When Levik was a young man he spent a summer working as a stockboy for a large grocery store. It was a rather strange grocery store, however, and they had a very peculiar way of arranging the fruit.

In one group you would find any of the following fruits:
apple, banana, grape, and orange.

In a different area you would find fruits like:
mango, nectarine, peach, and pear.

One day a new crate of fruit arrived and Levik wasn't sure where to put it. Where would you put a crate labeled strawberry?

Some letters can be constructed using only straight lines, some letters can be constructed using only curved lines, some letter require using straight AND curved lines.  There are also other characteristics that separate letters (topologically speaking.)

A crate labeled "strawberries" would not be located in the same group as a crate labeled "strawberry".

Posted by Erik O. on 2005-08-15 14:40:05