How many different routes there are round a magic roundabout?
ChatGPT:
There's a famous magic roundabout in Swindon, UK, with five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle. If you're talking about that one, you can technically take 8 different routes around it. It's like a vehicular choose-your-own-adventure!
Is it true? That's an exercise for the reader.
I'm not sure how it gets to 8.
It's been a while since I've driven across the Swindon Magic roundabout, but used to live nearby and did it quite a lot when I was much younger, including as a learner. Once you make you initial "Am I going right or left?" decision, you're more or less committed, and just keep going in that direction until you get to the exit you want. With 5 mini-roundabouts, there is an optimum, route, as one way will always require fewer mini's than the other. I always tended to go left, as it felt more familiar.
Assuming you know which exit you want, I can't see there is anything more than the initial Left or right choice? To get to 8 different routes, would require you to do U turns at one of the mini-roundabouts, and if you allow for that, there is an infinite number. This is what terrifies people, as some get so confused they are just going backwards and fforwards, without ever reaching their exit.