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What's the 15-letter answer I'm looking for?


enter image description here


Hint 1a

enter image description here

Hint 1b

enter image description here

Note: It's not a sign (like o or 0) just suppose to look like a little circle/point.

Hint 2 (a bit stronger)

"o" - "o"

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  • $\begingroup$ Is the answer clearly and obviously the only correct one? Or provide some sort of check sum? I assume it's not Lb or Lv? $\endgroup$
    – Amoz
    Sep 17, 2022 at 1:54
  • $\begingroup$ @Amoz I'd say it is. Everything is contained within the puzzle. Chengarda found the first part. The second part (which is knowledge based) is hard to see but once spotted it will make sense (taking into account the "approximately-sign" aswell.) $\endgroup$ Sep 17, 2022 at 2:15
  • $\begingroup$ @Amoz No, that doesn't ring any bell. Maybe you can rot13 what you mean? $\endgroup$ Sep 17, 2022 at 2:18
  • $\begingroup$ Yes 15 letters exactly $\endgroup$ Sep 17, 2022 at 2:21
  • $\begingroup$ Ok. But no, that's on the wrong track. No people involved $\endgroup$ Sep 17, 2022 at 2:26

2 Answers 2

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You may be a:

GOLDEN RECTANGLE?

As noted by @Chengarda,

connecting red squares with straight lines when not blocked by black squares spells out Au, the chemical symbol for gold: (borrowed picture for completeness, credit @Chengarda)
Au

The grid is conspicuously sized 10x16 when 10x14 would have sufficed. This ratio, 10/16, equals 1.6,or ~1.6180333..., the golden ratio, phi (also a hidden value in a certain tower).

So it seems the answer may have something to do with

phi.

Phi itself could be a 'victorious figure'; according to Mario Livio:
"...it is probably fair to say that the Golden Ratio has inspired thinkers of all disciplines like no other number in the history of mathematics."

Three mathematicians strongly associated with Phi are Leonardo Bonacci, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michael Maestlin. Due to their profound impacts on math and science, any of these figures could be referred to as 'victorious' (or 'champions'). All are 15 letters.

Other associated terms include 'golden rectangle' (what this actually almost is), 'the golden spiral' and 'Fibonacci spiral', all 15 letters but probably only by coincidence. Any of these could be 'victorious' as they are considered gold standards in art and design.

Final guess:

GOLDEN RECTANGLE as it fits the actual literal shape. If we interpret the 'Au in box' as a 'Rectangle (figure) made of gold' (rather than related to gold), then this answer fits perfectly, rather than tenuously. I'd been mostly thrown when I assumed 'figure' meant we needed to find a person, and spent the last week on Wikipedia scouring articles on the golden rectangle and golden ratio looking for a link to a person famous in war, sports, or science.

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  • $\begingroup$ That was it! You got the intended answer. And your "update" is exactly how I wanted it to be interpreted. Also, I chose those numbers intentionally so that it would be more clear what I was looking for (although not easy to detect) $\endgroup$ Sep 17, 2022 at 4:31
  • $\begingroup$ So are the black squares just to guide the lines joining the reds? They have no other purpose? $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Sep 17, 2022 at 6:22
  • $\begingroup$ @Stiv Yes exactly, just to function as "blockages". All reds should connect to every red possible (where there's no black in their way) $\endgroup$ Sep 17, 2022 at 7:14
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Hmm I found that if I:

Join the red squares with lines where they are not blocked by black squares, it seems to spell out Au: enter image description here Au is the chemical symbol for Gold, so maybe the answer is "Gold Medal Winner" - 15 letters, a victorious figure?

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  • $\begingroup$ This is all I've ever found too - I have no idea what to do with the black squares... $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Sep 16, 2022 at 22:33
  • $\begingroup$ You got that part right. Rot13(Gur oynpx fdhnerf jrer bayl gurer gb oybpx gur yvarf pbaarpgvat gur erqf, juvpu lbh svtherq bhg.) But the answer I'm looking for is different than yours. The second part of the puzzle is more knowledge based, nothing complicated but still some knowledge is required. $\endgroup$ Sep 16, 2022 at 23:57

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