Traveller Companion Shipped

[Menerst]

I sent you the email from two different email addresses (free and icloud)

I hope you'll have this time

 

[Menerst]

hello,
I did not get an error message, for me the mails are arrived, I'm waiting for your answer now hoping to find a quick solution, so that I can finally receive my book ... Help a poor traveler lost in the stars to find the nearest statioport with a companion ;-)

 

[MongooseMatt]

hello,
I did not get an error message, for me the mails are arrived, I'm waiting for your answer now hoping to find a quick solution, so that I can finally receive my book ... Help a poor traveler lost in the stars to find the nearest statioport with a companion ;-)

We will get your book to you! Is the email address you listed on this forum still correct? We will try communications in the other direction!

 

[Menerst]

Hello,
this is the good email.
I look forward to hearing from you

 

[MongooseMatt]

Hello,
this is the good email.
I look forward to hearing from you

Test message sent!

 

[Menerst]

well received and answered

 

[Anonymous]

This exchange between Menerst and msprange (I send it, did u reecive it?) reminds me of the 2 generals problem, which certainly angers Admirals in Traveller space wars.

There are 2 generals, jointly besieging an enemy in a valley. Both generals must attack at the same time or they will be defeated piecemeal. The only way they can communicate is to send a messenger through the valley, and this messenger may be intercepted. How then does any general know if his message was received and the other will be joining in the attack?

A says "Attack in 6 weeks" and receives no response, so does not attack. But maybe B got the message and B's acknolwedgement was lost, and now B attacks on their own? So A would send an acknowledgement of B's acknowledgement. Which may not arrive, and we continue unto infinity.

While it's mathematically proven impossible to solve in the way presented, there are various workaround like "send 100 couriers and attack no matter what" that reduce the uncertaincy while being unable to eliminate it completely.

 

[AndrewW]

There are 2 generals, jointly besieging an enemy in a valley. Both generals must attack at the same time or they will be defeated piecemeal. The only way they can communicate is to send a messenger through the valley, and this messenger may be intercepted. How then does any general know if his message was received and the other will be joining in the attack?

While it's mathematically proven impossible to solve in the way presented, there are various workaround like "send 100 couriers and attack no matter what" that reduce the uncertaincy while being unable to eliminate it completely.

Send up a signal flare to indicate message received.

 

[Anonymous]

Send up a signal flare to indicate message received.

How do you know the flare was seen? It's the same as a messenger.

Of course there are ways to get around it by violating the constraints in the question, and I'm sure most people can think of one by "hacking" the question.

This is one the puzzles taught to student programmers for network communications.

Note that we don't have FTL flares in Traveller and this certainly impacts fleet maneuvers.

edit: Some background on the problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Generals%27_Problem

 

[AndrewW]

How do you know the flare was seen? It's the same as a messenger.

Not the same. Not saying it's foolproof but better then sending 100 messengers.

 

[Menerst]

Hello,
this is the good email.
I look forward to hearing from you

Test message sent!

yes, the book has arrived, thank you very much for your intervention to solve this problem.