h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Didn't say that in the question though did you?

Did I say I was perfect?

Or even accurately remembering the question?

None of the players have the same score.


Geggs

4-0 to Bangor.

Thats the score.

Hooray!

(40/8)-9=-4

Your Noddy book must have had the PC Plod people censoring it.

...and for pedants everywhere

(40/8)+(-9)=-4

Let's see...

CLXII...
divided by XVIII...
plus CLXVI...
equals CLXXV

Yep, that should do it!

Phocus Maximus

No, no, no. It's not roman numerals, and since when has *minus four* been just five letters long?


Geggs

* takes deep breath and counts to X *
...O-Ka-ay...

SIXTY
divided by THREE
plus SCORE (=20)
equals FORTY

Since positive four has been known as four

Are we talking about a slang version of "score" here?

Four researchers played a game together, and collated their score afterwards. Geggs noticed that his score, divided by Witty Ditty's score, and then added to Egon's score, equaled Saturnine's score. Then Witty pointed out that the names of those scores were all five letters long.

What are their respective scores?

Collated? What's collated?


col·late:
* To examine and compare carefully in order to note points of disagreement.
* To assemble in proper numerical or logical sequence.
** Printing.
* To examine (gathered sheets) in order to arrange them in proper sequence before binding.
* To verify the order and completeness of (the pages of a volume).
** Ecclesiastical.
* To admit (a cleric) to a benefice.

I guess we mean the first meaning, "to note points of disagreement" because I kinda liked the first answer: 'forty' divided by 'eight' plus three equals 'leven'.

OK I guess we better get some concensus on the 'five-letter' numbers.
I make them to be:
Three
Seven
Eight
Forty
Fifty
Sixty
So what am I missing? Because I see no way to follow the formula given as:
[ (G over W) plus E = S ] or (G/W)+ E = S)
using any combination of those six "five(English)letter" (Arabic) numberals.
Forty is divisible by four, five and eight (none have five letters).
Fifty is divisible by five and ten (no 5 letter number)and
Sixty is divisible by three but the answer, twenty, is not a five letter number. Even allowing that the rules do not specify that this dividend must be five letters, the number 20 will still not add to
any of the six (to produce a five letter sum) except forty which only brings us back to sixty.


~jwf~

>> Forty is divisible by four, five and eight (none have five letters).<<

Yes, I see the flaw in my typing there. Obviously 'eight' is one of the six five-letter numbers as suggested in kelli's original answer:
(40/8) + 3 = 8

I meant to say Forty is divisble by four, five, ten and twenty (none of which have letters) and by 'eight', which does.


~jwf~

I've got it! It works in Finnish!

NELJA divided by KAKSI plus KOLME equals VIISI
or even :
KUUSI divided by KOLME plus KAKSI equals NELJA

No, no one has my answer yet.

Little clue: The names were not randomly chosen. Though but Witty's second initial is more helpful than her first.

And, ah yes, twenty is sometimes sometimes called a 'score'. That *is* interesting.


Geggs

Right. Let's try this.

(GROSS/DOZEN) + EIGHT = SCORE

How does Pin know how to count in Finnish?

Yep. That's the answer.

Well done!


Geggs

That means I'm doing both quiz threads at the same time!

Let's stick with the numbers over here.

Use all of the following numbers, along with any combination of arithmetical symbols (+,-,*,/) to make 24.

{3,3,8,8}

All the numbers must be used, but only once each. Powers, like 8 cubed, are not allowed, and you can't use, say, 3 & 8 to make 38 or anything tricky like that.

Cleo, hej!
(Yksi olut, kaksi olut, kolme olut...paljon olut...Ystavani haluat maksaa)

It's not especially clever to count up to a lot of beers and then announce that your friend will pay, but it can be useful. There's a site out there somewhere offering a "phrasebook" that tells you how to say this one thing in about 150 different languages, but I've gone and misplaced it.

(I also worked in Finland for 18 months a few years ago, but that's another story )

This Q's a toughie. I can get 24 to two sig figs two ways. I can get exactly 22, 23 and 25 (but not exactly 24).

But I suppose all that's too easy. And as for the stuff in the other thread...

Pin * off to fuel his Francophobic tendencies *

Afterfort...
I can't even do it if you relax the rule about compounding digits, like allowing 38.
Are you allowed factorials, by any chance, or is it just the four arithmetic signs you give, plus brackets?

Now that sounds like a useful phrasebook. It's said that if you can order beer in any language then you'll never have any problems communicating anywhere in the world. Presumably if you hang about at the bar long enough, someone English speaking will probably happen along and translate for you, and if they don't you'll probably forget whatever it was you wanted to say in the first place. Either way, the problem's solved.

No need for factorials. The four symbols I mentioned are more than enough, but brackets will be required.

Here's a suggestion from someone who just floated by...

3*8 gets you a pretty good 24 already, so the only problem is to get either a zero (to add) or a one (to multiply) out of a three and an eight.

The way to get a zero is to kick the eight sharply so it falls over and becomes an infinity. Then divide the three by it. Then add the zero to the 3*8.

If the eight breaks in half when you kick it over, then :
- if it breaks across the waist, use it as two zeroes. Multiply the three by one, then you can do pretty much what you like with the other one, provided you don't attempt to divide by it.
- If it breaks down the centreline, one half is a three, so you can divide the original three by it and get a one. Now you're home, provided you manage to conceal the other half successfully, eg by laying it across the top of the page up there and claiming it's a seagull-doodle.

Voila!

Pin...'cos I never got the chance to steal one yesterday...

(sorry about the smell of fish...it's the seagull...)