# "Le compte est bon", or, anyone for a math game? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 12, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727 "2010-01-12T23:59:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/81 "2010-01-22T19:50:33Z")
This is what comes from forgetting to hit refresh before you submit your post. Kobal2, words cannot express my rage. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/82 "2010-01-23T00:40:07Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Hey Skeezix, could you check if my earlier challenge > > 3, 3, 6, 6, 9, 9 > > Target 440 > > was in fact unsolvable? I suspect it was. It is not solvable. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Red\_Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/83 "2010-01-23T00:42:15Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > (5_4)_(50-7) + 8 - 1 = 867 > > I’m convinced there’s a way to get the exact target number, but can’t find it. Don’t give up! ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/84 "2010-01-23T00:57:54Z")
((50 - 8) \* 7 - 5) \* (4 - 1) ETA: Oh, whoops, I ended up forgetting the actual target was supposed to be 866. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/85 "2010-01-23T01:06:54Z")
((50 + 4) \* 8 + 1) \* (7 - 5) ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/86 "2010-01-23T01:11:55Z")
New challenge: Given: 2, 2, 6, 7, 25, 75 Target: 741 (I just picked numbers by mental randomness. I don’t know what the heuristics are for picking problems that are likely to be solvable, and hadn’t yet seen the problem generator above, so my apologies if this doesn’t work well) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/87 "2010-01-23T01:25:59Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Kobal2, words cannot express my rage. Try with flowers, then ? 😃 [QUOTE=Red Skeezix] Don’t give up! [/QUOTE] Grmbl, now I come up one short : (50+4)_8_(7-5)+1 = 865 I’m going to give up now, if that’s allright ;). ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/88 "2010-01-23T01:28:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Given: 2, 2, 6, 7, 25, 75 > Target: 741 (75+25+6)\*7- (2/2) = 741 Target : 203 Given : 2,2,5,7,10,25 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/89 "2010-01-23T01:42:43Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Target : 203 > Given : 2,2,5,7,10,25 25 \* (10-2) + 5 - 2 = 203 Working numbers: 5, 5, 8, 10, 75, 100 Target number: 372 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/90 "2010-01-23T01:46:16Z")
5\*75 - (8-5) = 372 Working numbers: 2, 3, 5, 10, 50, 100 Target number: 443 ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/91 "2010-01-23T01:49:03Z")
Do we not have to use all the given numbers? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/92 "2010-01-23T01:50:11Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Working numbers: 2, 3, 5, 10, 50, 100 > > Target number: 443 (100 + 50) \* 3 - 5 - 2 Working numbers: 1, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10 Target number: 788 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/93 "2010-01-23T01:51:44Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Do we not have to use all the given numbers? Arnold’s applet says: “…try to get as close as possible to the target number picked in the second step, using the minimal amount of working numbers in your calculation”. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/94 "2010-01-23T01:52:11Z")
Oh, I see. Very well then. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/95 "2010-01-23T01:54:19Z")
> [@bryan ekers](#): > > working numbers: 1, 6, 6, 8, 9, 10 > > target number: 788 8 \* (9 + 1) \* 10 - 6 - 6 Working numbers: 2, 6, 10, 25, 50, 75 Target number: 216 ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/96 "2010-01-23T01:54:54Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Grmbl, now I come up one short : > (50+4)_8_(7-5)+1 = 865 > > I’m going to give up now, if that’s allright ;). See post 85 by Indistinguishable P.S. at the [linked webpage I mention above](http://www.nouilles.info/le_compte_est_bon.html) is where I listed a more complete set of rules than what you see in the OP of this thread (which Bryan Ekers has pointed out.) Also, in the “calculator” at that webpage, you should be able to copy and paste an expression such as 8 \* (9 + 1) \* 10 - 6 - 6, press the Enter button, and see the result. For those of you (like me) who are getting lazy with their mental arithmetic! ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/97 "2010-01-25T18:08:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You’re supposed to include one large number. Not in the rules of the UK version (nor, I suspect, the French one). Picking “6 small numbers” is a common ploy in the UK version to make the task harder, used when one contestant believes themselves to be better at solving these problems than the other. > [@Red\_Skeezix](#): > > It is not solvable. Cool, I did win that one then - thanks! > [@Indistinguishable](#): > > Do we not have to use all the given numbers? No - the original French version (according to Arnold) allocates more credit to using more of the numbers, the UK version does not. Although one would think it “best” to use fewer (rather than more) numbers, this does actually make sense when there is a 30-second time limit, as it encourages the contestants to find different ways to get the target when it is trivial. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/98 "2010-01-25T18:16:38Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > 8 \* (9 + 1) \* 10 - 6 - 6 > > Working numbers: 2, 6, 10, 25, 50, 75 > > Target number: 216 = ((25 + 75) \* 2) + 10 + 6 Since we’re allowing 6 smalls Numbers are 1, 3, 4, 8, 8, and 9 Target is 333 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/99 "2010-01-25T18:20:16Z")
9 x (8 + 1) x 4 + 8 = 332. Still working on 333. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/100 "2010-01-25T18:31:09Z")
(9 + 4) x ((8 x 3) + 1) + 8 = 333 1, 2, 3, 7, 50, 100 Target is 913. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727.md?page=6)