[plasmid]

Continuing from Part I, Part II (which still has a solution that hasn't been found), and Part III.

Sam takes the onyx you've just won and examines it closely, then pulls out a scrap of paper and traces the pattern of its bands. A moment later, as if coming out of a trance and realizing that you're still in the middle of a carnival, Sam suggests getting some snacks from the other end of the fairground. On the way, a carny approaches you with a challenge, "Guess what I am, just one dollar!" Before you can protest,

What's my name, can you fathom?

I'm made of many, many atoms.

Inside a canyon I can fit.

Often people call me 'it'. What am I?

You exchange a wry look with Sam, and then retort:

That cheesy line will never fly

you're here to scam us, don't deny!

Here good sir is my reply:

as I am me, myself, and I

so art thou thyself and thy

and now I'll keep my cash and fly.

(In case you haven't seen the previous puzzles in this series, you don't always take on ridiculous problems in a conventional manner. No offense to the WAIers, the carnies just happen to be crooked.)

After the two of you have sat down to eat, Sam takes out and re-examines the onyx and tracing. "Looks like this is a live one. Want to take a look at it?" It's a stone with mostly black and dark red bands, and a few blue bands. In one of the regions between two blue bands, the pattern on the stone is slightly different from the pattern on the tracing. "I'll let you in on a secret. This isn't just any old stone, it's a locater. I thought the bands would be black and white instead of black and red, but I'm sure that's what this is. Those bands changed when we walked from one end of the fairgrounds to the other. If we go to the spot where the bands in that area are all completely black, we'll be at the location it's tuned to. You handled those carnies pretty well, you might be able to help out at this place." You ask, "what's this locater going to locate? And how was this thing made? By who?" "You'd think I was nuts if I just told you. Better if I showed you what's going on."

The two of you leave the fairground and travel a short way down a road, then Sam points out an abandoned shack in the distance and says "Wait until you see what I've got stashed in there." As you approach the shack, Sam stops short and cries "Aw nuts, someone locked this place up! I bet they found out what's inside and plan on taking it as soon as they can get a truck, and of course they don't understand what it really is."

ENOUGH WITH THE PLOT, TIME FOR THE PUZZLE: There are two padlocks on the shed. You don't have any tools to cut or shim the locks with, or to dismantle the shack with, there aren't any other doors or windows, and it's built on a foundation that you can't dig through. Not seeing any easy way around it, you decide that you've got to open the locks. One is a combination padlock, a type with 40 numbers (1 through 40, no zero) on a dial face and three numbers in the combination. Since you are in puzzle land after all, you search for the cryptic clue left behind by the bad guy, and you find a scrap of paper that says "Easy as a b c. a³bc-2b³c-7bc = 0." As for the other lock, it has a keyhole and there are no keys around. The back of the scrap of paper says "The other lock came from a room with 10 foot thick steel walls and no doors or windows or any sort of opening."

[Guest]

ENOUGH WITH THE PLOT, TIME FOR THE PUZZLE: There are two padlocks on the shed. You don't have any tools to cut or shim the locks with, or to dismantle the shack with, there aren't any other doors or windows, and it's built on a foundation that you can't dig through. Not seeing any easy way around it, you decide that you've got to open the locks. One is a combination padlock, a type with 40 numbers (1 through 40, no zero) on a dial face and three numbers in the combination. Since you are in puzzle land after all, you search for the cryptic clue left behind by the bad guy, and you find a scrap of paper that says "Easy as a b c. a³bc-2b³c-7bc = 0." As for the other lock, it has a keyhole and there are no keys around. The back of the scrap of paper says "The other lock came from a room with 10 foot thick steel walls and no doors or windows or any sort of opening."

It is necessary to know that the only digits acceptable are integers 1 through 40.

The equation, a³bc-2b³c-7bc = 0 has has the variable c in all parts, meaning it can be canceled out and is therefore equal to one.

The remainder of the equation boils down to a³ = 2b² + 7

A few trials and errors brought me to conclude that a must be odd. And I worked my way up to a = 9, where I got a whole number for b, being 19.

So, the combo is 9, 19, 1

However, I'm not so sure about the 10 foot think steel walls...

[plasmid]

However, I'm not so sure about the 10 foot think steel walls...

It is necessary to know that the only digits acceptable are integers 1 through 40.

The equation, a³bc-2b³c-7bc = 0 has has the variable c in all parts, meaning it can be canceled out and is therefore equal to one.

The remainder of the equation boils down to a³ = 2b² + 7

A few trials and errors brought me to conclude that a must be odd. And I worked my way up to a = 9, where I got a whole number for b, being 19.

So, the combo is 9, 19, 1

Sam tries out the combo.

"All right, 9, 19, 1. Hmm, not opening. You sure about that combination?"

