One professor has written a 3-letter word on the blackboard, and explained that it was a 3-digit number in base 26, using A=0, B=1, C=2, etc.

A second professor figured what the decimal equivalent was, and then used the first professor's notation to write it: 0=A, 1=B, 2=C, etc.

He noticed that the result was also a common 3-letter word.

What were the two words?

bed in base 26 is 1*26*26+4*26+3 = 783
7 = h, 8 =i, 3 =d, which spells hid.

So the two words are "bed" and "hid"

Another answer is alp, (0*26*26+11*26+15 = 301)
3 = d, 0=a, 1=b, which spells dab.

So, for mountaineers, "alp" and "dab" work too.

Posted by Joe on 2006-09-16 11:26:57