MATH! is not as nice as SCIENCE!

[the_wanlorn]

So, I have this book of brain teasers. I brought it to work today because I was going to be early. The very first problem in the book is a simple one. It gives a bunch of equations using symbols in place of numbers. Each symbol is a one-digit number, [1,9]. Two symbols together are two-digit number (ie, !( = 21).

So I was like "Well, I could just guess! But I'm going to be smrt and solve with math!" because clearly that is how you are meant to, right?

Right?

An hour and a half later, I've solved for every symbol and four times and I still can't get it the fuck right. Anyone want to take a gander and see what the fuck I'm doing wrong?


So I start out with

& + [ + * = !(
$ + ¢ + * = !(
# + ¢ + [ = !(
% + * + [ + ( = !(
¢ + % + * + ! = !(
% + & + * + $ = !(
¢ + $ + % + # = !(

And it tells you that !( = 21, so that simplifies to

& + [ + * = 21
$ + ¢ + * = 21
# + ¢ + [ = 21
% + * + [ = 20
¢ + % + * = 19
% + & + * + $ = 21
¢ + $ + % + # = 21

And then it's a simple matter of solving for the stupid fucking symbols, right? Because they give you enough equations. So eventually you'll be down to one symbol = one number, right?

Except every fucking time I try to do that it... doesn't work. Observe.

& = 21 - [ - *
$ = 21 - ¢ - *
[ = 21 - # - ¢
* = 20 - % - [ = 20 - % - (21 - # - ¢) = 20 - % - 21 + # + ¢ = -1 - % + # + ¢
¢ = 19 - % - * = 19 - % - (-1 - % + # + ¢) = 20 - # - ¢ = (20 - #)/2
% = 21 - & - * - $ = 21 - 21 + [ + * + 1 + % - # - ¢ - 21 + ¢ + * 
  = [ + * + 1 + % - # - 21 + * = [ + 2* - 20 + % - #

And here's where the first issue is because god damnit it I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to eliminate the variable you're solving for and

% = [ + 2* - 20 + % - #
0 = [ + 2* - 20 - #

Does just that but... okay, I'll just... skip that one and do # first and come back to it.

& = 21 - [ - *
$ = 21 - ¢ - *
[ = 21 - # - ¢
* = -1 - % + # + ¢
¢ = 10 - ½#
# = 21 - ¢ - $ - %
  = 21 - 10 + ½# - 21 - ¢ - * - %
  = 21 - 10 + ½# - 21 - 10 + ½# + 1 + % - # - ¢ - %
  = 21 - 10 + ½# - 21 - 10 + ½# + 1 + % - # - 10 + ½# - %
  = 11 - 21 - 10 + 1 - 10 + ½#
  = -29 + ½#

Okay, right, at least this time it doesn'te eliminate the variable :D?

# = -29 + ½#
½# = -29
# = -58

...uh. These are supposed to be single-digit natural numbers. -58 is neither a single digit nor a natural number. That's like a 200% failure. So that's four times I completely failed to figure out this fucking problem. omfg it was supposed to be a quick "Yay math!" problem to do before work started. An hour and a half ago. >:O

So internet, where am I being stupid?

♥

Comments

[kate]

I figured it out, but it's a little complicated how I did - I dun think I want to take the time to explain it by comment. I'll explain it when we come up for Labor Day? :D

Hint: start with the possible combinations of single digit numbers that add up to 21.

[kate]

Oh, also, this really is more a logic puzzle and less a math puzzle.

[the_wanlorn]

But math :(

[kate]

They lied to you, bb.

[the_wanlorn]

I should've suspected when the next puzzle is "Do the same thing, but this time you have to figure out which operations to use, too!" :(

[kate]

Sorry. :(

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

Are you sure that !( being 21 means that ! is 2 and ( is 1?

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it states it explicitly in the book. :(

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

I have, multiple times, proven that each symbol equals itself! :D? :D?


D:

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

I'm real good at that too! I USED TO BE SO GOOD AT MATH. WTAF HAPPENED TO ME.

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

& = % + 1 = ¢ + # - *

...D:

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

Have you started getting things like % = * + % yet? THOSE ARE MY FAVORITES.

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

I just got 6 = 7!

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

It's all those comic books. They rot the brain. ;-)

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

I believe that the fifth equation has a typo. It should be:

degreesymbol + percent + leftbracket + exclamation = 21

If you solve for that, it works perfectly.

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

I am going to be absolutely ripshit if it turns out I've wasted my morning on this because the damn book has a typo.

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

I've tried it three times so far, and I feel like my answer of "DURR IT IZ TYPOED" is a totally lame copout, but it's the only way that it can work. Unless I've got a bad case of the dumb again.

[shadowkitty.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I used to be so good at this.

I've got this so far.

& + [= $ + ¢
$ + * = # + [
& + * = ¢ + #

& = $ + ¢ -[
& = ¢ + # - *

$ -[ = # - *

[chaosvizier.livejournal.com]

Here's a better puzzle and it will make you feel good about yourself again.

Take four four's. Applying any mathematical operator to them, combine them into equations to equal every integer from 1 to 20.

For example, 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16.

And so on. Any mathematical operator is welcome - square roots, factorials, exponents, whatever. Knock yourself out.

[niav.livejournal.com]

Wow, it's like my brain just automatically shut down the moment I saw the first equation.

[maddeinin.livejournal.com]

What niav said. Which is strange, because I used to be quite good at math. Well, reasonably good. Nothing compared to my immediate family (LOL INFERIORITY COMPLEX).

P.S. OMG TRUE BLOOOOOOD.

[niav.livejournal.com]

I suck at maths. :( When I was 11 my teacher gave us this pretty easy quiz to assess our skills levels and I got 27%.













It was my highest maths mark in my entire secondary education.

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

I THINK I JUST SOLVED IT.

Is there an answer key in the back to check against before I start gloating at myself?

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

YYYYYYYYYY

THE ANSWER:

4 + 8 + 9 = 21
5 + 7 + 9 = 21
6 + 7 + 8 = 21
3 + 9 + 8 + 1 = 21
2 + 7 + 3 + 9 = 21
3 + 4 + 9 + 5 = 21
7 + 5 + 3 + 6 = 21

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

SO:

1=(
2=!
3 = %
4 = &
5 = $
6 = #
7 = ¢
8 = [
9 = *


OMG I ACTUALLY GOT IT.

It worked once I stopped seeing it as equations and started looking at it as a logic problem. I solved for $, ¢, and % in terms of & and figured out that & had to be either 4 or 5 and then figured it out from there. \o/ \o/ \o/

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

GO YOU!!!!

[fox1013.livejournal.com]

TY FOR MAKING TODAY'S ACCOMPLISHMENT SOMETHING BESIDES REMEMBERING TO PUT ON A TANK TOP OVER MY SPORTS BRA.

[sadface.livejournal.com]

i like sudoku

[the-wanlorn.livejournal.com]

That's what I've spent my day doing to regain my self respect. TAKE THAT EVIL SUDOKU. I CAN DO YOU IN UNDER AN HOUR.

[techiemikey.livejournal.com]

wow...I can do the regular ones in around that time period.