Luis,

***"Can you arrange them to form four (4) identical equilateral triangles?" "Them," of course, means toothpicks. The challenge does not say, "Can you arrange the toothpicks, plus imaginary things, to form four (4) identical equilateral triangles?"***

Your emphasis is on 'them', but what you are misinterpreting is the meaning of the phrase to 'arrange them to form'. This phrase is very vague and wide-open to interpretation. The goal is to form an equilateral triangle (4 of them) using them to do this forming. What it leaves out is that all sides must be toothpicks. The toothpicks must be used to form the triangles. The ground is implicit in any solution since you need the ground in order to play with the toothpicks. If you try to form the triangles in the air then gravity would never allow it. Hence, I am not assuming too much by using the ground.

But, more importantly, I already mentioned a long time ago that I was using the ground ( http://www.astronomy.net/forums/god/messages/21519.shtml?base=30 ). See here is my answer:

"If you think 3D then the ground completes one side of the triangle, thus allowing you to use more toothpicks for additional triangles."

If you had trouble with this solution you should have spoken up then. You waited too long, and made the puzzle a ridiculous exercise for what purpose? Luis, I think you've been bitten by the troll bug.

Warm regards, Harv

• Geez, Harv, you're (again) proving my point! - luis_hamburgh - September 20, 2002 - 14:21 UTC
  • Math? - harvey1 - September 20, 2002 - 14:59 UTC
    • Do this experiment - harvey1 - September 20, 2002 - 15:15 UTC
    • V-E+F=2 - luis_hamburgh - September 20, 2002 - 15:20 UTC
      • Wasn't asked to form a polyhedron - harvey1 - September 20, 2002 - 15:31 UTC
        • This level of weak argument I'd not expect even from you. - luis_hamburgh - September 20, 2002 - 15:40 UTC
          • No - harvey1 - September 20, 2002 - 15:53 UTC
            • 6 lines make 8 triangles? Forget math -- Harv is magic!! - luis_hamburgh - September 21, 2002 - 18:56 UTC
              • Luis mentioned his is an Afro-American - carefuluniverse - September 22, 2002 - 04:48 UTC
          • Luis, I no longer believe you are not kidding. - carefuluniverse - September 20, 2002 - 22:04 UTC