A tougher puzzle

[Hot Canuck]

Saw this one on the Discovery Channel.

Sum all the numbers, from one to a million, without a calculator.

The show said it should take a day or two to figure out the formula(s)...and yes, when I watched the show the following week, they came up with a very complicated solution...math is not always as complicated as portrayed - I had the answer in 6 minutes, 2 of which were spent finding a pencil and paper...I'll give a tip - you need to visualize the problem...

[Omri]

Hmmm... they teach you this at elementary school.

[sdw79]

Whole numbers or decimals also?

[sdw79]

Is it 27000001?

[Hot Canuck]

Hmmm... they teach you this at elementary school.

yeah, but always with a calculator...I was never taught a formula...

[Hot Canuck]

Is it 27000001?

too low, and no decimals

1 + 2 + 3 + 4...+ 999,999 + 1,000,000

[Omri]

yeah, but always with a calculator...I was never taught a formula...
1,000,000 divided by 2 is 500,000, which is the number of pairs.
1,000,000 + 1 = 999,999 + 2 = 999,998 + 3, etc...
1,000,001 (1,000,000 + 1) x 500,000 (number of pairs) = 500,000,500,000 (the result)

If it's too hard for you, do it with 100 and add the zeros.

The other one took me about 10 - 15 minutes to solve. this one less than a minute.

[Hot Canuck]

exactly - nice and simple. You should have seen the ridiculously complicated formula these science whizzes drew up...

here's a link to the show, and some other puzzles



http://www.discoverychannel.ca/content/?pid=4943

[Omri]

I'm more of a Discovery Science person. Although MythBusters is a really cool show.

[Hot Canuck]

I'm more of a Discovery Science person. Although MythBusters is a really cool show.

yeah - they tackle a lot of cool mysteries...and then they blow stuff up real good...

[Omri]

That one show with the "exploding CD mystery" was my favorite. you just gotta love pieces of CDs flying all over, am I right? :lol:

BTW, should I edit my solution or something? maybe cap lover hasn't learned yet in school. :lol:

[Hot Canuck]

That one show with the "exploding CD mystery" was my favorite. you just gotta love pieces of CDs flying all over, am I right? :lol:

BTW, should I edit my solution or something? maybe cap lover hasn't learned yet in school. :lol:

nah - it's not hard once you realize the middle is the key point...

[bentalphanerd]

That one show with the "exploding CD mystery" was my favorite. you just gotta love pieces of CDs flying all over, am I right? :lol:

I had a cd explode years ago in one of the real early cd burners. It sounded like a shotgun going off. And yes, a million little pieces....thankfully it all stayed inside the drive. The sound alone will take a few years off your life.

[Omri]

I had a cd explode years ago in one of the real early cd burners. It sounded like a shotgun going off. And yes, a million little pieces....thankfully it all stayed inside the drive. The sound alone will take a few years off your life.
Liar! it's pure fun! :lol:

[Hot Canuck]

Here's an easy one...

What number comes next in this sequence:

1/1 3/2 7/5 17/12 41/29 ==?==

[Omri]

99/70...
Get a really hard logical one! I like those.

[Hot Canuck]

Try this one...


A fellow encountered a bear in a wasteland. There was nobody else there. Both were frightened and ran away. Fellow to the north, bear to the west. Suddenly the fellow stopped, aimed his gun to the south and shot the bear. What colour was the bear?

[Omri]

Try this one...


A fellow encountered a bear in a wasteland. There was nobody else there. Both were frightened and ran away. Fellow to the north, bear to the west. Suddenly the fellow stopped, aimed his gun to the south and shot the bear. What colour was the bear?
Some say white, some say ivory. :D

[Hot Canuck]

Some say white, some say ivory. :D


rats - I thought I'd get you with an unfamiliar carnivore question...

[Omri]

Let's go back to math! er... I mean "Let us try maths, mate!". :D

[Hot Canuck]

Let's go back to math! er... I mean "Let us try maths, mate!". :D


What is the next number in this series?

4, 12, 84, 3612....

[Omri]

What is the next number in this series?

4, 12, 84, 3612....
Hmmm... that would actually take me more than a minute.
I think I got the formula, but we're talking about huge numbers. can I use a calculator?

[Hot Canuck]

Hmmm... that would actually take me more than a minute.
I think I got the formula, but we're talking about huge numbers. can I use a calculator?

I don't know you personally, but if you can use a computer, I would feel safe in betting money on you being able to use a calculator...or is it too cloudy???:lol::cool:

[Omri]

I don't know you personally, but if you can use a computer, I would feel safe in betting money on you being able to use a calculator...or is it too cloudy???:lol::cool:
Hmmm... may I use a calculator?

[Hot Canuck]

Hmmm... may I use a calculator?

ya - I did...

[Omri]

I'm going to take a wild guess, but maybe 6,526,884? :lol:

[Hot Canuck]

I'm going to take a wild guess, but maybe 6,526,884? :lol:

I should put you in charge of my lottery numbers !!!!!:cool:

[rainbowberry]

I'm going to take a wild guess, but maybe 6,526,884? :lol:

Says Omri sitting there with his calculator ;)

[bentalphanerd]

Says Omri sitting there with his calculator ;)

I thought he used an abacus. Oh :shocked:

it does seem accurate though.

[Omri]

Says Omri sitting there with his calculator ;)
Says RB, sitting there and winking me. ;)
I thought he used an abacus. Oh :shocked:

it does seem accurate though.
How did you know?! that's my dirty little secret!