anyone good at maths

[SW31]

my daughter has brought home some maths homework & it has beaten me need help

homework was to work out 1 - 30 only using numbers 1,2,3,& 4 done all except no 29 any ideas will be much appeachiated cause i said it can,t be done.

you can only add,subbtract or multiply

eg 2+3 x 4 = 20 ect

thanks

[AndyK]

Can you use the numbers 1, 2, 3 & 4 only once each?

Or is (2+3) x (4+2) -1 acceptable?

[Monstro]

1+1+1+1+1....you get the picture

[SW31]

Can you use the numbers 1, 2, 3 & 4 only once each?

Or is (2+3) x (4+2) -1 acceptable?


only once
1+1+1+1+1....you get the picture

lol

[angelica]

my daughter has brought home some maths homework & it has beaten me need help

homework was to work out 1 - 30 only using numbers 1,2,3,& 4 done all except no 29 any ideas will be much appeachiated cause i said it can,t be done.

you can only add,subbtract or multiply

eg 2+3 x 4 = 20 ect

thanks

You can also use divide - i've tried on and off all day to solve it, no luck yet! And this is a nine year olds homework!

[LucyK!]

The most I can make is 26...isn't 29 one of those numberse that can only be divided by 29 and 1? Therefore it has no multiples so it can't be done given that you don't have enough numbers to do it by adding

[Monstro]

prime number

[LucyK!]

That's the one, I knew it wasn't a square number but the other one...couldn't remember what "other one" was lol

[duke knooby]

it dead easy if you can square the numbers...

[AndyK]

Even easier if you can cube them

[duke knooby]

3 cubed plus 2... brilliant... lol

[Betty]

(4-1)³+2


:shrug: I´m overchallenged

[angelica]

sorry you ca'nt square numbers or cube them. Wish you could!

[duke knooby]

says who??? did it say you can't?? course not

[Battybarb]

cant help,sorry but how hard for a nine year old

[AndyK]

Could it be that 29 doesn't have a solution using only the numbers 1, 2, 3 & 4? I've asked some of the maths gurus here at work (these are people who talk in numbers not English) and they can't come up with a solution.

[meatloaf-unofficial]

I have maths next so I'll ask my higher maths teacher :-) if it is possible to create 29 out of numbers using them once.

She'll be able to work it out I'm sure or give us clues ot something....
WIll let you know if I get anything... Hope this helps
Ross

[Monstro]

Can just imagine the kid going into school..

"Your parents help with this?"

"No miss"

"Anyone help you with this?"

"No miss"

"So how come MLUKFC has fallen twenty places in the website inteligence ratings?"

"Don't know miss"

[mszee]

Andy's answer looks good to me?

[mszee]

7x4+1?

[SW31]

7x4+1?

how do you make the 7

[mszee]

how do you make the 7

2+5?

[AndyK]

how do you make the 7

2+5?

and where do you get the 5 from

[mszee]

and where do you get the 5 from

From my butt...I got it now...all simple numbers, oh well...today it's busy at work...

[mszee]

Can you do to the power?

[mszee]

If yes, then I am not sure but I think 2 to the fifth power (don't know how to write it here) minus 3
works

[AndyK]

I think Chris and Angelica said that we could only use + - x and / i.e. no powers ... certainly when I was 9 I wasn't learning that sort of maths functions ... then again that was before they invented calculators! :p

[Monstro]

I think Chris and Angelica said that we could only use + - x and / i.e. no powers ... certainly when I was 9 I wasn't learning that sort of maths functions ... then again that was before they invented calculators! :p

was before they invented the biro wasn't it?

[AndyK]

was before they invented the biro wasn't it?

Nah ... they invented that in the years between you starting and me starting.

[angelica]

Sorry no powers can be used! Not even sure what that is - you've lost me now folks. Actually was never very good at maths - why could'nt she bring english homework home, i'm good at that!

[AndyK]

5x7-2x3

Zina ... you can only use the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 and only once each.

[mszee]

Zina ... you can only use the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 and only once each.

I don't know whatcha talking about

[angelica]

5x7-2x3

sorry zina only 1 2 3 4 can be used you would have to make the seven out of those numbers and those numbers can only be used once

[angelica]

you beat me to it Andy!

