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This is my first Puzzle posting on here. If I can figure out how to do a spoiler, I will add in a hint. Best of luck!

I heard this one a while back, and I don't know how well known it is.

Example 1:

-75 = 19
19 = 8
8 = 5
5 = 4
4 = 4

Example 2:

252 = 18
18 = 8
8 = 5
5 = 4
4 = 4

Figure out the process of how I am go form any number and get it to be 4=4.

Prove that you have figured it out how I am doing it by getting 74 all the way down to 4=4

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  • $\begingroup$ Three answers in a matter of seconds... $\endgroup$
    – Aggie Kidd
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:47
  • $\begingroup$ @AggieKidd I was surprised, I guess it more well known then I thought if was, or a lot easier then I thought it was $\endgroup$
    – Jaconah
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:53
  • $\begingroup$ You've got an incredibly smart group of people here. They've seen a lot of things. I think I've seen this before. $\endgroup$
    – Aggie Kidd
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:55
  • $\begingroup$ It took me 20 mins just to solve the 3 of them with knowing how to do it. They must be gods! $\endgroup$
    – Jaconah
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:59
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Jaconah: We have a lot of puzzles here. If you don't make it up yourself, I can practically guarantee we have it somewhere on here. $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi
    Mar 17, 2016 at 19:11

3 Answers 3

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This puzzle is solved by

Counting the letters in the English representation of each number. Every number eventually counts down to "four", which has four letters and becomes the terminus.

I feel like the explanation of the algorithm supersedes the meaningfulness of providing a solution from a specific example, but if I am required to do so for the sake of a green check, here it is:

74 = seventy-four : 11 letters
11 = eleven : 6 letters
6 = six : 3 letters
3 = three : 5 letters
5 = five : 4 letters
4 = four : 4 letters

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  • $\begingroup$ That is how to figure it out but you did not prove you did by proving it by getting 74 all the way down to 4 :=) $\endgroup$
    – Jaconah
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:49
  • $\begingroup$ That's better :=) I will be less picky if I ever come up with another one next time! $\endgroup$
    – Jaconah
    Mar 17, 2016 at 19:01
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74 = 11
11 = 6
6 = 3
3 = 5
5 = 4
4 = 4

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  • $\begingroup$ Yep! You where correct I will mark you as the accepted answer when I can, I have to wait about 5 Minutes. I guess this was a lot easier then I thought it was gonna be. $\endgroup$
    – Jaconah
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:48
  • $\begingroup$ 1. Ian McDonald was 1 second faster than me. 2. I have seen similar puzzles before (and perhaps even on this site). $\endgroup$
    – Gamow
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:50
  • $\begingroup$ He just explained how to do it, he did not do "Prove that you have figured it out how I am doing it by getting 74 all the way down to 4=4" $\endgroup$
    – Jaconah
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:52
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Seventy four = 11
eleven=6
six=3
three=5
five=4
four=4 :-)

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  • $\begingroup$ Yep! You where correct to bad you where about 30 seconds slower then Gamow :P I guess this was a lot easier then I thought it was gonna be. $\endgroup$
    – Jaconah
    Mar 17, 2016 at 18:50
  • $\begingroup$ Yeah, I typed the numbers out to make it easy to see how it was done. I should have been quicker on the draw. $\endgroup$ Mar 17, 2016 at 18:55

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