Brain Teasers
5+2+1=8
Cryptography
In Cryptography teasers, a phrase or expressions has been encoded in some way (frequently by replacing letters with other letters). You need to figure out the encoding method and then decode the message to find the answer.Cryptography
In the equation FIVE+TWO+ONE=EIGHT, each letter represents a different digit. Can you figure out which letter is which digit?
The numbers cannot begin with 0, i.e. none of F, T, O, and E can be 0.
Since the solution is not unique, a restriction is added: the product FIVE*TWO*ONE must be the greatest value possible.
The numbers cannot begin with 0, i.e. none of F, T, O, and E can be 0.
Since the solution is not unique, a restriction is added: the product FIVE*TWO*ONE must be the greatest value possible.
Hint
Start from the first digits, then the last digits.Answer
First, there are ten different letters in this equation: E, F, G, H, I, N, O, T, V, W. Therefore, every digit from 0 to 9 is used.Obviously E=1 and I=0. Hence IVE+TWO+ONE<2000, and F=9.
The remaining digits are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. The ones digits read 1+O+1=T, hence T=O+2, and there's no carrying from the ones digits to the tens digits.
The tens digits read V+W+N=H. Because the letters V, W, N all appear only once in the equation at the tens digits, they are interchangeable. Since 2+3+4=9>8 and 6+7+8=21<22, the tens digits carry one to the hundreds digits. Hence V+W+N=10+H, or H=(V+W+N+H)/2-5.
Now we have FI+T+O+1=EIG, or 90+T+(T-2)+1=100+G, or G=2*T-11. From the digits 2 through 8 we can have T=7, G=3 or T=8, G=5.
If T=7, G=3, then O=5. But then we'll have H=(V+W+N+H)/2-5=(2+4+6+8)/2-5=5, which is occupied by O.
If T=8, G=5, then O=6, H=(V+W+N+H)/2-5=(2+3+4+7)/2-5=3, and V, W, N are 2, 4, 7 in some order.
Finally, since we want the largest product FIVE*TWO*ONE possible, and the sum FIVE+TWO+ONE=EIGHT=10538 is fixed, we need the least possible difference between them. Hence FIVE=9021, TWO=846, ONE=671.
We have 9021+846+671=10538 and 9021*846*671=5120914986, which is the greatest product possible.
Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
Math and I are not friends, therefore I didn't get the answer. I do however feel obligated to commend you on your teaser!!
Good job! Made my head spin PEACE
Good job! Made my head spin PEACE
Wow, that took a bit but it was fun. Keep them coming!
math is not big subject
Good questinon - unfortunately I did not have the time available to solving it.
It seems that most people are not good at maths - I am sure that you could devisee a question that is fun but solvable by more people.
Thanks again
It seems that most people are not good at maths - I am sure that you could devisee a question that is fun but solvable by more people.
Thanks again
Why does E=1 and I=0? That is not obvious
Jan 26, 2006
Wow I loved that one. And I got the answer too!!
This is my favorite kind of teaser
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!