Challenge
Solve the following equations by converting to standard form (see below):
** eeeeee = aeeeeiiiouu
** eeeeee = aeeeoouuu
-/ eeeo = i
*- eeooo = eeee
/ aeiou = aeeioouu
/+/ eiiiiii = eo
Brief Overview
This is essentially a cross between a math puzzle and a word puzzle. I'll explain how this works by going backwards from a solution.
- Start with an elementary equation:
1+1*2=3
- In English, this can be written:
one+one*two=three
- Remove all consonants:
oe+oe*o=ee
(Note:aeiou
are the only vowels wrt this puzzle) - Move vowels to the end of each side of the
=
and sort:
+* eeooo = ee
Again, you're going the other way; you are given form 4.
above, and expected to find form 1.
(or 2.
).
That is, the answer to: +* eeooo = ee
is: 1+1*2=3
Details
Rules followed by the puzzle format:
- Multiplication (
*
) and division (/
) collectively are performed left to right.
For example,9*4/6*2
→36/6*2
→6*2
→12
. - Addition (
+
) and subtraction (-
) are then performed left to right in a similar manner. - All operands are positive integers.
- All intermediate results are also positive integers.
For example,2/4*2
will never appear in a solution because2/4
is performed first, and this is not a positive integer.
Likewise,3-4+5
will not appear because3-4
is not a positive integer. - Numbers are in formal American English form.
Briefly, don't use the article "a" or the conjunction "and" in number names;101
is spelledone hundred one
. - Per the rules of this puzzle, answers that commute into each other (to form the same operator set) are considered equivalent.
For example, ifj*k+l*m
works for somej
k
l
m
,l*m+k*j
is considered the same answer. - Notwithstanding the above equivalence principle, the solution to all challenge problems is unique.