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

hello! me is U229176.....ummmm...haven't thought about this much, but...

can 6*9 please be either 42 OR 54? please?

cos if so, mine's nice and easy...

(6*9)-2-2-1-7 = 42

If not, and 6*9 is always 42, then obviously that's 30 and complete rubbish, and i'll leave someone else to figure it out.....

Hi skittledog,

It's _customary_ to use the digits in your U-number in the order they appear...

eg (2 - 2) * 9 + 1 * 7 * 6 = 42

Opinion on 6*9 is probably divided...

I like the idea that 54 is _also_ the answer to Life, the Universe etc so that something like 2 * 2 + 9 - 1 + 7 * 6 fits too

... or

(2/2)^9^1*7*6 = 42

... or

(2^2+9+1-7)*6 = 42

... or

2*2*9+1^7*6 = 42

...

Maybe you saw my posting...

F64903?thread=281467

(since it's only the next thread over, at present)

but if not, I was speculating that 42 is not expressing a decimal (base-10) number (4*10 + 2*1) but a tridecimal number (new word? base-13 anyway) so that 4*13 + 2*1 = 6*9 [I suppose I should substitute the figure 13 for 'D' in that expression, following the convention established for hexadecimal numbers]

Or to put it another way,

6 * 9 = 42 is a true statement if you are working in base-13.

Won't someone agree, disagree or argue the point for the sake of it? Or am I years too late with this theory?

rooftiler

You may be right (I haven't had a chance to run the numbers yet- my tridecimal multiplication is a little rusty), but even if you are, most species in the known univesrse don't use a tridecimal counting system, but a nonadecimal system (base 19). Thus we must conclude that there is something wrong with Life, the Universe, and Everything (If a decimal system is used), or that Life, the Universe and Everything doesn't really care how most species in the known universe count. I prefer the first explanation, but that's just me.

BTW, would you like to add me to the list. My number is 229195, so the proof goes:

(2+(2*9)+1)(-(sqr9)+5)=
(2+18+1)(-(3)+5)=
(21)(2)=
42

Hmmm,, I am unlikely to add anyone to the Myth page anymore - see SOME CHANGES thread....

However the 6*9 argument is valid - as 6*9 in base 13 IS 42.....

Also we (I) are (am) allowing sums that end up as 6*9 or 9*6 = 42... called DNAisms (IIRC)...

Consider yourselves 42ed

maybe people would like to be Knights of the 42 sided table... (hmmm that's be a doquaddecahedron ... ?)

I'd like that... make room for more, go with the square of 42, 1764 sides to allow for more peopel (heehee)... that would be a four dimensional table I think??? no 3... a cubic table... die gravity!

actually thoguh it would a be a doquaddecagon, the shape of the table is a polygon not a polyhedron

Yeah, actually I came to that conclusion too after asking everybody to take their places as the DoQuadDecaHedric Table...

I've now changed my mind - it is the DoQuadDecagonic table...

BUT does it NEED the two Ds?

nah.
its nicer without the second one.

Quite, I find Double D to be a bit too much of a handful...

Lets just go with either though?... so people won't ask questions.

But isn't Asking questions Fun?