# "Le compte est bon", or, anyone for a math game?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727>\
**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:** 8

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/141 "2010-01-26T19:46:21Z")

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(Heh. “Points”. I mean, you know, nominally; winner status. Alright, I’ll stop talking now…)

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**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 26, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/142 "2010-01-26T19:46:29Z")

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> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#):
>
> Target: 1218

The original rules say that the target number has to be in the range [100, 999] (from 100 to 999 inclusive).

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/143 "2010-01-26T19:50:03Z")

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Also, by the OP’s rules, 13 and 21 aren’t allowed as working numbers. But, I thought the Fibonacci thing was fun. 🙂

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**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 26, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/144 "2010-01-26T20:09:21Z")

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latest challenge:  
Working numbers: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 25  
Target number: 562

answer: ((3 \* 25) - 6) \* 8 + 1 + 9 = 562  
new challenge:

Working numbers: 1, 1, 7, 9, 10, 75

Target number: 598

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/145 "2010-01-26T20:12:20Z")

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(7 + 1) \* 75 + 9 - 10 - 1 = 598

Working numbers: 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 25

Target number: 960

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**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 26, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/146 "2010-01-26T20:28:52Z")

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4 x 8 x (25 + 5) = 960

3, 5, 9, 25, 50, 100

Target: 999

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/147 "2010-01-26T20:50:41Z")

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(50 \* 100 + 25)/5 - 9 + 3 = 999

Working numbers: 1, 3, 4, 25, 75, 100

Target number: 783

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**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 27, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/148 "2010-01-27T02:30:49Z")

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(75 - 1) \* 4 \* 3 - 100 - (√ 25) = 783

OK, I’m a cheater, I’ll have to look again later. ☹

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**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 27, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/149 "2010-01-27T03:03:51Z")

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(25 + 3 -1)\* (100 + 4 -75) = 783

From the calculator:

Working numbers: 3, 3, 6, 7, 75, 100

Target number: 848

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/150 "2010-01-27T03:10:31Z")

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(100 + 6) \* (7 + 3/3) = 848

Working numbers: 3, 6, 6, 7, 9, 50

Target number: 567

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**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 27, 2010, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/151 "2010-01-27T09:10:05Z")

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567 = (50 + 6 + 7) \* 9

Numbers are 1, 1, 4, 5, 7, 50  
Target is 737

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/152 "2010-01-27T09:56:34Z")

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Four numbers, nice.

Hm… This one seems pretty tough. I’ll put (50 - 1) \* (7 - 4) \* 5 + 1 = 73 **6** and (5 \* (50 - 1) + 1) \* (7 - 4) = 73 **8** out there in case it’s unsolvable, but hope springs eternal.

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**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 27, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/153 "2010-01-27T13:49:39Z")

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(50 + 7 + 6) x 9 = 567.

Numbers: 1, 1, 4, 4, 9, 9.

Target: 225.

ETA: damn, missed a page! I can’t beat the effort above for the latest challenge, but as **Indistinguishable** didn’t provide a new challenge, I’ll leave mine here.

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**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 27, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/154 "2010-01-27T15:13:16Z")

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225 = ((1 + 1 + 4) \* 9 \* 4) + 9

I think we’ll give everyone several more hours to try and solve my last problem.

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**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 27, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/155 "2010-01-27T16:08:20Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> Numbers are 1, 1, 4, 5, 7, 50  
> Target is 737

Not getting this one - so I thought for yucks I’d throw out my dead ends for other people’s amusement (and to see how my thought process is working for these problems):

Possible angles:

735/7 = 105. You use the 2 1’s to get to 735, so that leaves 4, 5, 50 to get 105. Impossible.

736/(7+1) = 92. 4, 5, 50 to get 92. Also impossible.

735/5 = 147. 4, 7, 50 to get 147. Nope.

Maybe you need to make a big number and divide:

737 x 4 = 2948. 7 x 7 x 50 \< 2948 so it can’t be a divide by 4 exercise (or divide by 5 or 7).

That leaves 737 x 2 = 1474. 4, 5, 7, 50 to get 1474 - can’t multiply by 5 so the 5 needs to be added somewhere. Also can’t multiply by 50, so something needs to be added/subtracted from the 50, and you can’t multiply by 55 or 45 either. 12 x 54 is nowhere near big enough, so this whole line is a dead end.

738/(4-1) = 246. 5, 7, 50 to get 246. Nope.  
738/(7-1) = 123. 4, 5, 50 to get 123. Nope.

735/(50-1) = 15. But to get to 735 you either need 2 1’s (impossible) or the 7 and 5, which leaves you with 4 and 1 to make 15.

Anyway, I give up. Maybe someone will spot something I missed.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/156 "2010-01-28T08:08:16Z")

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Shall we have **Red Skeezix** run the solution-checker?

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**Author:** ![nudgenudge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@nudgenudge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nudgenudge)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/157 "2010-01-28T10:48:10Z")

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It isn’t solvable, and I’m pretty sure you need all the numbers to get within 1 of the target, so you’re the winner of this round. I’m not sure it’s appropriate to post a link demonstrating that, but there are plenty of numbers games solvers are out there if you search for them. If I strongly suspect that a game is unsolvable and nobody’s cracked it after a day, I have no problem with looking it up.

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**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 28, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/158 "2010-01-28T15:29:39Z")

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> [@Indistinguishable](#):
>
> Shall we have **Red Skeezix** run the solution-checker?

> [@nudgenudge](#):
>
> It isn’t solvable, and I’m pretty sure you need all the numbers to get within 1 of the target, so you’re the winner of this round. I’m not sure it’s appropriate to post a link demonstrating that, but there are plenty of numbers games solvers are out there if you search for them. If I strongly suspect that a game is unsolvable and nobody’s cracked it after a day, I have no problem with looking it up.

It’s unsolvable. I got within 2 on my own. I don’t know who is up to propose, but feel free.

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**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 28, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/159 "2010-01-28T17:08:25Z")

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**Indistinguishable** was the first to get to 1 away, so he’s up next.

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**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 28, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/le-compte-est-bon-or-anyone-for-a-math-game/524727/160 "2010-01-28T22:46:05Z")

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You know, I bet Indistinguishable wouldn’t mind if someone proposed a problem for him.

Unfortunately, this randomly generated problem seems pretty difficult to me. But maybe that’s a more interesting challenge!

Working numbers: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8

Target number: 951

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