c4countdown

Right, I've just come up with the following solution for a numbers game.

((75 x 25 - 1) x 50)) / 100 = 937

If I were on the programme, would this be allowed, or would I have to declare the answer to each part of the sum?

I.e. 75 x 25 = 1875.
1875 - 1 = 1874...

I mean, 30 seconds is certainly enough time to work out 75 x 25, but if I only saw this solution at the last minute, I'd be stuck. Could someone shed some light on the matter?

I stretched the rules a bit on this, but I think it depends how lenient Carol feels, which probably depends on how drunk she is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XQo6PwS358

He seems to get away with it. Imagine if she had stopped him before the best numbers game ever?

I just watched that and unfortunately I could only get 951 within the 30 seconds...

50 x 25 = 1250
1250 + (6 x 3) = 1268
1268 x 75 = 95100
95100 / 100 = 951

Equally outrageous, but unfortunately not good enough! I'll keep practising those 4 large

As far as I understand there's no rule about knowing the running totals is there? It would seem a bizarre rule.

I remember watching this game at the time. I imagine that James had seen 952=(318*3-2) which leads to (318*75-50)/25 without needing to know the running totals.

I've always assumed that as long as you can read out the solution in a mathematically correct form, you'd be OK. If you think you're getting lost, just dictate "((75 x 25 - 1) x 50)) / 100" and let Carol write it down in that format, and work out the details afterwards.

The intermediate results do have to be integers, though, which would be difficult to check otherwise. WTP calculated that this does actually make a few games impossible which would otherwise be possible, which is interesting.

Charlie Reams wrote:The intermediate results do have to be integers, though, which would be difficult to check otherwise. WTP calculated that this does actually make a few games impossible which would otherwise be possible, which is interesting.

But in some cases it would be obvious that it always remains an integer, such as the James Martin case from what I recall of it.

What's the rule on negative numbers? I don't think they'd ever be useful, but I can't remember them ever being officially disallowed.

What about the rule on getting two zeros (say 4-4 and 5-5) and dividing them by each other and declaring the answer to be the total you are after?

Conor wrote:What's the rule on negative numbers? I don't think they'd ever be useful, but I can't remember them ever being officially disallowed.

I think all totals achieved, when working out your solution, must be positive integers.