Arrange numbers 1 to 9 into the octagon, so the operation is correct.
C is a constant.
Do the math operation in sequence, ($×$) and ($/$) is NOT HIGHER than ($+$) and ($-$).
Answer
You could deduce things using the equations.
As mentioned by @Bojan B (with different notation), we can write down some equations:
(a - b) * c = C
(d * e) / f = C
(g - h) + i = C
(a + d) / g = C
(b + e) / h = C
(c * f) - i = C
Then we can start writing down knowns:
1.a != b != c != d != e != f != g != h != i
2.C
is positive, because(d * e) / f
will not produce less than 1.
3.C
is an integer because(g - h) + i
will not produce a fraction.
4.a > b
. Otherwise,(a - b) * c
produces a negative value and contradicts #2.
5.a != 1
. Otherwise,b
is not in our set of values.b != 9
. Otherwise,a
is not in our set of values.
6. Ifa + d
is a prime number, theng
= 1.
7. Ifb + e
is a prime number, thenh
= 1.
8.a + d
andb + e
both cannot be prime, because bothg
andh
would be 1. Contradicts #1.
9.g > h
and/ori > g - h
. Otherwise,(g - h) + i
produces a negative and contradicts #2.
10.f != 5
andf != 7
becaused
ore
would need to be 5 or 7 to satisfy(d * e) / f
and contradict #1.
11.C < 17
because the largest value of(g - h) + i
is (9 - 1) + 8 = 16.
12.c * f < 25
because(c * f) - i = C
or(c * f) = C + i
and the largest possible value ofC + i
is 16 + 9 = 25 (#11). In order forcf = 25
,c = f = 5
(contradicts #1).
13.c * f
multiplies to 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, or 24 (no multiplies of 5 or 7 because #10).
14.c * f > i
. Otherwise,(c * f) - i
produces 0 or less.One could keep going with this strategy and (hopefully) eventually deduce a non-brute force solution.
Edit: continuing my efforts.
Is it possible to add two equations together if we aren't following BODMAS?
(g - h) + i = C
+ (c * f) - i = C
= (g - h) + (c * f) = 2C
which would tell us bothg - h
andc * f
are multiples of2
. Sog
andh
are both even or both odd, and from #13,c * f
no longer multiplies to 3 or 9.
Alsoc * f > g - h
becausec * f = (g - h) + 2i
.We also have 3 ratios that equal
C
:(d * e) / f
,(a + d) / g
, and(b + e) / h
. Ratios that could potentially satisfy these are:
1 = 6/6, 8/8, 9/9
2 = 2/1, 4/2, 6/3, 8/4, 12/6, 16/8, 18/9
3 = 3/1, 6/2, 9/3, 12/4, 18/6, 24/8
4 = 4/1, 8/2, 12/3, 16/4, 24/6
6 = 6/1, 12/2, 18/3, 24/4
8 = 8/1, 16/2, 24/3
I've excluded ones where the numerator can only be factored by the denominator. Since we need 3 unique denominators in a set, I also excluded sets with less than 3 ratios.
So we at least knowC
is1
,2
,3
,4
,6
or8
.
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