Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

**Gene** · 10-07-2023, 01:04 PM

This is a for fun contest. Not programming.

Choose the BEST answer that does NOT belong in each numbered row. There may be an answer that might not belong based on one approach, but like teachers always did when we were in school, the BEST answer is what is sought.

Enjoy. See how you do.

**Gene** · 10-09-2023, 07:08 PM

I will post the answers used at the conference in a day or two.

cruff · 10-09-2023, 10:57 PM

Will be interested to see the answers. I immediately thought of the New York Times "Connections" game when I saw the questions.

Werner · 10-10-2023, 07:18 AM

My guesses (because guesses they were, sometimes, as it is hard to judge what the 'best' answer will be):
ACDDEBEDDD
Werner

do2 · 10-10-2023, 09:10 AM

(10-10-2023 07:18 AM)Werner Wrote: ACDDEBEDDD

In the following 4 instances, I would have guessed the following different answers compared to Werner's:
1: E - because of 2 reasons actually: DEG does not calculate anything, and there is no key assigned to it
4: A - needs an argument in Y
8: E - no key assigned
10: E - ditto no key assigned

Tiebreaker 1: 3 steps x<>y, ST+T, ST-Z
And I must admit that I do not understand the question of Tiebreaker 2...

ThomasF · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2023 09:28 AM by ThomasF.)

(10-10-2023 07:18 AM)Werner Wrote: ACDDEBEDDD

I had a different approach, my BEST answers would have been:

1: B - because all other involved trigonometry ...
4: A - since all other only take 1 argument ...
7: B - as all other might change x ...
10:E - since it is the only one guaranteed to leave an integer in x ...

The tiebreaker #1 could be solved in 2 step: R^ X<> Z
And Tiebreaker #2 could be replaced with a singel X#Y? instruction.

Looking forward to the solutions provided by Gene ... Wink

Cheers,
Thomas

Werner · 10-10-2023, 11:28 AM

(10-10-2023 07:18 AM)Werner Wrote: ACDDEBEDDD

My reasoning:
1.A because it’s the only one to take 2 arguments. I thought about ‘trigonometric operations’, too, but I wouldn’t call ->DEG a trig operation. I now realize that probably E is the correct answer, as indeed the 4 others are on the keyboard.
2.C doesn’t alter the stack
3.D isn’t a test
4.D accepts only integers.
5.E has no digit input _
6.B has no X in the instruction
7.E enables stack lift, the others disable it
8.D does not affect LASTX
9.D only one argument function
10.D takes no negative arguments

As to which answer is ‘best’, however, that is up for debate!

Cheers, Werner

ThomasF · 10-10-2023, 12:28 PM

(10-10-2023 11:28 AM)Werner Wrote: 10.D takes no negative arguments

As to which answer is ‘best’, however, that is up for debate!

I had a similar thought for 10 since option B was the only one that can't handle a zero ...

Yes lets see what the BEST answers are from the judge ... Wink

Cheers,
Thomas

Ajaja · 10-10-2023, 02:41 PM

And in 10 only one depends on RAD/DEG/GRAD mode Wink

**rprosperi** · 10-10-2023, 03:01 PM

(10-10-2023 11:28 AM)Werner Wrote: As to which answer is ‘best’, however, that is up for debate!

Cheers, Werner

Not correct. It is up to Gene, who as the quiz author, has God-like powers for choosing "best". Don't you just hate it when that happens...?

Joe Horn · 10-10-2023, 04:02 PM

(10-10-2023 09:26 AM)ThomasF Wrote: The tiebreaker #1 could be solved in 2 step: R^ X<> Z

My submission at the conference was X<> Z, RDN.

Werner · 10-10-2023, 04:39 PM

(10-10-2023 03:01 PM)rprosperi Wrote:
(10-10-2023 11:28 AM)Werner Wrote: As to which answer is ‘best’, however, that is up for debate!

Cheers, Werner

Not correct. It is up to Gene, who as the quiz author, has God-like powers for choosing "best". Don't you just hate it when that happens...?

Indeed.
To atone for my insolence, verging on blasphemy, I will re-read the 41C User's Guide, 'Synthetic Programming on the 41C' by that other HP demi-God, and the 15C Advanced Functions Handbook. Actually, as far as punishment goes, I couldn't ask for more!
Werner

brouhaha · 10-10-2023, 06:33 PM

(10-10-2023 04:02 PM)Joe Horn Wrote: My submission at the conference was X<> Z, RDN.

