OT: Interesting math problem...

Ragnarok · #1 September 21st, 2004, 12:57 PM

The thing is the book he had didn't indicate if numbers could share the same value. It would be nice if they could as everyone said 00000+00000=00000 is a simple solution.

Fyron · #2 September 21st, 2004, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Ragnarok said:
The thing is the book he had didn't indicate if numbers could share the same value. It would be nice if they could as everyone said 00000+00000=00000 is a simple solution.

Unless this book is reknowned for giving trick questions, this is most likely not the solution.

Ragnarok · #3 September 21st, 2004, 01:01 PM

That is what I am thinking. As far as I know the book is just a regular math book for his grade. Unfortunately they cut the answers out of the back...

Aiken · #4 September 21st, 2004, 01:09 PM

Fyron, that's why I quickly deleted my post. But not quickly enough.

I remeber that I saw such tasks in a school. Common way to solve them is to rewrite example to:

10000*T+1000*R+100*I+10*E+D+10000*D+1000*R+100*I+1 0*V+E-10000*R-1000*I-100*V-10*E-T=0

With additional condition it should be quite easy to solve.

spoon · #5 September 21st, 2004, 01:50 PM

Got it:

17465 +
57496 =
-------
74961

T=1
R=7
I=4
E=6
D=5
V=9

I brute forced it, not having time for fancy shmancy formulae. (so, I could be wrong, very wrong!)

Alneyan · #6 September 21st, 2004, 02:05 PM

This problem is the proof I no longer know to do additions; while I figured out the V=9 part, I didn't think that I+I=4 could also mean I=7, and not only I=2.

geoschmo · #7 September 21st, 2004, 02:18 PM

Yay Spoon. I was getting ready to post that it was unsolvable.

I had worked out that V was 9 and I was 4. But I got hung up thinking then that the only option for R was 2.

Ragnarok · #8 September 21st, 2004, 03:01 PM

Yay for spoon! Thanks a lot man! I really do appreciate it. Go have a few brewski's at the Cantina on my tab.

vanbeke · #9 September 21st, 2004, 03:03 PM

It looks like is correct
17465 +
57496 =
_____
74961

Brute force solving (sort of)
Assumptions are that all letters represent different numbers and standard notation is used (the first number in a string is not zero)
V must be either 0 (if D+E < 10) or 9 (if D+E > 9)
If V is 0 then I is 5; if V is 9 then I is 4
For either value of V, R must be either 2 or 7; but R can't be 2 since that would require both T and D to be 1
So R is 7
Then T+D = 6 I tried the 4 possibilities and the only one that worked is the form that I gave above.

Instar · #10 September 22nd, 2004, 12:02 AM

Its a system of equations, linear algebra might get it done