10566 - Crossed Ladders

BiK · Post by **BiK** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:13 am

I thought that I have good background Mathematics and that this should be an easy problem in Geometry. Just the opposite, this proved wrong. I'm totally stumped. Please help me to solve the problem.

Larry · Post by **Larry** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 2:52 am

binary search.

titid_gede · Post by **titid_gede** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 5:39 am

binary search? what is the relationship between this problem and binary seach? isnt it totally math? please give me enlightment..

i havent solved this problem, and i'm very weak in math.
thanks before...

sharklu2000 · Post by **sharklu2000** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 6:47 am

It means that you continues trying the middle of the large number and the small number until you get the root.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:29 am

This method is usually referred to as "bisection method".

Farid Ahmadov · Post by **Farid Ahmadov** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 12:22 pm

Hi. I don't think that I am weak in math. But I don't understand why I am wrong?

I found a formula and can prove it.
Do you see the picture below?

It is my prove. Isn't it right and why?
Thanx.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 2:43 pm

Plz ignore me.

BiK · Post by **BiK** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 5:10 pm

2Farid:

How do you get r/c = z*z?

hewei · Post by **hewei** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 5:37 pm

Hi, Farid Ahmadov!
There was a fault in your proof:
From 6th line: a/b = a1/b1 = z
To 7th line: r/c = c/r1/ = z*z

The process 6th -> 7th requires the angle you noted in the graph to be right, i.e. 90 degrees.

That's why the formula is even not suitable for the sample, isn't it?

Farid Ahmadov · Post by **Farid Ahmadov** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 8:54 pm

Sorry. I am not correct. My mind was somewhere near 90 degrees.
Only 7th formula is not correct. r/c = c/r1 = z*z*d
d = sin(90+alfa+beta). I have to find what it is.

BiK · Post by **BiK** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:37 pm

Thanks to all. After all finding an equation and solving it through binary search was enough. However a mathematician always tries to find some nice looking formula which maybe is not possible in this problem (our mistake).

Farid Ahmadov · Post by **Farid Ahmadov** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:05 pm

Hi BiK. You are right. I know how to solve it with binary search. But I want to solve it matematically. And it is possible because l depends on only x,y and c. I just have to find dependence between them.

hewei · Post by **hewei** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 3:45 am

Well, as far as I see, to find a nice formula is as difficult as to solve the equation below:

(when x is not equal to y)
(x*x - l*l) * sqrt(y*y - l*l) - (y*y - l*l) * sqrt(x*x - l*l) = c*(x*x - y*y)

but, when x equals y, the problem becomes obviously trivial:
l = sqrt(x*x - 4*c*c)

fqsxr · Post by **fqsxr** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 9:14 am

I've found an idea:
solve sqrt(x^2-l^2)*sqrt(y^2-l^2)/(sqrt(x^2-l^2)+sqrt(y^2-l^2))-c=0
and I've written an program for solving this
but the online judge told me wrong answer
Who can tell me how to debug this? Can I see the test datas?

marian · Post by **marian** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 9:34 pm

Mathematical solution to this problem can be found here: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CrossedLaddersProblem.html

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10566 - Crossed Ladders

10566 - Crossed Ladders

help:wrong answer