[mszee]

This is my last try...I give up then...

3x5x2-1

[AndyK]

:lol: which part of you can only use the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 allows 5 to be used in the sum :lmao:

[mszee]

If I understand it correctly...you can use only 1,2 and 3...which is not possible to make 29 from, is it?

[mszee]

:lol: which part of you can only use the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 allows 5 to be used in the sum :lmao:

Go away

I finally got it but that's again 1 2 and 3 isn't it?

[AndyK]

Go away


No! I like it here :p

I'm still convinced that there isn't a soluition for 29.

[mszee]

I always knew that Brits are weird

[angelica]

No! I like it here :p

I'm still convinced that there isn't a soluition for 29.

I agree!

[angelica]

I always knew that Brits are weird

Pardon! Zina!!!!!

[mszee]

Pardon! Zina!!!!!

Especially YOU...:raspberry:

[angelica]

Especially YOU...:raspberry:

yep you could be right :D

[mszee]

yep you could be right :D

I think there is a flaw in the problem as posted by Chris...do you think you can copy the problem exactly the way it's assigned?

[duke knooby]

yeah, the problem is we don't know the answer

[angelica]

Erm no cos it was explained verbally, all we've got is a piece of paper with the numbers on, but basically you have to make the numbers 1-30 out of only using the numbers 1234 and using add subtract divide and multiply. Hope it helps

[angelica]

yeah, the problem is we don't know the answer

LOL:lol:

[duke knooby]

got it... 32-4+1

[angelica]

Jonty go away!

[mszee]

Erm no cos it was explained verbally, all we've got is a piece of paper with the numbers on, but basically you have to make the numbers 1-30 out of only using the numbers 1234 and using add subtract divide and multiply. Hope it helps

Thanks...now I understand what Chris posted...:lmao:

[duke knooby]

ahh c'mon.. it fits... think like a 9 year old

[AndyK]

ahh c'mon.. it fits... think like a 9 year old

We are doing ... we're all online chatting to friends rather than doing something productive!

[duke knooby]

We are doing ... we're all online chatting to friends rather than doing something productive!

something productive lol, i read about that (i think) years ago.. must try it sometime

[Lord Kagan]

something destructive? best way to go

[SamCat]

Have we found out the answer yet? Its still bugging me!!

[mszee]

Have we found out the answer yet? Its still bugging me!!

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[duke knooby]

the answer is 29 ;)

[angelica]

Have we found out the answer yet? Its still bugging me!!

No sorry!! Its bugging us too. Will have to see the teacher i think. will let you know answer asap! :?

[AndyK]

Therte's a guy at work got a Phd in Maths, I know he's in the office tomorrow so I'll collar him on important matters ;-)

[angelica]

Therte's a guy at work got a Phd in Maths, I know he's in the office tomorrow so I'll collar him on important matters ;-)

Thanks Andy hope he can help!!

[Monstro]

I thought we'd agreed it couldn't be done?

[AndyK]

I thought we'd agreed it couldn't be done?

I think we're all pretty confident that it can't be done, I'm of that opinion anyway, but it's that final verfication that's needed.

[Monstro]

Kids, teachers, homework, thought I'd left all that wayyyyyy behind!!!!!

[AndyK]

All those mornings when the cat ate your homework are coming back to haunt you :))

[AndyK]

OK.

The finest mathematical minds in our company agree with me, there is no solution for 29 that they can come up with, they did start talking about differentiating logarthmic integrated powers, but I just shut the door on them and left them to it.

[Monstro]

Keep 'em occupied for hours that lol

[AndyK]

Keep 'em occupied for hours that lol

They'll be there all weekend creating mathematical models, algorithms and software, I could have crippled our overtime budget for the year :))

[mszee]

I have to admit...I talked to mathematicians too after I've failed here so miserably...nobody has the answer...so I guess we have to wait for the teacher...

Chris, Angelica...you better not make us wait...or else!!! :lmao:

[SW31]

Kids, teachers, homework, thought I'd left all that wayyyyyy behind!!!!!

ah but you still got it all to come again lol

[Monstro]

ah but you still got it all to come again lol

You know something I don't?

[SW31]

a wee small one called casey i belive

[Monstro]

<<heart rate returns to normal lol