Uh... I don't get it. Perhaps something was lost in translation?

It sounds like you're saying each person had to smash a container against the wall to release the food, and the Mathematician got side-tracked analyzing the container.

However:

1. Spam™ cans have a convenient pull-tab, you don't need to bash them against a wall.

2. Spam™ cans are typically not "cylinder" shaped... Unless the Mathematician was expecting a cylinder and didn't recieve one, but in that case what did the Devil say that would have caused that expectation?

3. Why would the Engineer do worse at opening the can compared to the Physicist?