"Factorising Quadratics" by benchen71
- benchen71
- Posts: 3400
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
"Factorising Quadratics" by benchen71
Welcome to...
benchen71's Metas on a Tuesday (MOAT)
Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? This is a meta puzzle for those of you out there who can remember back to high school algebra class! [@MikeyG and @hoover, I'm looking at you!] And I am sorry if this puts some of you off but you will actually have to do some mathematics in order to get to the answer to the meta, which is a mathematician with a ten-letter name. Here's a free hint to get you started on the meta: .
The easiest way to submit is on Crosshare (and you get instant feedback and unlimited attempts!) But you can also PM me with your submission. Either way, I'll compile a list of those who successfully solve the meta.
Factorising Quadratics - Online Form
Factorising Quadratics - PUZ
Factorising Quadratics - PDF
Factorising Quadratics - spreadsheet
Nudges are here.
The solution is here.
benchen71's Metas on a Tuesday (MOAT)
Can you storm the castle by getting across the MOAT? This is a meta puzzle for those of you out there who can remember back to high school algebra class! [@MikeyG and @hoover, I'm looking at you!] And I am sorry if this puts some of you off but you will actually have to do some mathematics in order to get to the answer to the meta, which is a mathematician with a ten-letter name. Here's a free hint to get you started on the meta: .
The easiest way to submit is on Crosshare (and you get instant feedback and unlimited attempts!) But you can also PM me with your submission. Either way, I'll compile a list of those who successfully solve the meta.
Factorising Quadratics - Online Form
Factorising Quadratics - PUZ
Factorising Quadratics - PDF
Factorising Quadratics - spreadsheet
Nudges are here.
The solution is here.
Last edited by benchen71 on Sun Jul 30, 2023 7:55 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta! 

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- benchen71
- Posts: 3400
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:50 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
I am sooooo relieved to hear you say "fun"!

Check out "The MOAT Mini Pack of Marching Bands" here. US$5 gets you 7 Marching Bands which, hard enough on their own, now contain metas too. And once again there's a mega-meta! 

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Yay, math! Also, I was up at T minus 2 hours refreshing my browser window repeatedly before I realized the puzzle wasn't going to drop for awhile.
I don't have anything clever to say, but if I did, it would go here.
Eli
Eli
- MikeyG
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As long as the answer isn't HERMIT CRAB, I should be good!
- CPJohnson
- Posts: 1313
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For those of us USA people whose last quadratic equation manipulation was long, long ago.....is factorising the same thing as factoring?
Cynthia
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Crossed the moat!
Update: yeah, I guessed the answer with help from Mr Google but was determined to backsolve for the mechanism. It came to me yesterday afternoon while watching the Oppenheimer movie!! Something “clicked” in my brain while seeing all those equations on the big screen !
Aha, the meta-nism is so simple yet elegant!
Update: yeah, I guessed the answer with help from Mr Google but was determined to backsolve for the mechanism. It came to me yesterday afternoon while watching the Oppenheimer movie!! Something “clicked” in my brain while seeing all those equations on the big screen !
Last edited by Ergcat on Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
- lbray53
- Posts: 1508
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Crossed the MOAT! Fun one. I should have been done much sooner. I crushed the math but struggled with counting difficulties!
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
- Joe Ross
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- HeadinHome
- Posts: 1459
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ha ha ha ha ha yeahhh… no.
Honestly, started the puzzle and immediately started having anxiety at 10A. I’ll cheer the rest of you from the sidelines. ( :
Honestly, started the puzzle and immediately started having anxiety at 10A. I’ll cheer the rest of you from the sidelines. ( :
The other Wendy. 

- Meg
- Posts: 2500
- Joined: Tue Apr 09, 2019 1:41 pm
- Location: St. Petersburg, FL
So, my older sister has a PhD in math. She gave me the meta answer. Now I have to backsolve and find the path. Not the normal way to do a puzzle.
Check out and support http://CrosswordsForCancer.com.
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Moat crossed, castle weakly entered (absolutely not stormed). Needed a push from @lbray53 and some googling to relearn some math skills, but finally got it. Thanks Ben! Although I curse the name of REDACTED for inspiring Ben to do this puzzle.
Matthew
- boharr
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As will I.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. ( :
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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.boharr wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 2:48 pmAs will I.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. ( :
- hcbirker
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I'm with you Wendy!HeadinHome wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 12:25 pm ha ha ha ha ha yeahhh… no.
Honestly, started the puzzle and immediately started having anxiety at 10A. I’ll cheer the rest of you from the sidelines. ( :
Heidi
- ajk
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- Location: Colorado
The math was easy, but still working on getting to the answer from there. 

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