MAXkerade Extra Credit Challenge O'Doom!!
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 3:57 pm
You don't need to have been previously involved in MAXkerade to complete this challenge. In fact, you don't even need to know what it is (although if you're curious, an overview is given here). However, a gauntlet of final exam revisions currently blocks me from putting out live challenges in the chat, and therefore, I've posted this MAXkerade Extra Credit Challenge O'Doom (MECCO) to tide you all over. For anyone who hasn't heard of my tourney, this is just a sweet puzzle you can work on in your spare time.
The MECCO is similar to a Countdown Wiki scavenger hunt. Proceed through the problems, working out the values of the variables A through X, and then try to solve the final puzzle. If you complete this last puzzle, please send your solution for it to me via PM. The first person to solve this will receive a reward that they are able to put in their forum signature.
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~~~ THE RULES ~~~
Please note: In all the puzzles below, "number" refers to a nominal number or index (for instance, the "seed number" of Dylan Taylor in Series 69 would be 1, since he was the #1 seed), while "quantity" refers to a cardinal number or count (the "quantity of points" achieved by Taylor would be 974). Some of the intermediary answers may not be integers. All the answers are available on the wiki, with the exception of "U", for which I may give a hint if one is needed. Write down the values of all your variables as you go!
~~~ THE VARIABLES ~~~
Let A equal the last digit of the first target CECIL was ever seen to generate on the show.
Let B equal the quantity of preliminary games won by the winner of the episode in which the above target generation occurred, excluding draws.
Let C equal the total quantity of tie-break conundrums that appeared in Series [B cubed].
Let D equal the number, translated from Roman numerals, of the only Championship of Champions in which the quantity of contestants was NOT an integer power of C.
Let E equal the seed number of the runner-up of the last completed series whose number was a multiple of D.
Let F equal the number of the only other past series, besides Series E, that was not represented by any contestant in Series 33 (which consists of CoC VIII + Supreme Championship).
Let G equal the length, in letters, of the first valid word spotted in the grand final of the series whose number is the product of those of the two unrepresented series described above (i.e., Series [E * F]).
Let H equal the quantity of points amassed by the winner of this grand final, excluding points obtained from the aforementioned G-letter word.
Let I equal the total quantity of letters in the first and last names of the first contestant who scored exactly H points in a "new" 15-round format game.
Let J equal the quantity of special episodes broadcast during the summer break that occurred during the Ith series not to have been presented by Richard Whiteley.
Let K equal the number of the most recent series in which a player made the grand final after having won exactly J games (excluding draws).
Taking "A" = 1, "B" = 2, ..., "Z" = 26 (wow, confusing as hell; at least they're not bolded), let L be the sum of the values of all the letters in the conundrum that the champion of Series K solved during his/her CoC grand final.
Let M equal the episode number of the most recent quarter-final, semi-final or grand final, excluding 30th Birthday Championship episodes, in which a contestant achieved a score of exactly L points.
Let N equal the conundrum solve time, in seconds as recorded by the wiki, for Episode [M modulo 1000].
Let O equal the total quantity of victories achieved, throughout his/her entire Countdown career, by the champion of the series whose number is closest to [N cubed].
Let P equal the score that the first-ever O-year-old series champion achieved on his/her debut episode.
Let Q equal the total quantity of invalid words declared by both contestants during the Pth Masters episode.
On one occasion during the show's history, it was possible to reach the target in a numbers game using exactly Q mathematical operators (an operator being +, -, * or /). Let R equal this target.
Let S equal the quantity of wins achieved by the player whom the Rth 15-round octochamp in Countdown history beat on his/her debut.
Series [S squared] contained an even quantity of preliminary games (heats). Let T equal the sum of the winners' (winner's?) scores from the two chronologically centremost heats of the series.
Let U equal the highest integer such that the product of U and T is a valid target in the Preposterous variant, as described on the forum in the CobliviLon 2012 thread.
Let V equal the seed number achieved by the winner of the most recent episode whose episode number ended in U.
Let W equal the sum of all the losing scores achieved during Championship of Champions V (not the Roman numeral V, the variable V!).
Let X equal the sum of all "large numbers" that the winner of Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley's Wth non-special episode used in his/her solutions during this episode.
~~~ THE FINAL PUZZLE ~~~
Construct a Hyper numbers game that has M as the target and A, X, K, E, R, A, D, E as the working numbers. Solve it as closely as possible.
