It only took 32 years to solve Enigma No 45. The version of the weekly New Scientist puzzle that was set in the issue of 3 January 1980 - a problem in linear algebra - was, it seemed, too difficult even for New Scientist's notoriously clever readers. The deadline for responses passed and, two weeks later on 17 January, Enigma's editor announced: "No correct solutions were received for Enigma No 45."
And that's how things stood until December 2011, when Jim Randell emailed New Scientist to say: "I was browsing through Google Books and I came across Enigma 45..." He promptly had a go at the puzzle himself and found "a solution that satisfies the conditions".
"What I'd like to know," said Jim, "is whether mine is the first correct solution you've received for this puzzle - albeit almost 32 years late."
We forwarded Jim's email on to the mathematical genius who regularly checks readers' solutions for Enigma puzzles.
He said that Jim had indeed got the answer right, and added that he had used "a reasonably straightforward computer program" to do the checking. "Presumably the reason no one got this answer 32 years ago," he surmised, "was because of the lack of computers then."
Our congratulations go to Jim Randell, who will be awarded an Enigma prize - at the 2012 rate, not the 1980 one. His solution to the puzzle is published in this week's Enigma on page 35.
And on page 35:
Answer to 45 Six squares - harder: P=434657, Q=420968, R=150568
The winner Jim Randell of Bristol, UK
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