[doublecross]

I don't have the card, and I can't quite read the image of the equation.

Is it zeta of 's' or zeta of '8' that equals the sum?

If it were zeta of '8', then the answer would simply be 1/7, as for any positive integer x, it is 1/(x-1) (according to the Excel spreadsheet I just knocked up). Something tells me that it isn't that easy...

[BrianEnigma]

The other day, I was going to suggest that the puzzle somehow related to the prime numbered cards--for instance, something in the title or wording of those cards. Now that someone has figured out the prime numbered cards are already used for the playing card symbols (presumably for the silver card, Shuffled, that looks like it uses a Solitaire cipher), I am not so sure--unless those cards are used for both puzzles. There are exactly 54 primes in our card set and there are 54 playing cards (52 cards + 2 jokers), so it's not likely a coincidence that it is perfect for the Solitaire cipher.

[oliverkeers13]

I texted him as well, but no response. I don't think that that can be the puzzle, as other silver cards, like the Syzygy Cube, are worth more points, and are easier. I don't think it is the puzzle.

[SocialElite]

not to be overly fatalistic, but the star at the bottom of the card does indicate that there's a $1,000,000 prize "upon solving this puzzle."

Obviously there are multiple ways to read that statement, but it seems the most sensible might be: "Upon solving the puzzle of card #238, that being the proof of the Riemann function, you will receive both 60 Perplex Points from us and 1,000,000 dollars from the Clay Math Institute."

I'm still curious, though, did Von ever text you back about this puzzle, JebJoya?

[oliverkeers13]

It doesn't pose a question, which is very odd. Its puzzle MUST be hidden, as there isn't one on the card.

[DogsHead]

... I .... splode.

[The First Speaker]

LOL We're being asked to solve the greatest maths problem of all time..Amazing, whats next?? Formulate a unified field theory of everything??

There must be a hidden puzzle in this.

Quote:

"If I were to awaken after having slept for a thousand years, my first question would be: Has the Riemann hypothesis been proven?".

from Hilbert (famous mathematician who set a list of maths problems at the start of the 20th century)

[dusty2229]

Point of interest: The card gives Riemann's initials as G.F.G. when in fact they are G.F.B. (Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann ). Don't know if this is relevant at all.

[tanner]

how about the solve being

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

"AADAA" from Cryptonomicon -- output of a Riemann zeta function

???

[yanka]

Ok, I have just found out that "tretretretre" is actually a word

Um, anyway... Since there is no question posed, what if this is asking for something stupidly simple - like a number of "things" on the back of the card? For example, there are 26.5 trees, 9 brown houses and 7 white houses... woo, a prime Ugh... Yeah, I don't know where I'm going with this...

[BrianEnigma]

Going through the words and assigning them positional values gets a little tricky because of things like the "G.F.G." before Riemann. Is that abbreviation supposed to be three words, one word, or skipped? At any rate, I took four different looks at this puzzle, two by counting through words and two by counting through letters.

In one instance, I am taking every prime position (word 2, 3, 5: "numbers are that"). In the other instance, I am skipping a prime number of positions, then taking the value (skipping 2 to "numbers," skipping 3 more to "that," skipping 5 more to "any"). Here are my results. They don't look too promising.

Words, based on prime positions:

Quote:

2: numbers 3: are 5: that 7: be 11: other 13: except 17: example 19: are 23: Aside 29: prime 31: have 37: to 41: they 43: the 47: secure 53: the 59: credit 61: details 67: there 71: to 73: new 79: whether 83: is 89: been 97: order 101: in 103: primes 107: the 109: mathematician 113: that 127: as 131: Function 137: The 139: part 149: Function 151: It 157: but 163: his 167: There 173: mathematics 179: the 181: that 191: not 193: would 197: look 199: those 211: certain 223: long 227: offered 229: solving

Words based on skipping a prime number:

Quote:

2 2: numbers 3 5: that 5 10: any 7 17: example 11 28: large 13 41: they 17 58: your 19 77: importantly 23 100: way 29 129: Riemann 31 160: rests 37 197: look

Letters based on prime positions:

Quote:

rieuraubtnovdyouxemvsrmdrnmssfearsmnseeaymdyalyctghaltctpah trecicdbieesrqdewsirhrnlimtivtebriytaidsencGnndeymshattinsRnucay stroeRnuiooidsnssreaqasihtehsmoseitlhltanwshrormsrewdgTOTontp spmgn

Letters based on skipping a prime number:

Quote:

reeuadeFeivattyneeaortoiO

It should be noted that for letters, I didn't count spaces or punctuation (doing so came up with garbage just the same, only with spaces in it). When scanning words, I counted "G.F.G." as a single word and did not count numbers as a words (doing so brought back results that were about the same, only with numbers that didn't seem to fit.)

I kind of hope we don't have to locate and type in the longest prime. I have a feeling that I might make a typo while entering a 7235733 digit number.

[JebJoya]

Sent a text, awaiting reply...

Jeb

[Reason]

BriEnigma wrote:

My thought (which has not led to much of anything), was what if the puzzle is something different on the card, but still related to prime numbers? For instance, what if you took the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. letters or words from the text and it formed a different question? Or words with a prime number of letters? If you look again, you will note that everything on the card is a statement. There is no question. The fact that the Millennium Prize is offered is, again, a statement. There is nothing asking you to solve, explain, prove, or disprove anything. I am of the thinking that there is a question hidden in there somewhere, if we can figure out how to unlock it.

I think that is quite a sound point. Has anyone tried texting Von for a clue?

[BrianEnigma]

My thought (which has not led to much of anything), was what if the puzzle is something different on the card, but still related to prime numbers? For instance, what if you took the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. letters or words from the text and it formed a different question? Or words with a prime number of letters?

If you look again, you will note that everything on the card is a statement. There is no question. The fact that the Millennium Prize is offered is, again, a statement. There is nothing asking you to solve, explain, prove, or disprove anything. I am of the thinking that there is a question hidden in there somewhere, if we can figure out how to unlock it.

[tanner]

as whoever solves this is gonna be very very famous (and rich) i assume the puzzle is something else