# Math tapestry puzzle #2

This continues from Math tapestry puzzle #1. Find the rules there.

Continuing on from that, I saw my friend Jason come outside. We had a conversation about the things that are here. Suddenly he says: "Wait! I have to show you something." He shows me this:

    NN       07
44    aa 32    39
bb       22
36       31
dd    28 cc    11
27       33


He says he made it, but he's not done yet, although the highest number he's planning to use is 44. He doesn't know what number belongs there. Can you help him?

• Doesn't this (and the last one) purely boil down to "make the four central pairs add up to the same number"? Since one of the pairs is fully known already this becomes trivial... This puzzle might benefit from a rethink... – Stiv Mar 16 at 7:10
• There will be an 6 by 6 version soon. What changes would you like to make into the next one? I'd love to see your response. – Player1456 Mar 16 at 8:10
• Thanks for engaging, Player1456. 6x6 sounds like it could be more of a challenge... The thing with this puzzle (and the last) is that it currently boils down to 'solve some simultaneous equations', which is just a mathematics problem rather than a puzzle as such. To make it more puzzle-y you could: (a) leave more unknowns and add constraints (i.e. don't have a complete pair in the centre, don't have a complete 3x3 sub-grid, and specify rules that help you fill them), (b) replace digits with other symbols that need to be solved, or (c) encrypt the numbers in other ways, like using...(cont.) – Stiv Mar 16 at 9:38
• ...Periodic Table symbols or Pokémon images, or something else that can be translated to a number, (d) create it like a jigsaw with irregular pieces that need to be fitted together, or (e) something else that makes this more tricky than just doing some calculations and makes a solver say 'I enjoyed that!' Just some ideas anyway. Take a look around the site and get familiar with other puzzles here. Get inspired, have some fun, and continue on your Puzzling journey! Good luck! :) – Stiv Mar 16 at 9:42

$$aa+32=bb+36=cc+28=22+31=53$$
$$aa=21,\ bb=17,\ cc=25$$
$$36+27+28+dd\\=\textbf{21}+\textbf{17}+44+NN\\=31+11+33+\textbf{25}\\=7+39+22+32\\=100$$
$$NN=18,\ dd=09$$