"Factorising Quadratics" by benchen71

Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? A weekly meta crossword constructed by forum member Ben (aka benchen71). These metas range from relatively easy to more challenging, depending on how many Australianisms he puts in them! Puzzles are posted in a new thread every Tuesday, with nudges appearing on Saturdays, and the solution coming out on Mondays. (At least, that's the plan. Given he lives in Australia, and they are so far ahead of the US time-zone-wise, things may get posted early!)
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PuzNewbie
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#21

Post by PuzNewbie »

What a stunning puzzle! Well done! :)
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markhr
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#22

Post by markhr »

Got it! That was a toughie.
Excellent puzzle, Ben.
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rjy
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#23

Post by rjy »

ajk wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 4:50 pm The math was easy, but still working on getting to the answer from there. :lol:
Same - quite solid with the math - tho a minor quibble on phraseology that had me make it harder than (I think) it was, but stymied so far on what to do next… will keep noodling, but enjoying the challenge
Ray
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woozy
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#24

Post by woozy »

Oh, I forgot to mention how much I loved the clue for 39A

I'm going to replug this silly non-meta of mine from many months ago: Blistering Barnicles
So I just plain couldn't get my meta based on "Up the Down Staircase" to work.

My challenge it to constructors is to make a meta where the meta, theme or metanism is "Up the Down Staircase".
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benchen71
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#25

Post by benchen71 »

OK, so there is something seriously weird going on with some of the clues/entries in this puzzle. I am hoping that as you went you were able to work out what was going on!

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:

1. Did you see the 5 groups of three successive across entries that were grouped together? Each set of three needs to be combined into an equation.

2. The Crosshare image should have helped. The first thing to note is that the entries like 10 across become a squared term: FXF means F squared.

3. In order to factorise you need 0 on the right hand side. One equation is already like this. With the others, you will need to subtract the number on the right from both sides.

4. Finally, you can factorise! However, if you are wondering what order to arrange the resulting brackets, refer to the bracketed part of the last clue in each set of three. For example, 13 across ends in "(-/+)". This means the bracket with the negative sign comes before the bracket with the positive sign.

5. If you don't know how to factorise, you can use https://www.mathpapa.com/factoring-calculator/

6. Once you've done the factorising, use the bracketed expressions to find letters of the alphabet.
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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benchen71
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#26

Post by benchen71 »

I should have provided a solver list before posting the nudges. (You know, bragging rights!)

Skyler Dangerfield (tester from my year 10 maths class!)
Hector
Laura M
Qmark
hoover
Kent
jbird
DIS
Ergcat
ChrisKochmanski
merlinnimue
lbray53
woozy
Meg
MatthewL
alex
Pair O Ducks
Jaclyn
kurtalert
PuzNewbie
markhr

That's 20 solvers who solved without nudges! Well done, everyone!!
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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benchen71
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#27

Post by benchen71 »

woozy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:40 pm Oh, I forgot to mention how much I loved the clue for 39A

I'm going to replug this silly non-meta of mine from many months ago: Blistering Barnicles
I think you mean 31A. :D
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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woozy
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#28

Post by woozy »

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:41 pm OK, so there is something seriously weird going on with some of the clues/entries in this puzzle. I am hoping that as you went you were able to work out what was going on!

Nudges, in order of increasing blatancy:


3. In order to factorise you need 0 on the right hand side. One equation is already like this. With the others, you will need to subtract the number on the right from both sides.

It didn't occur to me to factorise so much as to simply solve but There's a fundamental faulty assumption I madeBut solving for a square/rectangle made one of the situations seemingly impossibleuntil it made my realize the faulty assumption I made in subnudge A

Again, a great puzzle! I love the original ones and this was original.
So I just plain couldn't get my meta based on "Up the Down Staircase" to work.

My challenge it to constructors is to make a meta where the meta, theme or metanism is "Up the Down Staircase".
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woozy
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#29

Post by woozy »

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:48 pm
woozy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:40 pm Oh, I forgot to mention how much I loved the clue for 39A

I'm going to replug this silly non-meta of mine from many months ago: Blistering Barnicles
I think you mean 31A. :D
No, I meant 31A because I love

No, you are right. I meant 39A... Dang! Now, I compelled to make a meta based on "My Father's Dragon" and that's a task for which the world is not prepared.
So I just plain couldn't get my meta based on "Up the Down Staircase" to work.

