Maths problem

[Iain]

For all th4e budding engineers and mathematicians figure this one out.
Use exactly four 9s and any number of arithmathic or higher level math operations to make numbers from 1 to 20.
Example
1=(9+9)/(9+9)
7=(9+9+sqrt9)/(sqrt9)

[Wongo]

Iain,

Although I think that the “square root” operation does not meet the conditions (it is equivalent to the power of ½ and we can only use 9s), otherwise here is my attempt.

Scott

[RETIRED]

Some people have to much time on their hands?

Clever buggers. Maths was never my forte.

[DaveInOz]

Hey Wongo, wanna do my tax for me?

[Zed]

is the word "geek" or "nerd" more appropriate here ?

calculators and spreadsheets do it for me....:D :D :D :D

[DaveInOz]

Careful Zed, concentrate on what your doing rather than try to pull down your mental superiors. Remember one slip of the saw and you'll only be able to count to 9.

[silentC]

It reminds me of most of the maths they made us do in high school. All very interesting but difficult to see what possible use it is to anyone ;)

[Wongo]

Not a lot but it is fun:D

[silentC]

Wongo mate, I can see that I am going to have to sit you down and explain the meaning of the word 'fun' to you.

Messing about with wood 'n stuff in your shed is fun.
Playing cricket in your backyard with a lump of 4x2 and a tennis ball is fun.
Chatting up some bird at the pub you have no chance with is fun (although getting sprung by your wife is NOT fun).
Swimming in the ocean is fun.
Riding a motorbike is fun.

Maths, in any shape or form, is NOT, repeat, NOT fun.

Now get out there and have fun, Professor Frink.

[DaveInOz]

SilentC,
You forgot baiting people, especially on BBs, or is that just fun for bastards like me. :D

[silentC]

shhh, Dave, you'll give the game away...:rolleyes:

[Sturdee]

Darren,

Untill recently I used to do number crunching for a living and I enjoyed it. In fact I always thought I had fun whilst working ( except on " ladies" days of the golf club I used to work ) so what do I do now.

Peter.

[silentC]

Peter,

I'm sorry, but I think you're a lost cause mate!!

:D

[Zed]

please see my previous post.
:confused:

[Ben from Vic.]

Nicely done Wongo,

I don't see any reply from Ian here, he probably doesn't know the answer. :D

Of course I don't have any idea either :D


Ben.


1+1=3

[Iain]

I haven't been around, anyway, everyone knows that the 'Real' answer is 49.
1+1=3 uummmmm, sounds a bit like my accountant.;)

[silentC]

Actually, I think you'll find it's 42 ;)

[Iain]

Obviously, it's time I read the book again, or improve my memory:confused:
Thankyou for your concern......... now wheres the bloody prozac?

[silentC]

My wife bought me these 'Mega Memory' tablets to try to improve my short term memory, which is shocking. Only trouble is, I forget to take them. Oh, the irony....

[Wongo]

For those who don’t know the use of Maths. Here is a little testimony.

I received a phone call from a girl who I coached (computer, maths, physics) from her year 10 to year 12. She rang to let me know that she got 95 in her Higher School Certificate (That is the top 6% in NSW).

So I went over to visit her and looked at her report. The result was very impressive. She and her parents kept on thanking me the whole time and I was feeling a little embarrassed. I am so proud of her and I know that she had studied very hard to achieve this.

Through Mathematics she learns how to think and solve problems. She is now enrolled in a very good course in University and I wish her all the best for her future.

BTW, there is a lot maths in woodworking, don’t you think?
:rolleyes:

[silentC]

I think that says more about the method of determining entry into higher education than it does about the usefulness of some of the more arcane forms of mathematics, Wongo....

Good on her though: she's made the system work for her, which is really what it's all about in the end and good on you for helping her get there :)

Let's hope she's going to do something useful with it ;)

[Wongo]

SilentC,

Not having a go at you mate but I think you need to shake off that “If I don’t need to know anything about calculus to do my grocery shopping then Mathematics is useless” mindset.

There is a good reason why they teach it in kindergarten, primary school, high school and university.
;)

[silentC]

Wongo,

I actually did very well in maths at school, my best subject as a matter of fact. Also managed to do well in Stats and Linear Programming at uni. However I think that there are better tests of a person's aptitude than their ability to solve mathemathical problems. In fact I've worked with a few "geniuses" who have a surprising inability to apply their intellect intuitively.

In any case, I wasn't having a go at maths in general, just some of it. My original dig was related specifically to the numbers problem at the head of this thread. I use the concepts of mathematics every day. I'm a computer programmer and that's what we do.

I certainly don't think maths is fun but that's a personal preference. I do think that there is a level of maths that everyone should be taught. I don't think that higher maths should have such a heavy weighting in matriculation.