The Treasure has been found!
The 2012 Analytics Treasure Hunt has come to a close.

Two member team, Madineh Sarvestani and Shepard Wallace, successfully retrieved the treasure on Saturday, 8/18/2012 at about 10am EST.

Answer: 40.07284, -75.21907

 

If you’re a fan of the PuzzlOR, the Thinking Analytics column, or just puzzles in general, here is a challenging new contest that will put your analytics skills to the ultimate test.

Attached below are a series of 5 puzzles that focus on common problems encountered in the mathematics, statistics, and Operations Research fields.  Each puzzle requires a specific solution methodology that you have likely acquired during your education and career. 

Once you have solved each of the puzzles, place their answers into the corresponding latitude and longitude spaces in the document below.  There is a $100 cash prize hidden at these coordinates. 

There is no entry fee and anyone can participate.  Additional information can be found in the “Instructions, rules, and notes” section in the attachment below.

Download the 5 puzzles here

Update: Puzzle #3 TSP clarification ... This answer requires a full tour of the galaxies.  You must start and end at one galaxy.

Hint: The treasure is hidden in a small capsule similar to the ones below.  They are 1 1/2" x 1/2" in size.


Hint: GPS devices are not perfectly accurate.  Be prepared to search in a radius of where your GPS device takes you.

Hint: The treasure is hidden at the base of a wall.