Oct 18, 2004
RAY: This week's puzzler is very simple. I'm going to give you four numbers: 2,3,4, and 5. And they're not Roman numerals, they're the regular old Arabic numerals with which we're all familiar.
You also get a plus sign, and an equal sign. Now, make an equation with some stuff on one side of the equal sign, and some stuff on the other.
At first blush, you might say, "This is easy!" 5+2=3+4...but, you're using two plus signs, and you're only allowed to use one.
You also get a plus sign, and an equal sign. Now, make an equation with some stuff on one side of the equal sign, and some stuff on the other.
At first blush, you might say, "This is easy!" 5+2=3+4...but, you're using two plus signs, and you're only allowed to use one.
Answer:
RAY: Five plus four equals three to the second power-- or three squared. So you're using two, three, four, five, one plus sign, and one equal sign.
TOM: You didn't tell us that the two was much smaller than the other numbers.
RAY: Picky, picky, picky.
TOM: You didn't tell us that the two was much smaller than the other numbers.
RAY: Picky, picky, picky.
