You're blindfolded, disoriented, and standing one mile from the Great Wall of China. How far do you have to walk to guarantee that you will run into the wall?

Assume that the wall is infinitely long and straight.

If you could walk a golden spiral, you might shave part of that last mile off, but I'm not sure how to calculate this distance, nor would it be easy to tell the general direction you would need to keep changing to naturally.

Sure mathematically it is possible, but even trying to walk a straight line blind folded for very long is tough.  It would be safe to say that at least turning 45 degrees and walking as straight a line you can is about the only way to ensure a minimal journey.

Posted by Joshua on 2010-08-10 14:32:20