mscroggs.co.uk
mscroggs.co.uk

subscribe

Puzzles

15 December

The arithmetic mean of a set of \(n\) numbers is computed by adding up all the numbers, then dividing the result by \(n\). The geometric mean of a set of \(n\) numbers is computed by multiplying all the numbers together, then taking the \(n\)th root of the result.
The arithmetic mean of the digits of the number 132 is \(\tfrac13(1+3+2)=2\). The geometric mean of the digits of the number 139 is \(\sqrt[3]{1\times3\times9}\)=3.
What is the smallest three-digit number whose first digit is 4 and for which the arithmetic and geometric means of its digits are both non-zero integers?

Show answer & extension

Archive

Show me a random puzzle
 Most recent collections 

Advent calendar 2025

Advent calendar 2024

Advent calendar 2023

Advent calendar 2022


List of all puzzles

Tags

scales advent people maths percentages tangents powers menace averages functions cryptic crossnumbers square roots triangle numbers money differentiation chocolate sequences symmetry geometry proportion circles star numbers bases binary algebra digital clocks geometric means crosswords perimeter means hexagons elections number grids neighbours integration dominos range complex numbers axes ellipses multiplaction squares lines factors routes cubics geometric mean parabolas polynomials matrices pentagons digital products sum to infinity addition 2d shapes factorials perfect numbers floors balancing expansions division tiling sums chess christmas gerrymandering graphs xor quadrilaterals irreducible numbers clocks chalkdust crossnumber medians colouring area even numbers ave integers median 3d shapes digits probabilty doubling volume polygons cryptic clues determinants prime factors dates rectangles time cube numbers numbers crossnumbers squares rugby triangles spheres albgebra probability dice consecutive integers square grids decahedra the only crossnumber sport lists unit fractions tournaments remainders folding tube maps mean multiplication sets regular shapes wordplay books indices logic multiples shapes products trigonometry coins arrows partitions taxicab geometry coordinates pascal's triangle calculus square numbers prime numbers combinatorics angles surds speed cards games shape odd numbers planes palindromes dodecagons quadratics fractions consecutive numbers

Archive

Show me a random puzzle
▼ show ▼
© Matthew Scroggs 2012–2026