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        riddles >> easy >> 9 dots
        
(Message started by: Manntis on Nov 1^st, 2005, 10:44am)

Title: 9 dots
Post by Manntis on Nov 1^st, 2005, 10:44am

The riddle calls for a solution in 4 lines, which is where the cliche 'think outside the box' came from. Certainly 4 lines is very easy.

Let's assume you start in the lower right corner, and for the purposes of measurement say that the dots are 1 inch apart. Go diagonally across to the upper left corner, straight down and past the last dot along the left for 1 inch (going 'outside the box'), diagonally up and to the right to cross through the middle dots of the bottom and right sides and, when level with the top row of dots, draw the fourth line straight left to the top left dot.

During a business meeting one of the middle managers pulled out this oldie as a way of teaching us to 'think outside the box'. He gave us each pencil and paper, and as soon as he had us draw the 9 dots I knew what he was up to. While others hadn't heard the riddle before I had, and had previously solved it, so was done in seconds.

I then showed him how it can be done in just 3 straight lines.

Long story short, I don't work there anymore.

Title: Re: 9 dots
Post by Joe Fendel on Nov 1^st, 2005, 11:20am

It can be done in 1.

Title: Re: 9 dots
Post by Manntis on Nov 1^st, 2005, 11:39am

1 straight line without warping space?

Title: Re: 9 dots
Post by towr on Nov 1^st, 2005, 1:02pm

on 11/01/05 at 11:39:01, Manntis wrote:

1 straight line without warping space?

Warping just the paper should suffice. Just wrap it around a toilet roll.

Title: Re: 9 dots
Post by zonetrooper1 on Jun 8^th, 2012, 5:53am

You have 9 dots arranged like a "rectangle" .. well .. can't we rearrange the dots so it looks like a rectangle ... like 5 in the first row and 4 in the second :P :P

Title: Re: 9 dots
Post by zonetrooper1 on Jun 8^th, 2012, 6:30am

or we can form an "I" shape with a line crossing the middle dots .... because it didn't say that we can't pass the same line twice ...

Title: Re: 9 dots
Post by littlemisschic on Jun 28^th, 2012, 5:05pm

I like this riddle! you can see the look in peoples faces when they think you have conned them when your line goes outside the boxes. Like you i came across this at a 'team building' exersize at work. I struggled the first time but this oldie has arisen at many a job interview and staff meeting... They hate it when you answer before the 6th dot is on the board!! he he ;D
Priceless!!!

Title: Re: 9 dots
Post by iatkrox on Jul 2^nd, 2012, 12:43am

Yeah ;D It can be done in 1!