Math Is Fun Forum

My answer to FROM -> LOVE -> HATE was

, and to MILK -> SODA -> BEER is

.

MATHS -> FORUM -> GAMES

2x = 5y
From that we can see that the minimum integer values of x and y are 5 and 2 respectively (2 * 5 = 5 * 2).
The minimum sum of x and y therefore is 5 + 2 = 7.

x and y maintain their integer status if their sum is any multiple of 7...and from the 5 choices only 2009 fits.

Another approach:

2x = 5y
∴ x = 5y/2

Let x + y = z

Plug in x:
5y/2 + y = z
5y + 2y = 2z
7y = 2z

So twice z must be a multiple of 7...only satisfied by 2009.

Same applies if plugging y into the x + y = z equation --> 5 times z must be a multiple of 7 (again only satisfied by 2009).

Hi Bobby,

I have two versions: one using plurals and one not. The

is much more impressive because it's the longer of the two and (to me - probably not you) reads like it was compiled by a coiner of new words. Clearly my ignorance is the stumbling block here...they're probably all as common as dirt and are used everywhere.

FROM -> LOVE -> HATE

Hi Bobby,

Granted, your solution is much more impressive-looking than ours and any astute examiner would be bowled over by the obvious amount of thought that went into that construction. It's just a pity you'd only get maximum credit for it, and not more.

beefier: fatter.
I didn't know this until now, and I'm digressing badly here, but beef-brained means thick-headed.

puffier: containing more puff.
Probably related to pollyspeak.

Hi Bobby,

The O.E.D. has virst as a southern Middle English variant of first. From there we can get verst, verse, terse, tense, tease etc; and so fourth, and so fifth (not to mention other intermediate routes)...until we can probably get to third after going around the world twice. I'm not even sure if such a tenuous variant existence is valid.

Your liest could continue diest, doest, goest, gorst, gorse...or diest, doest, dowst, dowse...

Maybe I'll pursue one of those lines later. Sorry...I shouldn't have posted my puzzle before checking it out virst (sic), but I didn't anticipate this snag.

Computer's all fixed ...but my pocket is lighter . Computer can now render a video at a good rate and at the same time give me MIF time too.

I think that pluralizing simply by adding an 's' may be one of the banned suffixes ganesh had in mind. I'm not sure about tense and other simple suffixes (eg, aided, aider).

Not sure...give them the chop (but exactly which...could be messy), or maybe just allow everything (less mess)? A drawback in allowing these simple suffixes is that they reduce the challenge. But is that important?

Maybe just banning simple 1-letter suffixes like would be good...but what about 'n' (shown, flown). There are probably others, but I have to go and can't think of examples right now.

Hi Tigeree,

"ranga"...had to look that up. Apparently it's short for orangutan, an arboreal anthropoid ape (Pongo pygmaeus) of Borneo and Sumatra, having a shaggy reddish-brown coat, very long arms, and no tail.

I wonder if that answers any questions...!

My mental picture of you has changed. You can sketch a composite picture of your face here and maybe you'd like to post the result to give us some idea of what you look like. This computerised approach will protect your anonymity.

Here's a video of a blonde who returns to work after having been out of the workforce for many years: Blonde returns to work. You can tell she hasn't unlearnt the old carriage-return action!

Hi Bobby,

The Oxford English Dictionary (the full set) has sere as a variant of cere. Cere has a verbal form...hence sered. And it's a valid Scrabble word, as you said.

I use the British-English OSW (Official Scrabble Words - by Chambers) when I'm stuck. I also have the American OSPD (Official Scrabble Players Dictionary), but that has fewer words. And I have a SOWPODS list that combines the two...valuable for players interested in international tournaments that allow double-dictionary play.

Sered is in both dictionaries.

Without suffixes this puzzle would be impossible.

Did you have shorter solutions than mine to others we've done?

Hi Bobby,

THREE -> SEVEN -> EIGHT

I tried to beat your record of 11235 with this one, but just missed out!

Hi Bobby,

Were you fishing for a Tigeree response?

FIVE + FOUR = NINE

Hi Bobby,

Ok...maybe it will open the game up a bit and appeal to more. Hope ganesh is ok with that.

Oops...not enough care. Or any 'CARE', for that matter. I left out the "CARE" in between.