PR 4 # 27
 

Without using any symbols, arrange the digits 1, 3, 5,7, 9 to equal the digits 2, 4, 6, 8.

What is considered a "symbol"? "+", "-", "*", "/"?
Is this a trick question?

This is not a "trick" question. There are certain "operations" implied by the relative location of the digit glyphs. For example, concatenation represents the multiplication of the number represented by the leading "string" by the number's base followed by the addition of the number represented by the last digit. There are additional operations implied by other configurations. However, none of these representations require any additional glyphs.

[tex] blob_1 = blob_2 [/tex]

The only operations I can think of without using symbols would be superscript for powering and subscript for base change.

Is the answer in four parts where there is a separate result for each digit? Or is it one answer that gives a result containing all the required digits? Or maybe something else?

For example:
[spoiler]
11 (base) 7 = 8. [Sorry, I don't know how to do proper subscripts]
11 (base) 5 = 6.
11 (base) 3 = 4.
[/spoiler]

You have discovered the other two "operations". Now, you need to use each of the digits 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 once in an expression that is equal to the same value as another expression which uses each of the digits 2, 4, 6 and 8 exactly once each.

(Sorry, I left out the "9". -- The original statement of the puzzle is correct.)

[QUOTE="Wacky"]arrange the digits 1, 3, 5,7, 9[/QUOTE][QUOTE="Wacky"]use each of the digits 1, 3, 5 and 7 once [/QUOTE]Hmm, should I use the 9, or should I not?

The closest I have got is [spoiler]1735(base)9=2460(base)8[/spoiler] but this doesn't meet the requirements because of the zero.

[spoiler]
264[sub]8[/sub] = 39[sub]57[/sub][sup]1[/sup]
[/spoiler]

and

[spoiler]
426[sub]8[/sub] = 75[sub]39[/sub][sup]1[/sup]
[/spoiler]