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remove reference to deleted answer.
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Joel Rondeau
  • 7.9k
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As I mentioned in a previous comment, checking all weighings can take more than an hour on a fast machine. So I stopped trying to solve it that way, and only used it to check possible answers.

Weighing #1:

1-15 v 16-30

Excluding duplicates, this gives me the following ordered groups and possible weighings, where the number listed is the number of fewer coins (light or heavy):

15 15
 ------
  1   1
  2   2
  3   3
  4   4
  5   5
  6   6
  7   7

Now, the next part was to find a suitable second weighing. I tried following the first puzzle's weighing strategy and that led to problems. I could solve everything except for 20 light / 10 heavy (see my original answer). So I abandoned that.

I tried many different weighings, and decided what I really needed to do was avoid multiples of 3 and 5. This brings me to weighing 2:

1-11 v 12-22

This gives me the following known group sizes in order and possible weighings for them:

11 4 7 8
 ----------
  1 0 1 0
  2 0 2 0
  1 1 0 2
  3 0 3 0
  2 1 1 2
  4 0 4 0
  3 1 2 2
  2 2 0 4
  5 0 5 0
  4 1 3 2
  3 2 1 4
  6 0 6 0
  5 1 4 2
  4 2 2 4
  3 3 0 6

Given the general large difference between the first and third and second and fourth groups, I want to combine them for my third weighing. I tried a few different ways and came up with the following:

7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30

This weighing made it impossible to have many of the second group of weighings be equal, leaving me with the known group sizes and weighings of:

6 5 4 7 8
-----------
0 2 1 1 2
2 1 1 2 2
4 0 1 3 2
0 4 2 2 4
2 3 2 3 4

Now I have one weighing left, and it is:

1-6,15-22 v 7-11,23-30

This makes all the remaining weighings invalid leaving the only possibilities as 30 light/0 heavy or 0 light/30 heavy.

TL;DR

1-15 v 16-30
1-11 v 12-22
7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30
1-6,16-22 v 7-11,23-30

As I mentioned in a previous comment, checking all weighings can take more than an hour on a fast machine. So I stopped trying to solve it that way, and only used it to check possible answers.

Weighing #1:

1-15 v 16-30

Excluding duplicates, this gives me the following ordered groups and possible weighings, where the number listed is the number of fewer coins (light or heavy):

15 15
 ------
  1   1
  2   2
  3   3
  4   4
  5   5
  6   6
  7   7

Now, the next part was to find a suitable second weighing. I tried following the first puzzle's weighing strategy and that led to problems. I could solve everything except for 20 light / 10 heavy (see my original answer). So I abandoned that.

I tried many different weighings, and decided what I really needed to do was avoid multiples of 3 and 5. This brings me to weighing 2:

1-11 v 12-22

This gives me the following known group sizes in order and possible weighings for them:

11 4 7 8
 ----------
  1 0 1 0
  2 0 2 0
  1 1 0 2
  3 0 3 0
  2 1 1 2
  4 0 4 0
  3 1 2 2
  2 2 0 4
  5 0 5 0
  4 1 3 2
  3 2 1 4
  6 0 6 0
  5 1 4 2
  4 2 2 4
  3 3 0 6

Given the general large difference between the first and third and second and fourth groups, I want to combine them for my third weighing. I tried a few different ways and came up with the following:

7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30

This weighing made it impossible to have many of the second group of weighings be equal, leaving me with the known group sizes and weighings of:

6 5 4 7 8
-----------
0 2 1 1 2
2 1 1 2 2
4 0 1 3 2
0 4 2 2 4
2 3 2 3 4

Now I have one weighing left, and it is:

1-6,15-22 v 7-11,23-30

This makes all the remaining weighings invalid leaving the only possibilities as 30 light/0 heavy or 0 light/30 heavy.

TL;DR

1-15 v 16-30
1-11 v 12-22
7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30
1-6,16-22 v 7-11,23-30

As I mentioned in a previous comment, checking all weighings can take more than an hour on a fast machine. So I stopped trying to solve it that way, and only used it to check possible answers.

