New longs: GMCR (53.50)
New shorts: NFLX (45.30)
This kid came up to me and gave me this math riddle. I spent an hour on it last night and I still couldn’t solve it. I feel like backhanding him. Anyway, if you know the answer, let me know because I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t get it.
Use the numbers 2 3 5 8 to equal 36.
- You can only use x / + –
- You can only use each number once
- You can use them in any order
So far I’ve got every other number possible. I used 5^2 +8 + 3 = 36, but apparently that’s cheating.
Just testing the waters here on NFLX and GMCR. Both are near their 52-highs. NFLX looks more toppy with that double top, while GMCR has increasing volume. Both are at 1/2 positions. My next entry to short NFLX is under 40. This is my second play on GMCR in the past 3 months.
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23+5+8=36
I don’t think you can do that. haha. I’ll be pissed if that is the answer. I think you have to use 4 numbers, not 3.
I’m trying to use factorials for fun.
HLF looks interesting today.
(8-2)^(5-3) yay
gio if a kid asked you,
23+5+8 = 36 seems right.
especially if you couldnt figure out any other way. you got clowned lol.
23 + 5 + 8. ‘jam’ is right.
Typical little riddle which gets you to assume something that is not true (in this case that each integer has to be used on its own).
As the kids say nowadays, you got pawned.
oh hell nah! I was just about finished making tables.
I’m trying to reverse-engineer it. I figured
36/5 = 7.2
36/8 = 4.5
thus, if I get a fraction to equal those I can solve it. The closest I got was 4.8 and 7.5. Grrrrr. I’m gonna beat this kid up.
3 2 5 8 = 3 6
3 2 (8-5) = 3 6
3 2 3 = 3 6
3 (2×3) = 3 6
3 6 = 3 6
hahaha. now that was cool. i would have never thought of it that way.
Anyone else notice CPKI is one spicy pizza? I’m gonna order me some. new 52-high.
Does it have something to do with Fibonacci #?
36 = 34+2
34 = 21+13 = 8+13+13 = 8+5+8+5+8+8 = 3+5+5+3+5+5+3+5+3+5 =
Doubledown got it
He got it only inasmuch as ‘jam’ got it.
Gio’s original problem statement says that using exponentiation is ‘cheating’.
Yeah, i glanced over the rules. Trying to figure it out now, but those numbers are the first few fibinocci’s
How old was this kid?
Did the kid ever say the numbers are all single digit based, if not then buddy’s interpretation of it seems right. The only other way I have seen this work is by cheating and you would have to use the 2 twice. [(5-2)(3×8)/(2)]=36.
I have gone through every possible combination and here is the closest that I have gotten:
5*8-3-2 = 35
8+5*3-2 = 37
((-2/3)+8)*5 = 36.66
unless you count:
23+5+8 = 36
As a side note: there are 136 unique solutions.
Does this riddle have anything to do with cosmic numbers? 4 = four, 4 letters…
Here is a riddle that a Hedge Fund manager asked me last week and i still can’t figure it out. Maybe one of you guys can help..
Riddle: You have 10 balls and they all look the same. One of the balls weighs either more or less than the other 9, but the other 9 are of equal weight. You have a scale and 3 chances to determine which ball is different from the rest. How so? The manager told me that this is a probability question.
My solutuion was to break the balls into 2 groups A and B, each group has 5 balls, & for sakes A>B. Split group B, which weighs less into 2 groups, B1 and B2. B1 has 3 balls and B2 has 2 balls, so we must borrow a ball from A and add it to group B2. We determine that B1>B2, so we take group B2 which consist of 3 balls. BB1, BB2 & BB3. We find BB1=BB2, so we can assume BB3 is the ball thats different from the rest.
–THIS SOLUTION IS WRONG BECUASE YOU DONT KNOW IF THE BALL WEIGHS MORE OR LESS, so why not assume that group A is holding the lighter ball.
Ooooo. thanx for the balls riddle. i’ll play with this one tonight.
..yeah, that came out really weird. lol.
I think i can solve the 2358 riddle. When I was showering, I figured, given four numbers…
abxy
a / [y – (b/x)]
…gives me a new set of numbers to work with. a big number divided by a small number equals a bigger number. So exciting!
Separate them into 3 groups.
Weigh the first two groups. If they are equal its one in the last group.
Weigh two of the three balls in the last group. If they weigh the same its the last one. If they weigh different amounts, weigh one against the other one in that group.
——————————————————–
If the first two groups weigh different amounts, weigh one group against the last group. At this point you have one more try but you know whether the ball is heavier or lighter. Weigh two balls from the lighter or heavier group and you have your answer.
Could it be something like this:
(8-5)3*2 = 3*6
those who are truely successful at math in every form have the potential to be great at anything and everything. “.” because its rhetorical
Re: yeomps
There are way more than 136 unique combinations.
You have 4 numbers, that cannot be re-used.
You have 4 operators that CAN be re-used.
You also have to factor in that you are allowed to use parenthesis – the maximum possible is 2 sets, yielding 3 combinations parenthesis.
I suck at permutations and combinations but I know there has got to be at least thousands of combinations possible.
Dr. Incognito is right except 3 groups of 3 is 9 leaving one more of the 10. so if the first 2 groups balance, than match 3 good against any 3 of the 4 left. if match it is the last remaining. if not, you know whether it is heavier, proceed as above.
Actually if the three groups of three weigh the same then its obviously ball number 10…
yes! (“if match it is the last remaining”)