View Full Version : How many pieces can you get?
BouncinRound
06-25-2007, 09:05 PM
So, consider a circle. One line through the circle cuts it into two pieces.
A second line, depending on where it lies, makes one or two more pieces. What is the most number of pieces that can be made from a certain number of cuts?
How many pieces can you make with n cuts? (e.g. the minimum # of pieces would be n+1)
kerowo
06-25-2007, 10:41 PM
I'm going to go with 2n pieces. Figuring the best you can do is cut all the existing pieces in half.
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I'm going to go with 2n pieces. Figuring the best you can do is cut all the existing pieces in half.
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Think in terms of regions. How many of the regions can you cut into two?
1 line = 2 regions
2 lines = 4 regions
3 lines = 7 for me, and I don't know if that's optimal
4 lines = 11 for me, and once again I don't know if that's optimal or not
See what I mean? I don't know the answer, but this is how to start looking at it. Because you have a straight line, though, you'll be precluded from splitting every single region so it won't be 2^n, though that would obviously be a loose upper bound (what you'd get if you split every region every time).
BouncinRound
06-25-2007, 10:52 PM
nah, I'm doodlin with it myself... they don't have to be equal cuts, just cuts that maximize the amount of pieces.
So for like 3 cuts you can have 7 pieces, 4 I found a way to get 10, 5 cuts can get your 14 pieces,...etc?
Then I keep reverting back to symmetry and not making the correct cuts from there. I'm getting close to having enough samples to maybe come to a conclusion though.
BouncinRound
06-25-2007, 10:54 PM
ahh, good path gotten enough to generalize a formula for n cuts though?
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ahh, good path gotten enough to generalize a formula for n cuts though?
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Yeah I haven't done hat. I won't be able to look at this more until later. I'm almost certain that this is a solved problem, though.
BouncinRound
06-25-2007, 11:08 PM
Holy guacamole I love the internet, I found a solution. But if you want you can keep working on it and I can tell you if you're on the right track(close to the right answer). I'll monitor the post for the next 12 hours - (6 hours for sleep somewhere in there). So, if you're interested lemme know.
Thanks for the help Duke.
Ohh... I remember doing this once, but I forgot the solution.
Siegmund
06-26-2007, 03:26 AM
2, 4, 7, 11 is the right pattern.
There is a simple argument for why the answer is what it is.
BouncinRound
06-26-2007, 04:01 AM
ya; 2, 4, 7, 11, 16, 22 are the max # of pieces for 1 -> 6 cuts. Now, can you find the pattern and make an generalization for n number of cuts? I'll post the answer tomorrow before class. Holla
bigpooch
06-26-2007, 05:48 AM
I assume you mean straight lines. Then the maximum number
of pieces is just [n(n+1)/2] +1. After n lines divide the
circle into the maximum number of pieces, the next line can
cross through all n of these lines and then divide through
(n+1) regions, so there are (n+1) more regions; then, by
induction, the result follows.
Of course, this also applies not only to lines and a circle,
but also to planes and a sphere.
jman3232
06-26-2007, 07:00 AM
if you have 3 lines you can make 8 pieces...
Winenose
06-26-2007, 08:03 AM
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if you have 3 lines you can make 8 pieces...
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Really?
BouncinRound
06-26-2007, 12:23 PM
[ QUOTE ]
I assume you mean straight lines. Then the maximum number
of pieces is just [n(n+1)/2] +1. After n lines divide the
circle into the maximum number of pieces, the next line can
cross through all n of these lines and then divide through
(n+1) regions, so there are (n+1) more regions; then, by
induction, the result follows.
Of course, this also applies not only to lines and a circle,
but also to planes and a sphere.
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ya to the best of my knowledge 3 cuts = 7 pieces and this guy has the right generalization, well done chap
Nicholasp27
06-26-2007, 12:44 PM
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if you have 3 lines you can make 8 pieces...
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this is a circle, not a cake
thylacine
06-26-2007, 12:52 PM
[ QUOTE ]
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if you have 3 lines you can make 8 pieces...
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this is a circle, not a cake
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and even if it were, you would need an infinite number of lines to cut it into more than one piece. /images/graemlins/grin.gif
bigpooch
06-26-2007, 09:44 PM
Actually, about planes and the sphere: the maximum number
of pieces you can cut the sphere by n planes is
C(n+1,3)+n+1 for n>=0.
jstnrgrs
06-26-2007, 10:07 PM
[ QUOTE ]
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if you have 3 lines you can make 8 pieces...
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Really?
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A sphere can be cut into 8 pieces with 3 plains.
BouncinRound
06-28-2007, 12:19 PM
ya perhaps a sphere can, but this post was about cutting a circle though (a 2d object). like a pizza without cutting off the cheese or something wacky. anyways, big pooch was on the money last time I checked
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