An unlucky gardener planted a 10x10 square array of 100 old seeds out in the garden. Only 5 of these seeds have germinated including one at the southwest corner (0,0) where a slug is currently reducing it to ground level.

When it finishes it will head directly to the next closest doomed plant. After it eats that one it will again leave a slime trail to the closest remaining plant and so on until the garden is no more.

Where are the 4 remaining seedlings if the path crawled by the slug is the longest possible and it never has to choose between two equidistant snacks?

Note: Although the slug will never have to choose between two equidistant seedlings, this doesn't imply that no two are equidistant.

Next find the locations if 6 seedlings had germinated instead of 5.

Dej Mar is on the right track, although my solution is a bit longer.

Victor was right in correcting O.O.O.

F.K. forgot that all the plants are doomed, so the closest plant is the closest doomed plant.  I was just using some creative storytelling.

atheron should give the coordinates so we can see it.  It is longer than mine.

Posted by Jer on 2006-06-24 17:01:57