From: rhinoceros (rhinoceros@freemail.gr)
Date: Sat May 22 2004 - 09:33:43 MDT
[rhinoceros 1]
I saw no answer to how you can combine eight 8s to form the number 700, using only the eight 8s, the +-*/ signs and parentheses. If nobody finds an answer by tomorrow this is automatically declared a "TDCoV problem" (Too Difficult for the Church of Virus).
[rhinoceros]
Update: It was not "technically" a TDCoV problem after all. I received a solution from an unnamed lurking virian, which proves that we do have the potential...
<begin quote>
Solution:
88 * 8 - (8 + 8 + 8 + 8) / 8
Methodology:
I began by considering "888 - n" where the result of n would have to equal 188, and to generate the 188 started by exploring the power series (i.e. 8, 64, 512, 4096). I realized this was a false path as it would take too many of the eights. So I tried "88 * 8", yielding 704, which I immediately observed left the trivial problem of finding a means of providing a result of 4 while consuming 5 eights. Combining the two made for the above.
While the BODMAS precedence rules allow for 'most terse' expression of solutions, I personally prefer and encourage the use of a more explicit (and computer friendly) articulation reflecting the precedence clustering, e.g.:
(88 * 8) - ((8 + 8 + 8 + 8) / 8)
My actual notes (I used a text editor) during the "hunt":
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
888 - 188
188 =
8 * 8 * 8 * 8 = 4096
8 * 8 * 8 = 512
8 * 8 = 64
88 * 8 = 704
Writing this note and explaining the method used took much longer than finding the solution... as is so often the case.
<unnamed virian's greeting>
<unnamed virian's signature>
<end quote>
[rhinoceros]
I take notice of the last comment which may be of some value regarding "how we think".
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