Weighing #1:

1-15 v 16-30

Excluding duplicates, this gives me the following ordered groups and possible weighings, where the number listed is the number of fewer coins (light or heavy):

15 15
 ------
  1   1
  2   2
  3   3
  4   4
  5   5
  6   6
  7   7

Now, the next part was to find a suitable second weighing. I tried following the first puzzle's weighing strategy and that led to problems. I could solve everything except for 20 light / 10 heavy. So I abandoned that.

I tried many different weighings, and decided what I really needed to do was avoid multiples of 3 and 5. This brings me to weighing 2:

1-11 v 12-22

This gives me the following known group sizes in order and possible weighings for them:

11 4 7 8
 ----------
  1 0 1 0
  2 0 2 0
  1 1 0 2
  3 0 3 0
  2 1 1 2
  4 0 4 0
  3 1 2 2
  2 2 0 4
  5 0 5 0
  4 1 3 2
  3 2 1 4
  6 0 6 0
  5 1 4 2
  4 2 2 4
  3 3 0 6

Given the general large difference between the first and third and second and fourth groups, I want to combine them for my third weighing. I tried a few different ways and came up with the following:

7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30

This weighing made it impossible to have many of the second group of weighings be equal, leaving me with the known group sizes and weighings of:

6 5 4 7 8
-----------
0 2 1 1 2
2 1 1 2 2
4 0 1 3 2
0 4 2 2 4
2 3 2 3 4

Now I have one weighing left, and it is:

1-6,15-22 v 7-11,23-30

This makes all the remaining weighings invalid leaving the only possibilities as 30 light/0 heavy or 0 light/30 heavy.

TL;DR

1-15 v 16-30
1-11 v 12-22
7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30
1-6,16-22 v 7-11,23-30

Source Link
Joel Rondeau
  • 7.9k
  • 1
  • 33
  • 46

As I mentioned in a previous comment, checking all weighings can take more than an hour on a fast machine. So I stopped trying to solve it that way, and only used it to check possible answers.

Weighing #1:

1-15 v 16-30

Excluding duplicates, this gives me the following ordered groups and possible weighings, where the number listed is the number of fewer coins (light or heavy):

15 15
 ------
  1   1
  2   2
  3   3
  4   4
  5   5
  6   6
  7   7

Now, the next part was to find a suitable second weighing. I tried following the first puzzle's weighing strategy and that led to problems. I could solve everything except for 20 light / 10 heavy (see my original answer). So I abandoned that.

I tried many different weighings, and decided what I really needed to do was avoid multiples of 3 and 5. This brings me to weighing 2:

1-11 v 12-22

This gives me the following known group sizes in order and possible weighings for them:

11 4 7 8
 ----------
  1 0 1 0
  2 0 2 0
  1 1 0 2
  3 0 3 0
  2 1 1 2
  4 0 4 0
  3 1 2 2
  2 2 0 4
  5 0 5 0
  4 1 3 2
  3 2 1 4
  6 0 6 0
  5 1 4 2
  4 2 2 4
  3 3 0 6

Given the general large difference between the first and third and second and fourth groups, I want to combine them for my third weighing. I tried a few different ways and came up with the following:

7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30

This weighing made it impossible to have many of the second group of weighings be equal, leaving me with the known group sizes and weighings of:

6 5 4 7 8
-----------
0 2 1 1 2
2 1 1 2 2
4 0 1 3 2
0 4 2 2 4
2 3 2 3 4

Now I have one weighing left, and it is:

1-6,15-22 v 7-11,23-30

This makes all the remaining weighings invalid leaving the only possibilities as 30 light/0 heavy or 0 light/30 heavy.

TL;DR

1-15 v 16-30
1-11 v 12-22
7-11,16-22 v 12-15,23-30
1-6,16-22 v 7-11,23-30