how many places are there on the earth that one could walk one mile south, then one mile west, then one mile north and end up in the same spot? to be precise, let's assume the earth is a solid smooth sphere, so oceans and mountains and other such things do not exist. you can start at any point on the sphere. also, the rotation of the earth has nothing to do with the solution; you can assume you're walking on a static sphere if that makes the problem less complicated to you.

the south pole?

you can't walk one mile south of the south pole - where'd you end up?

but you're thinking, and that's better than what I'm about to do - sleeping.

There's an infinite number of such points. Then plus one.

First off, you find the latitude of the southern hemisphere where the distance around the earth when walking due west is 1 mile, then you go 1 mile above that latitude, ever point on that circle will work - you go a mile south to a point (call it A), a mile west (bringing you back to point A) then a mile north to return to your starting position.

There are an infinite number of possible points on the circle that's 1 mile above the latitude where the Earth is one mile around.

Plus the north pole, it works there too.

A question to the audience: is this question tricky enough to warrant a point? half-point? Kudos?

it depends on who answers it correctly.

that's not very nice...

why not?

some of us know this stuff (this particular riddle) very well.....others not so much....

i am joking....but i don't think i was being "not very nice"....

nice fair.  The point-ness should be indifferent to who solves the riddle.

yeah....i know.

I may be biased, but I think this one was worth 10 points 

Me too. Is the answer a single point on the sphere, or is that what we're trying to prove...?

just one. the north pole

No, not just one - that was the point of my answer.

There's a ring of places where it'll work around the lower parts of the globe... give me a minute and I'll do something in Paint...

No points, we've discussed this before

Here is the classic form of this riddle, as I heard it:

A man sets out from his camp and goes one mile south.  He then encounters a bear and is chased one mile west, upon the bear loses interest.  He then goes one mile north, returning to his camp.  What color is the bear?

Ah, I found it in the archives:  http://www.tangler.com/forum/riddles/topic/31929/

It actually only works at the north pole SK.  If you are at any other latitude you will end up a bit west of your camp.

Me too. Is the answer a single point on the sphere, or is that what we're trying to prove...? The answer is a number.  It is not one.

hmmm.... on further consideration, SK's answer (infinitely many) is correct, but he has not identified all such points.  There are more.

You can also start one mile north of any circle around the south pole whose circumference is 1/n miles, where n is a natural number.  This was discussed in the other thread as well.

(Sorry, I had 10/n earlier because I had been reading the other thread, which uses ten miles instead of one.)

Nope, it is just one- the north pole (Im assuming we arent including silliness with magnetic north and the like- correct?)

Facts:
1: North/South is traveled only on Longitude lines
2: East/West is traveled only on Latitude lines
3: Latitude lines never cross themselves (they are parallel)
4: Longitude lines never cross themselves; however, they do meet in two locations (the North and South Poles)
5: This puzzle requires you to travel south at the beginning of the journey,  which eliminates the South Pole as a possible camp

These facts allow only one conclusion... the only possible location for starting is the North Pole.

For any other point X, you would have to travel South along a longitude line until you reached a latitude line and go West.  When you reach your endpoint you end up on a different Longitude than your camp is on.

uwhguy, as you get closer to the South pole, the circles which make up the latitude lines get smaller and smaller, i.e., the circumference approaches zero.  So, there is a latitude whose circumference is exactly 1 mile.  That means if you are on that latitude and head west for one mile you end up where you started.

Yes, I stand corrected.

The other thread!  Right!  The polar bear riddle!  I thought this was too familiar!

Sorry, no points to you SK - you already got points for this.

Hehe... well, I try 

noes! but you didn't ask what color the bear was! it's a different riddle!

but we already discussed the implications of this riddle in that one.

I know SK was there.  if you had solved it, I would rely on your word of honor to tell us that you hadn't seen the answer there already

oh well i did

but you didn't ask for the bear color! besides...i put the answer up before he did

oh unless all that crap he posted first was it

i stopped reading after the first couple of words

My "crap" was SO the answer 

It was a polished turd, though.

Damn straight. When it comes to riddles, I shit diamonds.

Better believe it.

xD

the scary thing is, I do believe

LOL nice

disturbing...but funny

very......

WAHAHAHAHA

You guys are funny!