Puzzles
17 December
A sequence of zeros and ones can be reduced by writing a 0 or 1 under each pair of numbers: 1 is written if the numbers are the same, 0 is written if they are not.
This process can be repeated until there is a single number. For example, if we start with the sequence 1, 1, 1, 0, 1 (of length 5), we get:
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
The final digit is a 1.
How many sequences of zeros and ones of length 10 are there that when reduced lead to the final digit being a 1?
16 December
Put the digits 1 to 9 (using each digit exactly once) in the boxes so that the sums are correct. The sums should be read left to right and top to bottom ignoring the usual order of operations. For example, 4+3×2 is 14, not 10.
Today's number is the product of the numbers in the red boxes.
| – | ÷ | = 1 | |||
| ÷ | + | × | |||
| × | – | = 37 | |||
| × | ÷ | ÷ | |||
| + | + | = 17 | |||
| = 2 | = 1 | = 2 |
15 December
The odd factors of 2025 are 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 25, 27, 45, 75, 81, 135, 225, 405, 675 and 2025. There are 15 of these factors and 15 is itself an odd factor of 2025.
What is the smallest three-digit number whose number of odd factors is itself an odd factor of the number?
14 December
There are five ways to make a list of four As and Bs that don't contain an odd number of consecutive As:
- B,B,B,B
- A,A,B,B
- B,A,A,B
- B,B,A,A
- A,A,A,A
How many ways are there to make a list of eleven As and Bs that don't contain an odd number of consecutive As?
13 December
Today's number is given in this crossnumber. No number in the completed grid starts with 0.
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12 December
Mary uses the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 to make two three-digit numbers and a one-digit number (using each digit exactly once). The sum of her three numbers is 1000.
What is the smallest that the larger of her two three-digit numbers could be?
11 December
Holly added up 3 consecutive numbers starting at 10, then added up the next 3 consective numbers, then found the difference between her two totals:
- 10 + 11 + 12 = 33
- 13 + 14 + 15 = 42
- 42 – 33 = 9
Ivy added up n consecutive numbers starting at m, then added up the next n consecutive numbers, then found the difference between her two totals.
The difference was 203401. What is the largest possible value of n that Ivy could have used?
10 December
2025 is the smallest number with exactly 15 odd factors.
What is the smallest number with exactly 16 odd factors?
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