Mine was the same.

For the entries submitted at the conference, there was not a tie on the multiple choice portion, so the tie-breakers were not invoked. I was very surprised to be the winner, with only a 90% score. The prize was an HP-41CV with manuals!

Eddie W. Shore · 10-10-2023, 07:37 PM

My answers:

(what I think what the functions have in common)
1. B (functions that work of angles)
2. D (manipulating the stack without replacing any value)
3. D (tests)
4. A (one argument functions)
5. E (?)
6. B (functions that work on the x stack)
7. B (functions that don't duplicate numbers?)
8. C (non-trig functions)
9. D (two argument functions)
10. C (non-trig functions)

Tiebreakers:
1. x<>y, R-down, R-down, x<>y, R-down, R-down
2. x=y (it's a guess)

Dave Britten · 10-10-2023, 08:33 PM

I'll take a shot at it...

1: A (the only two-argument function)
2: D (does not preserve all four values that were originally on the stack)
3: D (the only non-conditional transfer)
4: A (the only two-argument function)
5: E (doesn't take a two-digit post-entered argument)
6: E (not 100% sure, but only function you're likely to use in RUN mode?)
7: E (only function that doesn't disable stack lift for next operation)
8: D (only function that doesn't affect LASTx)
9: D (the only single-argument function)
10: E (only function without an inverse?)

1: X<>Y, ST+ T, ST- Z
2: X#Y

**Gene** · (This post was last modified: 10-11-2023 02:45 AM by Gene.)

The answer key as I used it is shown below. Note that there are other answers that can be given, but if you are like me, teachers and tests often said to select the "BEST" answer and that was ALWAYS in the eyes of the teacher. :-)

These were all from an old PPC Journal article!

1) B. LOG is not related to a trigonometry function.
2) C. X<>X is the only function that does not disturb the stack.
3) D. GTO 01 is not a conditional branch instruction.
4) A. Y^x is the only operation that requires two values.
5) E. ∏. A number keyed after ∏ will lift the stack.
6) B. LBL 01 is the only instruction shown that will advance the flying goose during a program.
7) E. X<>Y. A number keyed immediately after the others will overwrite the X-register value since they disable stack lift.
8) D. CHS does not save X in the LastX register.
9) D. FRC is the only function shown that only uses the X-register.
10) E. INT is the only operation listed without an inverse. LastX does not count as an inverse. For example, the sine of 25 is approx 0.4226. You can enter 0.4226 and press shift SIN to get approximately 25. The INT of 3.14 is 3. You cannot however, key 3 and get 3.14 since there is no direct inverse of INT.

Tie Breakers:

#1 - 2 Steps. #2 - X NE Y

the winner at the conference got 9 out of 10 correct. The tiebreakers were not needed. The winner was Eric Smith, who won a working HP-41CV with manuals.

do2 · 10-11-2023, 06:57 AM

Thanks a lot, Gene! That was fun.
I got some answers right. And some among them were even for other reasons than the official solution... Smile

ThomasF · 10-11-2023, 08:07 AM

(10-10-2023 09:26 AM)ThomasF Wrote:
(10-10-2023 07:18 AM)Werner Wrote: ACDDEBEDDD

I had a different approach, my BEST answers would have been:

1: B - because all other involved trigonometry ...
4: A - since all other only take 1 argument ...
7: B - as all other might change x ...
10:E - since it is the only one guaranteed to leave an integer in x ...

The tiebreaker #1 could be solved in 2 step: R^ X<> Z
And Tiebreaker #2 could be replaced with a singel X#Y? instruction.

Looking forward to the solutions provided by Gene ...

Nice! Then my BCDAEBBDDE was 9 out of 10 ... missed the stack lift (apart from some other arguments for my choices) Wink

Thanks again for a funny challenge!

Cheers,
Thomas

Ajaja · 10-11-2023, 08:14 AM

(10-11-2023 02:40 AM)Gene Wrote: 10) E. INT is the only operation listed without an inverse. LastX does not count as an inverse. For example, the sine of 25 is approx 0.4226. You can enter 0.4226 and press shift SIN to get approximately 25. The INT of 3.14 is 3. You cannot however, key 3 and get 3.14 since there is no direct inverse of INT.

sin(123456) is hard to inverse without LastX too Smile