As long as I know the date (I'm assuming I'm not unconscious when I arrive on the island) and have access to something I can write in (soil, sand, etc.) and a stick, I can work out my rough location within 24 hours. If I don't know the date, I can do it within three to six months (depending what time of year it is).
Knowing my location determines my next course of action. If dead reckoning is liable to lead me to land before whatever water I can carry is depleted, I build a boat out of what I can. If not, I build shelter.
In either case, the rope and the chainsaw is the most useful. Although a calculator would also help. Bounding the residuals from Taylor polynomials with a stick in the sand is not my idea of fun. Actually, what am I saying? It completely is! :)
You have no beginning reference and you have no map (you picked the chainsaw). It doesn't say if you have a timepiece or any way to position from Greenwich. You have a compass you haven't disclosed?
You also have no access to Tom Hanks films which may tell you the only way to determine longitude is by a (broken) wristwatch and a radio. You don't need a map, and you don't need a radio, and you don't need Fourier transforms. The Taylor series approximation of sin(x), however, is invaluable (clue) as is a working knowledge of celestial mechanics. The inner teacher in me wants to see you find a way of working this out.
One concession I will make is that if you don't know the date to within six months, you could be in one of two antipodal locations on the earth and not know which.
Deserted island: Can only have 1 thing.
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As long as I know the date (I'm assuming I'm not unconscious when I arrive on the island) and have access to something I can write in (soil, sand, etc.) and a stick, I can work out my rough location within 24 hours. If I don't know the date, I can do it within three to six months (depending what time of year it is).
Knowing my location determines my next course of action. If dead reckoning is liable to lead me to land before whatever water I can carry is depleted, I build a boat out of what I can. If not, I build shelter.
In either case, the rope and the chainsaw is the most useful. Although a calculator would also help. Bounding the residuals from Taylor polynomials with a stick in the sand is not my idea of fun. Actually, what am I saying? It completely is! :)
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12 years ago
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You could work out latitude but not longitude.
I don't see why you'd use Taylor.
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dappled
12 years ago
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Think harder. You can work out both.
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You have no beginning reference and you have no map (you picked the chainsaw). It doesn't say if you have a timepiece or any way to position from Greenwich. You have a compass you haven't disclosed?
I guess you want to use Fourier also?
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dappled
12 years ago
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You also have no access to Tom Hanks films which may tell you the only way to determine longitude is by a (broken) wristwatch and a radio. You don't need a map, and you don't need a radio, and you don't need Fourier transforms. The Taylor series approximation of sin(x), however, is invaluable (clue) as is a working knowledge of celestial mechanics. The inner teacher in me wants to see you find a way of working this out.
One concession I will make is that if you don't know the date to within six months, you could be in one of two antipodal locations on the earth and not know which.
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12 years ago
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You say most of what you do just to annoy me.
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12 years ago
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I only provoke because I know if I don't, you'll get in there and provoke me first. :P