[Guest]

However, I'm not so sure about the 10 foot think steel walls...

It is necessary to know that the only digits acceptable are integers 1 through 40.

The equation, a³bc-2b³c-7bc = 0 has has the variable c in all parts, meaning it can be canceled out and is therefore equal to one.

The remainder of the equation boils down to a³ = 2b² + 7

A few trials and errors brought me to conclude that a must be odd. And I worked my way up to a = 9, where I got a whole number for b, being 19.

So, the combo is 9, 19, 1

I got the same answer

My answers are

A=9

B=19

C=3 (although any number would work, I'm guessing 3 because it says a, b, c (3))

Are the locks located in different parts of the door? If not, maybe you only need to open one of the locks...

So you open one of the locks.

EDIT: Changed C value

Edited April 24, 2009 by JarZe

[plasmid]

I got the same answer

My answers are

A=9

B=19

C=3 (although any number would work, I'm guessing 3 because it says a, b, c (3))

Are the locks located in different parts of the door? If not, maybe you only need to open one of the locks...

So you open one of the locks.

EDIT: Changed C value

Sam if spaced out in (presumably) deep thought trying to figure out what the clues mean, so this time you try the combination yourself

9, 13, and 3. But it's still not opening.

[Guest]

The first one is extremely easy. Especially when you consider what the crazy carny said.

Anyway The combination is:

0,0,0

As for the walls...

...

Spoiler for other lock:

...

Spoiler for other lock:

...

Spoiler for other lock:

I haven't figured it out yet...

Spoiler for Haha:

[Guest]

The first one is extremely easy. Especially when you consider what the crazy carny said.

Anyway The combination is:

0,0,0

It cannot be that because according to the OP:

One is a combination padlock, a type with 40 numbers (1 through 40, no zero) on a dial face and three numbers in the combination.

[plasmid]

The lock that came from the room with 10 foot thick steel walls is a reference to a classic riddle here on BrainDen:

Trapped.

As for the combination lock problem, it's is hard for the same reason that part II in the series is hard. It requires you to completely change your approach to the problem halfway through. Natille & JarZe got the answer to the math problem, the first number is 9 and the second is 19, but the third number can't be solved. At that point it seems like the problem is impossible. However, if someone were to come up to you and say "I've got a combination lock with a rotary dial, and I'll give you the first two numbers of the combination, but not the last one. Do you think you could open it in twenty seconds anyway?" Well, that would be much easier because you realize what the new problem is.

You didn't think I was leaving you guys with an impossible problem just to be mean, did you?

[Guest]

reach into the hole with the key(keyhole) and pull it out?

[Guest]

Is the qoute of the ten foot thick wall supposed to explain that you need to have play on word answers, or is it part of the hint? I also have another guess

do ene-mene-mini-mo(did i spell that right?) and see if you PICK the keyhole lock!

[Guest]

You can figure out the first two numbers of the combination lock. I guarantee it won't take more than 40 attempts to figure out the last number.

As for the other lock, you could just "PUN"ch it really hard. Or reach in the hole with the key in it. Or find a piano and keep playing until you find the right key. Or you could paint a nose on it, then just pick it with your finger! Or put it next to a few other shady looking locks and pick it out of the line-up! Or if you had a French-Canadian Monkey (mon key/my key?-yeah, a stretch, that.)

You get the idea.

[plasmid]

You can figure out the first two numbers of the combination lock. I guarantee it won't take more than 40 attempts to figure out the last number.

As for the other lock, you could just "PUN"ch it really hard. Or reach in the hole with the key in it. Or find a piano and keep playing until you find the right key. Or you could paint a nose on it, then just pick it with your finger! Or put it next to a few other shady looking locks and pick it out of the line-up! Or if you had a French-Canadian Monkey (mon key/my key?-yeah, a stretch, that.)

You get the idea.

LOL, looks like rIDdLEmynaME and Grayven have clobbered the punny looking lock!

Open the lock with your teeth! That is, take the skin of your teeth and put it on your knee, your skinned knee will get a scab, you can pick the scab, and use that pick to open the lock. One down, one to go.

As for the other one

there's a reason why I made sure it was the LAST number that was unknown

[Guest]

Answer for third number:

Turn the dial to the first number, then turn the dial to the second number. For the last number, start turning the dial slowly while trying to open the lock. Once the dial turns to the correct number, the lock will open. (essentially you only have to enter the numbers once, but on the third number you can try each number until the lock opens without having to reenter the first 2).

[Guest]

Answer for third number:

Turn the dial to the first number, then turn the dial to the second number. For the last number, start turning the dial slowly while trying to open the lock. Once the dial turns to the correct number, the lock will open. (essentially you only have to enter the numbers once, but on the third number you can try each number until the lock opens without having to reenter the first 2).

of course!