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BrainTwister #23: Four points, two distances

Can you solve this week’s logic puzzle? Plus our quick quiz and the answer to last week’s problem

By Colin Wright and Peter Winkler

5 June 2024

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

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#23 Four points, two distances

Set by Colin Wright (with thanks to Peter Winkler)

When you have four distinct points arranged on a flat surface (such as coins on a table) there are six possible pairs and hence six possible distances you could measure between pairs of points. It is possible to arrange the points (or coins) so that all six distances are different.

It isn’t possible to make all the distances the same – but can you arrange them in a way that only uses two distances?

Once you have found one arrangement that uses only two distances, can you…

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