Some Haskell Puzzles from ZuriHac 2023

https://jaspervdj.be/posts/2023-06-19-haskell-puzzles.html

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Puzzles are :100:, UI is :ok_hand:. Thanks!

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Thank you for the puzzles, they’re very entertaining! I was wondering how hard it would be to devise a puzzle that has two non trivially equivalent solutions.

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What’s the etiquette for requesting a hint? It is quite beautiful that the page source does not include the solutions, but also quite frustrating. I have solved several, but the “join” and “let” puzzles are defeating me!

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Personally I think this is a fine way of asking for a hint.

I don’t know your level so it’s hard to judge where I should aim them, but I’ll give it a go. Hints in rot13 (with symbols written out):

wbva: jung zbanqf qb jr unir ninvynoyr? Guvax va qrgnvy nobhg jung wbva qbrf sbe gurz.

yrg: jr bayl unir bar rdhny, fb jr’er bayl qrsvavat bar guvat. Jung pbhyq gung guvat or? Vg pna’g or yrg n rdhny ... orpnhfr gura o pna’g trg vagebqhprq. Lbh pbhyq gel yrg n o rdhny ... ohg gura lbh unir n yrsgbire n gung frrzf uneq gb trg evq bs. Jung ryfr vf gurer?

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Evtug, gunaxf. V oryvrir V xabj gung “wbva” synggraf yvfgf bs yvfgf (va gur pnfr bs gur Yvfg zbanq, juvpu frrzf yvxr gur svefg bar gb gel), ohg V qba’g frr ubj gb pbafgehpg n yvfg bs yvfgf jvgu gur cvrprf cebivqrq. Vs vg’f fbzr bgure zbanq gung’f arrqrq, zl thrff zvtug or fbzrguvat gb qb jvgu gur Ernqre zbanq naq cnegvnyyl nccyvrq shapgvbaf.

Nf sbe gur “yrg” ceboyrz, V pna frr ubj gb hfr yrg qrsvar n shapgvba, hfvat bar bs gur vqragvsvref nf gur obhaq inevnoyr.

Sbe rknzcyr:

yrg n o = o * 2 va n 2 + 2

Znlor gung’f fhccbfrq gb or gur uneq cneg, ohg V whfg pna’g frr ubj gb hfr nyy gur cvrprf.

Thanks.

wbva: lrf, gur Ernqre zbanq vf evtug. Jung qbrf wbva qb jura vg’f gnxra ng glcr Ernqre n (Ernqre n o)) gb (Ernqre n o)?

yrg: fbeel, zl uvag jnf qhzo… lbh pbhyq gel yrg n o rdhny ... va ..., V vaqrrq pna’g guvax bs na boivbhf ernfba gung qbrfa’g jbex. Ohg va snpg vg’f abg evtug. Lbh qba’g jnag yrg n rdhny ... naq lbh qba’g jnag yrg n o rdhny .... Vf gurer fbzrguvat ryfr?

I resolved the let puzzle just by moving tokens around… hahaha very tricky actually

Well, I’ve solved the “join” one, at least!

I don’t really understand what could be needed in the “let” puzzle. V qb xabj gung yrg vf na rkcerffvba jvgu n inyhr. Fb, grzcgrq ol guvatf yvxr 2 * yrg k l = k l va 2 + 2.

Here are two more hints. First:

Gung’f tbbq guvaxvat, ohg qbrfa’g uryc va guvf pnfr. Gur gevpx vf nyzbfg ragveryl nobhg svthevat bhg jung zvtug tb qverpgyl nsgre yrg, fb lbh pna qverpg lbhe nggragvba gurer. Vg’f abg yrg n rdhny naq vg’f abg yrg n o rdhny. Gurer ner bgure guvatf lbh pna qb urer gung ner yrff boivbhf.

Then this one is a lot less subtle, so you might want to not look at it immediately:

Lbh pna hfr yrg gb qrsvar bcrengbef. Be erqrsvar gurz, vs gurl’ir orra cerivbhfyl qrsvarq.

Ah, that is lovely. Thank you for the hints!