[superprismatic]

Interleave the three 19-long strings

MOTMMNEEITEAEOENANU

HWOCOMNTSNWOLRYDGSI

TETSOLEHRDHRDTPIDTY

[/code]


so that they may overlap only at

letters they have in common and

together they form the shortest

possible string (not necessarily

an English sentence).



Here is example solved problem of

this type:

Suppose that the three strings were

[code]

HEGOOMOASUTYPOATHII

EISPLLIHTOPRLMTHTSS

RADEXAEFOTONTOEEFBE

Each of these can be stretched out over 45 positions so that each of the 45 positions is covered by a letter from at least one of the three. Furthermore, letters at positions of overlap must agree:

            HE GO O    MOASUTYPO    A T  HII

   EISPLL  IH    TO PRLM    T        HTSS

RADE     XA  EF OTON        T  OEEFB        E


RADEISPLLXAIHEFGOTONPRLMOASUTYPOEEFBAHTSSHIIE

[/code]

This 45-long string, although not unique, is as

short as possible while fulfilling the requirements

of the problem.

[Guest]

M O T M MN E E I T E A E O E N A N U

H WOC O MNT S N W O L R YD G SI

TE TSO L E H R D H R DT P I D T Y

HMTEWOCTSOMLMNTESEHINTWERODAHELOREYDTGPSINDATNYU

IT MESSESD IT UP A BIT BUT IF YOU COPPY AND PASTE IT IN A TXT. DOC. IT'LL EVEN OUT A BIT.

[superprismatic]

M O T M MN E E I T E A E O E N A N U

H WOC O MNT S N W O L R YD G SI

TE TSO L E H R D H R DT P I D T Y

HMTEWOCTSOMLMNTESEHINTWERODAHELOREYDTGPSINDATNYU

IT MESSESD IT UP A BIT BUT IF YOU COPPY AND PASTE IT IN A TXT. DOC. IT'LL EVEN OUT A BIT.

You found a 48-long string. That's pretty good, but you can do better!

[Guest]

You found a 48-long string. That's pretty good, but you can do better!

how long did you get it?

[superprismatic]

how long did you get it?

Less than 48

[Guest]

43:

__MO_T__MMN______EE___________I_T_EAEOENANU

HW_OC__O_MNTSNWOL___RYDGS_____I____________

_____TE____TS__OLE_HR_D__HRDTPIDTY_________

HWMOCTEOMMNTSNWOLEEHRYDGSHRDTPIDTYEAEOENANU

Edited November 23, 2009 by ljb

[plainglazed]

HW O CO MN TSNW OL R YDGS I
T E TS OLEHR D HRDTPIDTY

  MOT  MMNEEIT   EAEO E  NANU

is 42?

[superprismatic]

HW O CO MN TSNW OL R YDGS I
T E TS OLEHR D HRDTPIDTY

  MOT  MMNEEIT   EAEO E  NANU

is 42?

plainglazed has it! Nice going!

[Guest]

well I'm pretty sure this isn't it but...

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