---------------------------------
The deadline for entering the MECCO is Friday, 15 August, at which time full solutions will be posted. However, only the first person to solve it correctly will get the signature prize. So get cracking!
The MECCO is similar to a Countdown Wiki scavenger hunt. Proceed through the problems, working out the values of the variables A through X, and then try to solve the final puzzle. If you complete this last puzzle, please send your solution for it to me via PM. The first person to solve this will receive a reward that they are able to put in their forum signature.
---------------------------------
~~~ THE RULES ~~~
Please note: In all the puzzles below, "number" refers to a nominal number or index (for instance, the "seed number" of Dylan Taylor in Series 69 would be 1, since he was the #1 seed), while "quantity" refers to a cardinal number or count (the "quantity of points" achieved by Taylor would be 974). Some of the intermediary answers may not be integers. All the answers are available on the wiki, with the exception of "U", for which I may give a hint if one is needed. Write down the values of all your variables as you go!
~~~ THE VARIABLES ~~~
Let A equal the last digit of the first target CECIL was ever seen to generate on the show.
Let B equal the quantity of preliminary games won by the winner of the episode in which the above target generation occurred, excluding draws.
Let C equal the total quantity of tie-break conundrums that appeared in Series [B cubed].
Let D equal the number, translated from Roman numerals, of the only Championship of Champions in which the quantity of contestants was NOT an integer power of C.
Let E equal the seed number of the runner-up of the last completed series whose number was a multiple of D.
Let F equal the number of the only other past series, besides Series E, that was not represented by any contestant in Series 33 (which consists of CoC VIII + Supreme Championship).
Let G equal the length, in letters, of the first valid word spotted in the grand final of the series whose number is the product of those of the two unrepresented series described above (i.e., Series [E * F]).
Let H equal the quantity of points amassed by the winner of this grand final, excluding points obtained from the aforementioned G-letter word.
Let I equal the total quantity of letters in the first and last names of the first contestant who scored exactly H points in a "new" 15-round format game.
Let J equal the quantity of special episodes broadcast during the summer break that occurred during the Ith series not to have been presented by Richard Whiteley.
Let K equal the number of the most recent series in which a player made the grand final after having won exactly J games (excluding draws).
Taking "A" = 1, "B" = 2, ..., "Z" = 26 (wow, confusing as hell; at least they're not bolded), let L be the sum of the values of all the letters in the conundrum that the champion of Series K solved during his/her CoC grand final.
Let M equal the episode number of the most recent quarter-final, semi-final or grand final, excluding 30th Birthday Championship episodes, in which a contestant achieved a score of exactly L points.
Let N equal the conundrum solve time, in seconds as recorded by the wiki, for Episode [M modulo 1000].
Let O equal the total quantity of victories achieved, throughout his/her entire Countdown career, by the champion of the series whose number is closest to [N cubed].
Let P equal the score that the first-ever O-year-old series champion achieved on his/her debut episode.
Let Q equal the total quantity of invalid words declared by both contestants during the Pth Masters episode.
On one occasion during the show's history, it was possible to reach the target in a numbers game using exactly Q mathematical operators (an operator being +, -, * or /). Let R equal this target.
Let S equal the quantity of wins achieved by the player whom the Rth 15-round octochamp in Countdown history beat on his/her debut.
Series [S squared] contained an even quantity of preliminary games (heats). Let T equal the sum of the winners' (winner's?) scores from the two chronologically centremost heats of the series.
Let U equal the highest integer such that the product of U and T is a valid target in the Preposterous variant, as described on the forum in the CobliviLon 2012 thread.
Let V equal the seed number achieved by the winner of the most recent episode whose episode number ended in U.
Let W equal the sum of all the losing scores achieved during Championship of Champions V (not the Roman numeral V, the variable V!).
Let X equal the sum of all "large numbers" that the winner of Jeff Stelling and Rachel Riley's Wth non-special episode used in his/her solutions during this episode.
~~~ THE FINAL PUZZLE ~~~
Construct a Hyper numbers game that has M as the target and A, X, K, E, R, A, D, E as the working numbers. Solve it as closely as possible.
---------------------------------
The deadline for entering the MECCO is Friday, 15 August, at which time full solutions will be posted. However, only the first person to solve it correctly will get the signature prize. So get cracking!