Listener 4138: The X-factor by IOA

[midazolam]

I looked down the list of letters thinking: no clue lengths, no clue numbers, no idea which is across or even, 26 numbers to choose from. Aargh! Luckily, once it gets going, things speed up and to a nice aesthetic finish. A debut in the sense that I have not solved either of IOA'a previous two Listeners (last in 2004), but this one I enjoyed - probably because it had a conversion and PDM to look forward to. Thanks IOA

[starwalker]

Being a hater of numerics, it is only a misplaced sense of pride that keeps me going.
I know that I will finish this - but I don't know when.
I also know that there is a way of entry, but I haven't found it yet.

[Ythelon]

Subscribers to this thread will be as sad as I am to learn of the death of Mike Laws, editor of IQ in The Independent, and a major figure in cruciverbial circles. For more details Google The Crossword Centre where a large number of setters and solvers have registered their sadness and paid their tributes.

[dr b]

Took me a while to find the entry point but things do progress pretty quickly. I was fixated on V having to be something that it was not. A nice puzzle.

I'll be gone for the next 2 weeks so will see you all for 4141.

[bellabee]

thanks for posting on here ythelon - i'm very sorry to hear that mike laws has died. i think he's turned the inquisitor into a really challenging crossword. it's become a puzzle i look forward to tackling every week.

[TheBear69]

This puzzle exemplifies math puzzles at their best. Congrats to IOA.

In previous puzzles like this, the setter is knid enough to separate the acrosses from the downs. That makes it a lot easier since you a down letter can only go with a down number in the grid, etc. Combining them all increased the challenge a lot. Perfectly fair, of course...Excellent last step, especially the last part of the instruction.

[AHearer]

I always promise myself not to get sucked into the numerics, and always succumb in the end. As others have said, once a start has been made it all falls into place quite quickly -- but boy did I sweat (just mistyped as swear - that too) to get that start. A lovely puzzle, though.

[Philoctetes]

Just glanced at this one, so no insight yet. I just want to encourage Bellabee to stick with it! Go Bb!

[bellabee]

well i did actually look at the grid this morning philoctetes and can at least say that it is a supremely ugly thing - but will take part of your advice and go for.......... a hike round the derbyshire dales. happy crunching! beautiful weather out there.

[mathsy]

Hi, I haven't tried a Listener before but am intrigued by this one! Please could somebody that has solved it, clarify whether when it says that the usual rules of algebra apply, does that mean that when two letters are together they are multiplied? I know that this is usually the case in algebra but didn't want to bark up the wrong tree! Thanks.

[midazolam]

Yes mathsy

[dr b]

mathsy, you are correct - for example clue M is B^4 + R^4.... etc.

[mathsy]

Great, thank you for that.

[Alekhine]

Gr8 fun.

Maybe numerics are my 40. My weekend is now 3. Warm day in the garden... I may get a little 30, so perhaps a glass or two l8er.

[cluelessJoe]

I can only add 4 quenelle

[IainGrace]

Oh dear, how unfair. Our least favourites combined - numbers and codes - after some recent carte blanche puzzles. However, we may persevere. How much superior, though, are more conventional puzzles such as Travellers.

[pushmi-pullyu]

I'm with you on that IainGrace. I haven't found my way into this one at all.

[Clamzy]

Funny how memory plays tricks. My first Listener entry was a numerical puzzle in 1994 and I was convinced I had entered 4 per year ever since. The statistics show I didn't submit an entry for IOA's first Listener in 2000 much to my surprise. I did enter his/her 2004 one and correctly.
I enjoyed this one but although agreeing with TB69 that there was clearly an intent to make it more difficult, I like a little more meat when I get through the crust:-)

[teuchter2]

A most enjoyable puzzle with a logical way in. Altogether a good way to occupy a wet afternoon when the Cup Final wasn't too enthralling. I found that the encoding helped me to get to the bottom of a mistake I had made. I think I will need to print out another copy to submit my entry.

[trux]

Dare I admit that I am actually rather enjoying this one so far ? I usually am numerophobic, but this has a very acceptable logic stream to it ... and I am (slowly) ambling along it, one gentle step at a time, but with an eery sense that I will actually get all the way to the end ... (which has not been my experience with suchlike in the past). So early thanks to IOA for making this approachable, .... and fun !