Not too difficult math puzzle i'm having a problem with

[deemve]

I have a math puzzler I cant figure out! I have the following numbers: 2, 5, 14, 33 and 39 and the symbols for multiplication, division and subtraction and the equals symbol. Havt to use each of those things only once into an equation that works. I was an English major, not math so this is bugging me. Can anyone help me out? I know this shouldn’t be that hard but, well, help!

 

[firemath]

You have to use every symbol?

 

[deemve]

Yes and only once. This making me nuts. Its part of a game and i know i solved it once before, years ago, but now it is aggravating me. Maybe i'm just getting old ?

 

[firemath]

Ugh.. this is making me crazy as well.

I even went so far as to figure out every single times table combination of the numbers......

 

[Romsek]

It's certainly possible, even likely!, that I've made an error, but I've thrown together a Mathematica sheet that comes up with every meaningful combination of these numbers and symbols and evaluates it.

None of them evaluated to True.

 

[firemath]

It's certainly possible, even likely!, that I've made an error, but I've thrown together a Mathematica sheet that comes up with every meaningful combination of these numbers and symbols and evaluates it.

None of them evaluated to True.

Oh dear. I hope that's not the case. Thanks for the data though...

I keep on trying to make the equation use [MATH]14/2[/MATH], because that's the only even number combo in there, but I don't think that's right.

 

[Romsek]

I can post all the combos if you like.

I did manufacture some test strings that evaluated to True, so the thing works at least in some sense.

 

[firemath]

I, for one, would like to see the combinations. And I'm also glad to see that the problem works in some way or another.?‍?

 

[Romsek]

too big to post

 

[firemath]

So it appears that there are many ways. Thanks, @Romsek.

 

[Dr.Peterson]

I have a math puzzler I cant figure out! I have the following numbers: 2, 5, 14, 33 and 39 and the symbols for multiplication, division and subtraction and the equals symbol. Havt to use each of those things only once into an equation that works. I was an English major, not math so this is bugging me. Can anyone help me out? I know this shouldn’t be that hard but, well, help!

Are you allowed to use parentheses? I thought I had found an answer, but I had a symbol wrong.

 

[Romsek]

Are you allowed to use parentheses? I thought I had found an answer, but I had a symbol wrong.

If you are allowed to use parens and they are not included in the symbol list then this problem is terrible.

 

[firemath]

Who said "not too difficult?"

 

[deemve]

MY BAD!!!!!
Okay, so i didn't have my contacts in when i glanced at this and i wrote it down from memory which was WRONG. it isn't asking for a division symbol, but a PLUS SIGN. This simplifies it enormously. Sorry about that. still wouldn't mind the solution. Lazy.

 

[Dr.Peterson]

Well, then, the solution I got works (with some rearrangement), because I'd added where I needed a multiplication ...

How about [MATH]5\times 14 = 39 + 33 - 2[/MATH]? or, if you prefer, [MATH]5\times 14 + 2 - 33 = 39[/MATH]. Or other variations.

 

[deemve]

Thank you! This came from a puzzle game for Sony Playstation 3 called Tumble which is an amazingly good physics puzzler with some super challenging levels. on math levels you have to arrange blocks into a correct equation (see image). I highly recommend this game but its almost impossible to get any more but if anyone is interested i'll tell you how to get it

 

[Otis]

… it isn't asking for a division symbol, but a PLUS SIGN …

I've read ÷ as + more than once. It's an issue, particularly when looking at copies of copies of copies.

\(\;\)

 

[Romsek]

[MATH]\left( \begin{array}{c} \text{2+5*14-33==39} \\ \text{2+5*14-39==33} \\ \text{2+14*5-33==39} \\ \text{2+14*5-39==33} \\ \text{2-33+5*14==39} \\ \text{2==33-5*14+39} \\ \text{2-33+14*5==39} \\ \text{2==33-14*5+39} \\ \text{2==33+39-5*14} \\ \text{2==33+39-14*5} \\ \text{2-39+5*14==33} \\ \text{2==39-5*14+33} \\ \text{2-39+14*5==33} \\ \text{2==39-14*5+33} \\ \text{2==39+33-5*14} \\ \text{2==39+33-14*5} \\ \text{5*14+2-33==39} \\ \text{5*14+2-39==33} \\ \text{5*14-33+2==39} \\ \text{5*14==33-2+39} \\ \text{5*14==33+39-2} \\ \text{5*14-39+2==33} \\ \text{5*14==39-2+33} \\ \text{5*14==39+33-2} \\ \text{14*5+2-33==39} \\ \text{14*5+2-39==33} \\ \text{14*5-33+2==39} \\ \text{14*5==33-2+39} \\ \text{14*5==33+39-2} \\ \text{14*5-39+2==33} \\ \text{14*5==39-2+33} \\ \text{14*5==39+33-2} \\ \text{33==2+5*14-39} \\ \text{33==2+14*5-39} \\ \text{33-2+39==5*14} \\ \text{33==2-39+5*14} \\ \text{33-2+39==14*5} \\ \text{33==2-39+14*5} \\ \text{33==5*14+2-39} \\ \text{33-5*14+39==2} \\ \text{33==5*14-39+2} \\ \text{33==14*5+2-39} \\ \text{33-14*5+39==2} \\ \text{33==14*5-39+2} \\ \text{33+39-2==5*14} \\ \text{33+39-2==14*5} \\ \text{33+39-5*14==2} \\ \text{33+39-14*5==2} \\ \text{39==2+5*14-33} \\ \text{39==2+14*5-33} \\ \text{39-2+33==5*14} \\ \text{39==2-33+5*14} \\ \text{39-2+33==14*5} \\ \text{39==2-33+14*5} \\ \text{39==5*14+2-33} \\ \text{39-5*14+33==2} \\ \text{39==5*14-33+2} \\ \text{39==14*5+2-33} \\ \text{39-14*5+33==2} \\ \text{39==14*5-33+2} \\ \text{39+33-2==5*14} \\ \text{39+33-2==14*5} \\ \text{39+33-5*14==2} \\ \text{39+33-14*5==2} \\ \end{array} \right)[/MATH]