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Topic: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e (Read 1273 times) |
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pcbouhid
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2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« on: Nov 20th, 2005, 12:23pm » |
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These are the initials decimals of pi and e:
Decimals of pi: 1415926535897932384626433832795...
Decimals of e : 7182818284590452353602874713526...
Without rearranging the order of the digits, add any quantity of parentheses and arithmetic signs +, -, *, / (with same manner in both line) so that to make correct arithmetic expressions equally to 2003, using the least possible number of symbols. You have to use the digits starting from the left one, and the same numbers of digits in each case.
Example for number 11, using the first 5 digits:
- (1 * 4) + 1 + 5 + 9 = 11
- (7 * 1) + 8 + 2 + 8 = 11
These two expression contains, at its left size, 12 symbols (5 digits, 2 parentheses and 5 arithmetic signs).
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| « Last Edit: Nov 20th, 2005, 2:14pm by pcbouhid » |
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JohanC
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #1 on: Nov 20th, 2005, 1:11pm » |
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I'm perplex. Only 12 digits/21 symbols?
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JocK
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #2 on: Nov 20th, 2005, 1:47pm » |
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on Nov 20th, 2005, 1:11pm, JohanC wrote:| I'm perplex. Only 12 digits/21 symbols? |
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What is meant, I think, is 12 symbols on the LHS of each of the example equations...
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| « Last Edit: Nov 20th, 2005, 1:50pm by JocK » |
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solving abstract problems is like sex: it may occasionally have some practical use, but that is not why we do it.
xy - y = x5 - y4 - y3 = 20; x>0, y>0.
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pcbouhid
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #3 on: Nov 20th, 2005, 2:12pm » |
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Right, Jock!
Iīm back. In the bath I realize what you are saying. What a small world, isnīt JohanC?
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| « Last Edit: Nov 20th, 2005, 2:25pm by pcbouhid » |
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JohanC
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #4 on: Nov 20th, 2005, 3:19pm » |
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Indeed.
I get the impression that it is only solvable writing some quite special-purpose computer program.
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pcbouhid
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #5 on: Nov 20th, 2005, 4:29pm » |
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Donīt you think thatīs easier to cut and paste?
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Barukh
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #6 on: Nov 21st, 2005, 12:45am » |
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Can you stick the digits together to form a multi-digit number?
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pcbouhid
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #7 on: Nov 21st, 2005, 2:16am » |
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Yes, Barukh, you can take for example, when using pi, the number 14 or 141, etc...
Iīll write here, the number of digits you have to use (if you need a hint):12
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Barukh
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #8 on: Nov 21st, 2005, 11:36pm » |
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2003 = 7 * (18 * 2 - 8 + 18) + 2 * 845 - 9 = 1 * (41 * 5 - 9 + 26) + 5 * 358 - 9,
and I agree with JohanC about the approach to the solution.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 21st, 2005, 11:39pm by Barukh » |
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JohanC
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #9 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 1:09am » |
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Another approach is using Google, which leads you to a forum called perplexus.info, and which besides your solution also lists a solution using the same number of "symbols", but one digit more:
1 * 4 + 1 * 59 * 2 - 6 + 5 * 358 + 97 = 2003
7 * 1 + 8 * 28 * 1 - 8 + 2 * 845 + 90 = 2003
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pcbouhid
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #10 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 9:34am » |
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Barukh, now you can realize what JohanC were saying. Look at his comment, and look at the name of the site.
BTW JohanC, you know who I am, are you JC? My impression is reinforced by your comment about using a computer.
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Barukh
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #11 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 11:39am » |
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pcbouhid, I didn't know about this portal, but I did have a "special purpose" software which I wrote a year a so ago for a no less difficult problem posted here.
I don't get the connection beetween JohanC's original remark and the name of that site. However, I do see what you meant by writing:
on Nov 20th, 2005, 4:29pm, pcbouhid wrote:| Donīt you think thatīs easier to cut and paste? |
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By the way, this perplexus.info site looks intriguing! Who is running it? How would you compare it to this forum?
