Li'l math puzzle

Denis

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Feb 17, 2004
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Use 3,3,8,8 to get 24 (all 4 must be used).

Allowed is + - * / and ()
 
Use 3,3,8,8 to get 24 (all 4 must be used).

Allowed is + - * / and ()
As a Physicist I'd do it this way:
3 * 8 = 24. The other terms are merely a perturbation and are therefore non-relevant. (Hey, if I'm allowed to ignore factors of infinite size...)

-Dan
 
If the numbers 3, 3, 8 and 8 are to base 9, then 38 - 8 - 3 works.
389= 3*9+8 = 35
39 = 3
89 = 8
 
3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3
8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 33 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8
3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3
8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 33 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8
3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3
8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 33 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8

8 / (3 - 8/3)

3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 8 3 8 8 3 8 8 8 3 8 8 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 3 8 3 3 8 3 3 8 3
 
Use 3,3,8,8 to get 24 (all 4 must be used).

Allowed is + - * / and ()

3+3+8+8+2 = 24

I used all 4 of 3, 3, 8, 8 and got 24. You didn't say I had to use only them.
 
Now do it using ONLY 2 3's and 2 8's :shock:

Clue: 2 divisions involved.

I've found that when these resist all efforts, very often the trick is to abandon thoughts of integers, and focus on fractions. Here, I finally got it when I asked myself, what do I have to divide _ by to get 24, and looked for a way to get that fraction.
 
I've found that when these resist all efforts, very often the trick is to abandon thoughts of integers, and focus on fractions.
Here, I finally got it when I asked myself, what do I have to divide _ by to get 24, and looked for a way to get that fraction.

8/(3 - 8/3) = 24

8/(-8/3 + 3) = 24

-8/(8/3 - 3) = 24

-8/(-3 + 8/3) = 24
 
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