Puzzlebrains

I did a course in forensics last year run by FutureLearn. The courses are run by universities from all over the world.
I have signed up for one next month which is on math being used in puzzles. It runs for 3 weeks and is free. I thought some of you may be interested in it.
You can sign up at. http://www.futurelearn.com/courses/maths-puzzles/1
Maybe I'll meet some of you there.

Thanks, looks fun. And might be helpful!

I'm going to give it a go ...starts on monday

I've just signed up for it as well.

I did the course in April and I'll be interested to find out how you get on. I have just finished a genealogy one which was brilliant so I'm now having to sort out all my family history stuff. And 'stuff' is the right word as I'm not very organised.

I think this might be a little too much for me. The next question is asking to solve this 'doubly true alphametic'...

FIVE + FIVE + NINE + ELEVEN = THIRTY

How on earth do I even start that???

I'm surprised we haven't had a sophisticated workthrough of these, I thought Cenwulf had done a masterclass like he did for Alphactors. Certain principles are the same, basically you are substituting numbers for letters and can then tackle the sum reduced to algebraic notation in simultaneous equations. Of course there are a lot of logical steps that need to be taken to get there. But for instance
FIVE + FIVE + NINE + ELEVEN = THIRTY

FIVE and NINE are 4 digit numbers, therefore the highest they can add up to is
2 x 9765 + 8785 = 28315

ELEVEN and THIRTY both are 6 digit numbers. Therefore ELEVEN + 28315 giving a number with a different leading digit, you know that ELEVEN must be less than 28315 short of the next 100,000. So L must be a high number. And you know that T can only be one more than E. You can rework all these possibilities with the narrowed down permutations and end up with a solvable equation. But I get bored around this point and resort to computer solver. Hopefully you will be intrigued enough to keep on with the idea and get there in the end. I haven't got the patience with these to have learnt the "real techniques" so without spending any more time on it I can't tell whether there are better ways to "get started" and "fix" numbers. But you probably have a clue now what to be thinking about, I hope.

Urgh.

Thanks for the reply SparkOut, I'm going to have another go tomorrow with a fresh set of eyes as I'm totally baffled.
I seem to remember a puzzle with these kind of sums in it, but I probably cheated and used a solver!

Bunnylump wrote:Urgh.

A particularly helpful and expressive contribution.

maisie ladybird wrote:Thanks for the reply SparkOut, I'm going to have another go tomorrow with a fresh set of eyes as I'm totally baffled.
I seem to remember a puzzle with these kind of sums in it, but I probably cheated and used a solver!

Maisie - you and me both...I got to the same stage today...and gave up ...with plan to have another look tomorrow.. If I don't get it tomorrow it maybe the shortest course I've lasted on.....is there a course on wine tasting?

Ah...now. Wine tasting and I'm with you.

Me too please!

My university just had a course on wine tasting. I didn't learn a thing but toddled home every night

Right..I am now onto the wine tasting course.....as a waiter in Spain once said to me ...I have a white, rose and red - they are all really good..so place your orders...vino blanco, vino rosado o vino tinto.....