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Weights that check themselves. (Posted on 2010-11-23) Difficulty: 3 of 5

Assume an old-fashioned scale balance in which weights can be placed on either side. The associated set of weights (each of which is greater than zero) is 'complete' for some W if it is capable of measuring all integer weights from 1 to W.

Clearly it is possible for such sets to exist even if no combination of the weights themselves can be balanced against any combination of the remaining weights - the set {1,2,4,8..} is just one such example.

On the other hand, the set {1,1,2,4} is also 'self-measuring', because, assuming that one of the weights were unmarked, a stranger could neverthless establish its value by weighing it in the scales with the others.

Question: You are allowed 5 weights. They must form a set which is complete, and also self-measuring.

What is the largest possible value of W, given these constraints?

Bonus: What is the largest possible value of W, if 8 weights are allowed?

See The Solution Submitted by broll    
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Comments: ( Back to comment list | You must be logged in to post comments.)
re: Not quite there yet | Comment 2 of 6 |
(In reply to No Fibbing, No solution. by ed bottemiller)

29

is very good, but not, I think, a record.

Any other takers?


  Posted by broll on 2010-11-24 00:53:41
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