My challenge it to constructors is to make a meta where the meta, theme or metanism is "Up the Down Staircase".
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MikeyG
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#30

Post by MikeyG »

ajk wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 4:50 pm The math was easy, but still working on getting to the answer from there. :lol:
Yeah, I've got nothing since solving the five quadratics! Well...I have something. But I don't know what to do with it!
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 97. Drab Bag
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rjy
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#31

Post by rjy »

Twisted, inspired and fun. Thx Ben!
Ray
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ajk
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#32

Post by ajk »

Me, after reading the nudges: yeah, that's where I already was. Me, 20 seconds later: Oooooh. :lol:
I did too much math. Needed to back up slightly. :)

Very fun stuff, thanks.
Check out this very cool project by many of your favorite muggles to raise money to fight cancer. You get a fun puzzle bundle and good causes get $. Win-win: Crosswords for Cancer
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benchen71
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#33

Post by benchen71 »

MikeyG wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:26 pm Yeah, I've got nothing since solving the five quadratics! Well...I have something. But I don't know what to do with it!
The title is "Factorising Quadratics" not "Solving Quadratics"! ;)
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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MikeyG
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#34

Post by MikeyG »

benchen71 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:50 pm
MikeyG wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 10:26 pm Yeah, I've got nothing since solving the five quadratics! Well...I have something. But I don't know what to do with it!
The title is "Factorising Quadratics" not "Solving Quadratics"! ;)
But this math dude likes doing both! :lol:
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 97. Drab Bag
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Berto
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#35

Post by Berto »

Solved without nudges (I promise) - only reason I’m saying that is b/c I LOVED IT and am amazed I figured it out! (Except one part that I got kinda backwards, but trying to figure that out on Crosshare…) but MOAT X’d !!!
EDIT had a bit wrong because I’d taken a short cut. I’m forever telling my kids to show their working…
Last edited by Berto on Tue Jul 25, 2023 11:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MikeyG
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#36

Post by MikeyG »

Oh, man...okay. I don't know if Ben's comment is technically a nudge. But I actually have a nudge-free epiphany other than that. Let me see if that does it - stand by, haha.

Edit: Yep! Brilliant!
Less cross words, more crosswords.

Solve my latest "Pun of a Kind" Meta!: 97. Drab Bag
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benchen71
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#37

Post by benchen71 »

A solver update, with just over an hour until the end of the first 24 hours:

rjy
Berto
ajk
Mikey G
Tyrpmom
Spid4567

That's 26 so far!
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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Schmeel
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#38

Post by Schmeel »

Schmeel wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 3:34 pm
boharr wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:48 pm
HeadinHome wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:25 pm ha ha ha ha ha yeahhh… no.
I’ll cheer the rest of you from the sidelines. ( :
As will I.
Me too. And any math I might remember is in Hebrew. Maybe I'll ask one of my kids in high school to help me out.
Ok. With help of Google and my 11th grader I see that I know the math. As he told me: "That? That's פתרון משוואות ריבועיות בעזרת פירוק לגורמים! You helped my sister (the 9th grader) with that earlier in the year!"
Now I'm stuck figuring out what to do with the math. I'll take another look later. I might even get it before I look at the nudges!
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Schmeel
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#39

Post by Schmeel »

Got it on the bus ride to work.
Unlike what I discussed with my son, it took me time to see you were really looking for the פירוק לגורמים rather than the פתרון.
Not really in my wheelhouse, but great puzzle all the same. Very creative and impressive you could pull it off. Thanks!
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benchen71
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#40

Post by benchen71 »

Schmeel wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:26 am Got it on the bus ride to work.
Unlike what I discussed with my son, it took me time to see you were really looking for the פירוק לגורמים rather than the פתרון.
Not really in my wheelhouse, but great puzzle all the same. Very creative and impressive you could pull it off. Thanks!
Hee hee! Hebrew is even better than ROT-13 for encoding spoilers! :D
Check out "The MOAT MEOW Mashup Pack" here. US$10 for 14 metas that don't always abide by the "rules" of the game: asymmetry, 2-letter words, uncrossed letters, who knows. And this time there's a mega-meta! :shock:
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