Solving Next
And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.
4 And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.
5 And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.
1 Kings 7:3-5
Let's see a fun problem for you and hopefully one that's mercifully short as these things should be really. The whole issue is that there isn't any solution. Last time we'd seen how to convert between two similar amounts say in currency, whatever that happens to be locally. Basically, Solomon's been building again, hard at work in his house. There's 45 pillars in it total and cedars covering the top of the house sort of like a roof made out of wood. The roof rested on large beams just underneath that ran to the pillars and supported the whole rest of the house. It sounds really pretty but just as the Lord's house had been cramped, out of space, and likely dirty, this one here is also possessed of a strange sort of proportions. What I want to know is how much space is there between each pillar, assuming each one is properly positioned there into place. There ought to be equal space between each one too telling some measurement that went into building. The windows are evenly spaced at least, though it doesn't really tell how many. Only that there's light touching light all the way around the house on at least three possible sides. That'll help greatly when we're touring Solomon's hot mess construction. They said he married an Egyptian, Pharoah's daughter most likely. That might've had something to do with what he was just building for you. Since we don't know what the distance is between each of the rows, we'll put a ? for between each of the pillars. When it's done, it'll look something a bit more like this.
P P P
I I I
L ? L ? L
L L L
A A A
R R R
We can technically write the 45 total pillars here at the top, since there's 45 all the way around total. Expressed, it'll look like
45/?=Area/4
You can also write it as
45/?=Side 1 and 2/2 and Side 3 and 4/2
Looks like a whole ton of fun, doesn't it? Don't you just envy Solomon's building ability? I can also divide the four into 45
45/4
To find out the number of pillars on each side of the house.
4 goes into 45
1(1)
__
5
4
(there's 1 left over after four is subtracted from five)
____
1.0
(2)
8
____
20
(5)
20
______
0
The answer will be roughly 11.25 pillars on each possible side. You'll have a pillar in each of the four corners which explains why you've now got a small portion of pillar.
L L A R
I
P
P
I
L L A R
And so on for the opposite side repeating in the exact same order but of course. My, this Solomon sure was terribly busy it seems. Speaking of busy, we're the ones inquiring as to the steps of the matter. I'd say that makes us busy too I suppose, busy minding his own personal business and none of our own. Though if the Lord hadn't wanted, he wouldn't have recorded it for all posterity later. Then we'll need to go back to the first part of the equation to find out the rest. It'll look like this on the opposite side of the corner, you know, the part on which the equation would be otherwise founded. I still have this which hasn't told me the whole part of the issue.
11.25 times ?=whole total area or Side 1 and 2/2 and Side 3 and 4/2
Next, I'll be going over how you'll get rid of the ? that would follow. Some people like to figure out how to work with these so-called unsolvable things. They'll simplify and do all sorts of other stuff except solve for the root cause of the issue. That's not only confusing but also all equations have a solution. You just weren't told the whole rest of the matter at work enough to figure out possible values or solutions from there it's supposed. You'll doubtless think it's frustrating and terribly so as is often the case. That's why we'll figure the answers as best as we can so we don't have a whole herd of wild ? running around through here later. As I like to say, there's no unsolvable problems just impossible solutions.