon have with his magic mirror?

Gordon can use his magic mirror to see your bids. This gives him insight into your strategy and allows him to bid just one more gem than you to block you from winning. You need to find a way to counteract this advantage.

Q: How can you gain an advantage in the silver auctions?

By dividing your gems into groups and bidding strategically, you can ensure an advantage in the silver auctions. For example, if you have a one-gem advantage at the start, you can split your remaining gems into three groups and win all three auctions.

Q: What happens if you lose the second gold auction?

If you lose the second gold auction, you can still win by preventing your rival from obtaining a trio of gold hexagons. In this scenario, you both block each other, and you can bid strategically in the silver auctions to secure three silver hexagons.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Thousands of years ago, three golden hexagons were left behind on a planet by galactic terraformers.

• An evil wizard named Gordon seeks to collect the hexagons, while a merchant named Dongle has already obtained them.

• Dongle invites you and Gordon to an auction where you must outbid each other to secure a trio of hexagons.