05 Oct 07
Originally posted by sonhouseThe problem with your answer is not that its negative (if anyone can get below zero then I imagine that would win) but thwe question quite clearly stipulates using the numbers 1-9. That is different to using the digits 1-9.
Exactly how does that violate the requirements of the first post? A negative number is lower than zero in ANYONE's maths book. I can't help it if he defined the problem inexactly. If he wanted the series end to be exaclty zero he should have specified that. There was no such specification, therefore any negative number is a valid answer.
He specified, and ...[text shortened]... lowest number you can get to?"
Hey, so I am lawyering up, that's what logic is all about🙂
05 Oct 07
Originally posted by wolfgang59You lost me on that one. What is the difference between numbers and digits? They sound like the same beast to me.
The problem with your answer is not that its negative (if anyone can get below zero then I imagine that would win) but thwe question quite clearly stipulates using the numbers 1-9. That is different to using the digits 1-9.
06 Oct 07
Originally posted by sonhouseTwo numbers - one and four.
You lost me on that one. What is the difference between numbers and digits? They sound like the same beast to me.
Two digits 1 and 4
You can put the two digits together and get 14 (fourteen), you can't get that result with two numbers (one and four = five). Getit?
The digit one (1) means different numbers depending on where it's at. For example - 1 means one, 10 makes the '1' mean ten, 100 make the '1' mean one-hundred etc. It's the same digit - but very different numbers.
And anyway - if going by your rules ... why didn't you just subtract 987654321?
06 Oct 07
Originally posted by sonhouseAnother way of thinking about difference of numbers and digits is to consider problem in another base.
You lost me on that one. What is the difference between numbers and digits? They sound like the same beast to me.
ie same problem using base 2 would involve using only numbers 1, 10, 11, 100, 101, 110, 111, 1000 and 1001 and you can see that the clever solutions using digits are invalid.
The difference between number and digit is a difficult concept for kids. They will often say add a 2 to 1 to make 12, some teachers use the same incorrect language which further confuses them. For instance my pet hate: "to multiply by 10 just add a zero" !!!
06 Oct 07
Originally posted by sonhouseOh, I had no problem with the negatives, I beat your score on that one :p
Exactly how does that violate the requirements of the first post? A negative number is lower than zero in ANYONE's maths book. I can't help it if he defined the problem inexactly. If he wanted the series end to be exaclty zero he should have specified that. There was no such specification, therefore any negative number is a valid answer.
He specified, and ...[text shortened]... lowest number you can get to?"
Hey, so I am lawyering up, that's what logic is all about🙂
My problem was with the following:
"1E6 /5=200,000/8=25,000/4=6250/2=3125-(97631)=-94506"
1,000,000 = -94506 ? I sure hope not!
Sadly, students do this all too often. You meant it well, but what you typed is simply wrong 🙂
07 Oct 07
Originally posted by TheMaster37I hate when my students do that too.
Oh, I had no problem with the negatives, I beat your score on that one :p
My problem was with the following:
"1E6 /5=200,000/8=25,000/4=6250/2=3125-(97631)=-94506"
1,000,000 = -94506 ? I sure hope not!
Sadly, students do this all too often. You meant it well, but what you typed is simply wrong 🙂
Oh and... I STILL WIN!
07 Oct 07
Originally posted by TheMaster37Well none of the answers would be right in that logic, 1,000,000=11? What's the dif between that and 1,000,000=-94000?
Oh, I had no problem with the negatives, I beat your score on that one :p
My problem was with the following:
"1E6 /5=200,000/8=25,000/4=6250/2=3125-(97631)=-94506"
1,000,000 = -94506 ? I sure hope not!
Sadly, students do this all too often. You meant it well, but what you typed is simply wrong 🙂