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JohanC
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #12 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 11:48am » |
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Hi, Pcbouhid,
There are many JCs in the world, but I'm not the JC you knew before.
It's always interesting to know one JC more.
Do you think it is coincidence so many well-known people share the same initials? (Jesus Chirst, John Cleese, Julius Caesar, Jimmy Carter, ...)
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towr
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #13 on: Nov 22nd, 2005, 12:17pm » |
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on Nov 22nd, 2005, 11:39am, Barukh wrote:| I don't get the connection beetween JohanC's original remark and the name of that site. |
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He was perplex, the site is perplexus.. Seems like that might be a connection.. 
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| « Last Edit: Nov 22nd, 2005, 12:26pm by towr » |
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pcbouhid
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #14 on: Nov 23rd, 2005, 4:59am » |
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First, to towr: obviously thereīs a connection. JohanC knows me from that site, perplexus.info, where Iīm a regular contributor. The JC Iīm reffering to, I knew there, and heīs out a long time. In that site, in most of the problems I submit I always ask to not use a computer. Coincidence his comment about using a computer? I donīt think so.
Barukh, perplexus.info itīs a good British site, run by Levik. It was the first site I knew, and it has some, letīs say, facilities, that we donīt have here. I made a suggestion to this site, but Icarus told me that WW was too busy for any changes now. In Perplexus.info, we donīt receive an email to knew about any new comment in one problem. We simply "put" in what is called "my watch list" the problems that we want to follow. Thus, after entering the site, all we need to do is first see if there is a new problem "in the air", and then consult our "watch list" to see if anything new happenened with the problems in it.
In Perplexus, the users can submit as much as problems as they want, that enter in a queue (today there are about 300 problems in the queue), but before one problem is released, it is analyzed by a group called Journeyman, that votes YES or NO (one problem must receive 3 YES), after a discussion that you can follow if you are the submitter, even to clarify the text, etc...
And, also in Perplexus, the problems are classified in cathegories, like "just math", "logic", cryptography", "word problems", "riddles", "calculus" etc... and there are 5 levels of difficulty (from 1 to 5).
I think that you (and towr) should take a look. Itīs a very good site, and I made some good friends there (Iīm brazilian).
Finally, Iīm sure that JohanC itīs that JC, but I donīt know why heīs hidding himself. Even his last comment makes me more sure.
Feel free to make any more questions.
Cheers,
Paulo
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| « Last Edit: Nov 23rd, 2005, 5:08am by pcbouhid » |
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towr
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #15 on: Nov 23rd, 2005, 5:26am » |
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I've been to that site a few times a long while ago. But I failed to keep track of it. It didn't really appeal to me for some reason.
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JocK
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #16 on: Nov 23rd, 2005, 10:32am » |
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on Nov 23rd, 2005, 5:26am, towr wrote:| It didn't really appeal to me for some reason. |
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I think I can guess what that reason was...
Just tried to visit www.perplexus.info. This instantly activated my pop-up blocker. Strangely enough one pop-up came through, and my browser crashed...
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solving abstract problems is like sex: it may occasionally have some practical use, but that is not why we do it.
xy - y = x5 - y4 - y3 = 20; x>0, y>0.
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Some people are average, some are just mean.
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Re: 2003 - an odissey with pi and e
« Reply #17 on: Nov 23rd, 2005, 1:57pm » |
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on Nov 23rd, 2005, 10:32am, JocK wrote:I think I can guess what that reason was...
Just tried to visit www.perplexus.info. This instantly activated my pop-up blocker. Strangely enough one pop-up came through, and my browser crashed...
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That wasn't the case then, I think.
But it's certainly an offputting 'feature'.
The one that got through might be from a flash exploit. Advertisers have found a few new ways to popup ads lately. But banning the ad servers it comes from should work.
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