Cool Contest But No Answer

17?

That would mean 17 stacks and the smallest being (100-16) = 84

The 17 columns of 84 coins = 1428 total in the equal sized stacks

The number of extras is 0 on top of the first,1 on the second ,2 on the third and so on...,3, ...,14,15,16

so this time we have:
column 1 extras + column 17 extras = 0+16=16
column 2 extras + column 16 extras = 1+15=16
column 3 extras + column 15 extras = 2+14=16
column 4 extras + column 14 extras = 3+13=16
column 5 extras + column 13 extras = 4+12=16
column 6 extras + column 12 extras = 5+11=16
column 7 extras + column 11 extras = 6+10=16
column 8 extras + column 10 extras = 7 + 9=16
column 9 extras = 8

Extras = (8x16)+9 = 128 +9=136 total extras

1428+136=1564

I enjoy problem solving of any kind.

Make it even simpler:
Call the number of stacks N

If N is odd, the total number of extras is N
and the total of coins in the same sized stacks is 101xN - (NxN)

Combined "extras + same" for odd number of stacks:
102xN - (NxN)

If N is even, the total number of extras is 1/2xN
and the total of coins in the same-sized stacks is 101xN - (NxN)

Combined "extras + same" for even number of stacks:
101.5xN - (NxN)


Yes, I enjoy problem solving - this was fun

Edited in green to show my error. I had a 9 instead of 8 extra in column 9

probably glued together, but still a feat of patience!

never mind, my brain is about fried tonight...still a cool piece of art!

Calculations based on false premises don't mean much.




First of all I disagree with 17 columns. It's a very fuzzy area on the right top of the structure so it's hard to count the number of columns. I drew a level line from the top of the shortest column (granted the photo itself is not necessarily leveled). Still, I marked with a check mark a coin in the tallest column which is about level with the top of the shortest one, plus or minus one. It is the 20th coin from the top. Since they added one extra coin for each column I estimate that there are between 18 and 20 columns in the structure.

Second, the red up-and-down arrow represents the height of about 20 coins. I copied and pasted it a few times, and now it looks like the tallest column is comparable to 80 coins rather than 100. Of course there's perspective and such, so I offer only estimations, not assertions.

Very true.

The point of my original post was to show it was not very difficult to figure out. Given an accurate number of columns and height will yield accurate results using the same approach.

Eagle eyes for sure!