Friday Puzzler -- Matchsticks

Re: Friday Puzzler -- Matchsticks

Larry Barrett

Remove one leg of the V, insert between the II and rotate 90* to become a minus sign: \ I-I=I.

Re: Friday Puzzler -- Matchsticks

John Veerkamp

6 not equal to 1

Re: Friday Puzzler -- Matchsticks

John Veerkamp

6 greater than 1

I don't get it

Alex Y

what does "/1-1" represent?

True

Alex Y

That is the inequality that Click and Clack said they weren't looking for, but it is a true statement.

I don't see it

Alex Y

How do you make VII=1 into 6>1 by moving only one matchstick?

Re: I don't get it

Larry Barrett

Well, "with a little creative interpretation or stretching" /I-I=I can be intrepeted as II-I=I.

Re: I don't get it

Alex Y

Okay, that puts a new slant on it.

Re: I don't get it

Larry Barrett

Since you let me get by with that one, here's another:

Remove one leg of the V, superimpose it on top of the adjacent I to form

\XI=I; that is, 1 x 1=1.

good one

Re: Friday Puzzler -- Matchsticks

Larry Barrett

How about taking the last I from VII and laying it horizontal across the VI, using it as the symbol for 'divide'. (I use --- to represent the 'divide' symbol below). Might be a stretch.

\ /I

--- = I

VI

You are very close

Alex Y

to the answer they were looking for (the "right" answer). However, I don't know where you found all the extra matchsticks for your answer.

Re: I don't see it

John Veerkamp

should have said 7 greater than 1. Take one of the = match sticks and place it at an acute angle to the other. Greater than signs often have one leg horizontal and only one leg slanted.

Another good one

Alex Y

And using the same reasoning, you could make 6 greater than or equal to 1

Gets my vote

Henry Higginbotham

I find the usual solution a bit radical for my tastes. John's answer is simple and elegant, even if not equally pleasing.

We have a winner!

Alex Y

I believe Henry has alluded to the "correct" answer that Click and Clack were looking for.

We still haven't found the one Dougie came up with (an equation, using standard mathematical operations).

Some Answers

Alex Y

VII=I

The answer Click and Clack were looking for, as found by Henry:

Move the second I in "VII" (a popular one to move in many answers) and place it horizontally above the other I, so that it and the V form the square root symbol. sqrt(1)=1

Other Arithmetic Equalities, involving some misalignment:

Dougie's answer: Move that same I in front of the VI, but below it, so that it reads 1 raised to the sixth power = 1.

Larry's solutions involving a slanted one: /I-I=I and \XI=I

True statements that are not equalities

John's inequality VII>I where the bottom of the > is horizontal

Any number of "not equal to" versions.

True statements in their context

A Roman school child who couldn't remember how to convert from units to dozens might write on his palm XII=I

And IVI=I is true in the predicate calculus, whether taking I as a variable, or the convention of 1=True. I or I = I.

Thanks to all for playing.

A tough one with no math beyond simple arithmetic coming tomorrow.