Answer to April 2007 Problem of the Month

Four mathematicians — a geometer, an algebraist, a topologist, and a statistician — played a round of sohcahtoa, their favorite card game.

The players' names (in no particular order) were Gary, Barry, Cary, and Mary.

On the final deal of the day, one player held a royal sohcahtoa, which is the best possible hand; another held a full sohcahtoa, the second-best possible hand; another had a half sohcahtoa, a so-so hand; and the remaining player held foofu, which is the worst possible hand.

From the clues below, can you match the mathematicians to their names and determine who held which type of hand?

1. Barry's hand was better than Mary's, and Cary did not hold foofu.

2. Neither the algebraist nor the geometer held either the best or worst hand.

3. Gary's hand was better than the topologist's but worse than the algebraist's.

4. Barry is not the algebraist.

Someone once said that there are three types of mathematicians:
Those who can count and those who can't.

Solution to the Problem:

Barry, the statistician, held the royal sohcahtoa.
Cary, the algebraist, held the full sohcahtoa.
Gary, the geometer, held the half sohcahtoa.
Mary, the topologist, held foofu.

Correctly solved by:

1. Tristan Collins	Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia
2. David and Judy Dixon	Bennettsville, South Carolina
3. Shaan Arora	Brookstone School Columbus, Georgia
4. Cameron Burkholder	Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia
5. Magdy Essafty	Alexandria, Egypt
6. Tori Kennedy	Brookstone School Columbus, Georgia
7. Luke Mansour	Brookstone School Columbus, Georgia
8. Richard K. Johnson	La Jolla, California
9. Ben Arthur, Kevin Robb, Irina K., Michael Morrison, Stuart Caudill, Mr. Robb, and Stephen Amos	John Handley High School Winchester, Virginia