Difficult problems, simple solutions

The Akbar-Birbal stories contain some tales of how Birbal solved situational problems by simple methods without breaking any ground rules previously laid down. One story tells of an apple placed in the centre of a 10x10 metre carpet with the challenge to retrieve the apple without using any external contraption or touching the top part of the carpet in any way. It was obviously out of reach for any human standing away from the carpet. Birbal, of course, solved the problem by rolling the carpet till he came near the apple and then lifted it.

Admiral Nelson at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar was faced with the problem of naval warfare. He had a collection of 40 battleships with which to face an enemy armada of the French and Spanish of 46. His intuition told him that a head-on fight would annihilate his forces, leaving a few of the enemy surviving and tasting victory. To be able to win the battle he divided his armada into two sections of 32 and eight ships. The eight ships were to attack half the enemy ships luring them from the rest of the warfare. This would leave 32 of his ships against 23 of the enemy. The net effect of this “divide and fight” policy would lead to annihilation of all enemy ships leaving a few survivors on the English side. A modern analysis using a mathematical model shows that this was the best strategy Nelson had chosen although he did not have a mathematical background!

Coming to modern times, there are occasions when we are faced with a problem that apparently calls for difficult and elaborate solutions, but for which a simple solution may well exist. Here is an example of a problem I faced as the director of a scientific research centre.

Our centre, founded in 1988, has the somewhat long name “Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics”. Not surprisingly, for practical purposes the name was shortened to the acronym IUCAA. Although it acquired good reputation as a scientific centre of excellence, IUCAA has a brilliant architecture for which also it is greatly admired. Indeed, we were fortunate in having the famous architect Charles Correa plan and design the IUCAA campus. So, while IUCAA is a mecca for young astronomers, it also attracts young architecture students who like to visit and see how a highly original mind has given expression to the current developments in astronomy through the medium of architecture.

However, while architectural features of a building may be excellent, a question of practical nature cannot be ignored. Thus, the occupier of such a building may very well find that living in it has many inconveniences. We had, however, a very good dialogue with Charles to ensure that any such awkward features were smoothed out. One problem, however remained to be discovered and was appreciated only after we had lived through one monsoon season. The problem was of the following nature.

The main courtyard of the institute has one corner with an opening for the entrance gate. A visitor entering through the opening would be struck by the view of a large “kund” (a square shaped structure with granite steps) and statues of four famous scientists (Aryabhata, Galileo, Newton and Einstein) standing nearby.

This spectacular treat had, however, one shortcoming which became apparent during the monsoon season. When it rained heavily, it was a problem crossing that corner whenever one wanted to go from one building to the other. One had to walk about 10-12 metres in driving rain. So the staff pressure on the director started growing to top up the opening with a covering.

Thinking that some structural changes will be required to provide a shelter for those who needed to cross the opening, I approached our architect. He, however, while appreciating the problem faced by the staff and visitors, refused to oblige as, he felt that it would rob the building of its stunning entrance.

So, I had to think over the impasse and look for a solution that satisfied the users of IUCAA but did not offend the architect.

The problem was in a sense typical for most buildings and illustrates the conflict between the user requirement and the vision of the architect. I had seen example of such a conflict arising during the construction of an important scientific institution. Both the director of the institution and the architect were internationally known and respected. However, during the construction stage the director decided to change the proposed usage of a section of the building from guest house to laboratories. This the architect objected to. And the conflict of personalities led to delays, cost increases etc.

Fortunately, in our case I was able to find a solution that met all the requirements. What was my solution

I put two umbrella stands, each carrying about a dozen umbrellas, one at the end of each building. When crossing the opening in either direction during rain, the staff member or visitor was invited to pick up an umbrella from the stand at the starting end and leave it on the stand at the other end. Of course, I had relied on the expectation that on an average there would be an equal flux of traffic either way. This expectation was borne out.

To sum up, in one’s life, there are occasions when the difficulty faced looks too big and messy. However, one should consider the following strategy seriously: Look for a simple solution hiding somewhere which will provide the right answer to the problem faced.

The writer, a renowned astrophysicist, is professor emeritus at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune University Campus. He was Cambridge University’s Senior Wrangler in Maths in 1959.