Tao Stoic 70

The Master gave his pupils a puzzle, in order to learn.

"What is:

+ + + + + - + - + + - - - + + ?

Is it random, the flick of a coin, or has it any meaning, a message therefore? How do you go about it?"

"There are 10 plus and 5 minus, which is not very random, " said Ling.

"Good, but the total number is so small, it could be random still." Ven said: "Let's make it into groups:

(+ +)(+ +)(+ -)(+ -)(+ +)(- -)(- +)(+).

It seems far too regular for random."

"You are on the right track too Ven, but proceed."

"Well, another grouping would be in three's, that is:

(+ + +)(+ + -)(+ - +)(+ - -)(- + +)

makes no sense."

"Stop. Look at the first two, a little more closely."

"The second group is one digit more than the first, in the binary system."

"Excellent. Now what thoughts do you develop?"

"If I am correct, I could design the third group as being one digit more still. That would be + - + then, and see, it tallies."

"You are home now. Indeed the fourth and fifth also tally with your system, therefore it might represent the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, in an 8-digital system that is converted into a binary one. This is what I wanted to show: First you look for a system, a pattern. Then you tackle a still puzzling problem with 'a' system known to you, your own system, and third, you check the truth with a 'prediction' you make inside the known factors. In our case, you then can predict the 6, 7, 8., because of the complete control you have over the system, or in groups:

(- + -)(- - +)(- - -).

You observe that the end should be the the reverse of the beginning.

What you actually did in this case is NOT a general recipe. It would not work in other cases. But the method of ideation is a recipe."