Well, the matchstick puzzle seemed to go down well last week, so here is another one. Can you move one matchstick and make the equation valid (and no using the ‘not equals to’ sign!).
As ever, please do NOT post your answer, but do say if you think you have solved it and how long it took. I will post my solution on Monday. Have a good weekend!
Yeah I think I got it!!!!!! Yes pretty sure……2mins……. :}
OOHHH I see what could be a second way…..a little iffy but with a little wiggle and a nudge and suck in a deep breath and squeeze…..yeah maybe a second way…..lol….. I’m talking about the matches not me….lol…
Mr. Wiseman can you create a separate page where all these people who claim to find answers in a few seconds can put up or shut up.
How about having a way to email or post like this but having the page “hidden” until Monday morning so we can actually see who got the right answer.
Hey David, this is the first time I have gotten the answer or what I think the answer that is correct and maybe an alternative answer so quickly and leave me your email addy/or blog and I’ll gladly tell you what I think the answer is and my alternate……… :}
Got it!
Wow. Stopped me cold for about 3-4 minutes, I would say. Got it, though.
Got one in about 5 min, but I’m suspicious about its validity. The equation is valid, but the numbers and symbols are a little slanted.
Same boat, took me about 3-4 mins
I think I got it. 3-4 mins. The equation is valid in my solution
No slanted numbers, but a very valid equation
However, purely mathematically this is just one of the two solutions, though the other solution is quite often forgotten and a calculator never shows the other solution.
Shit! Next time I won’t read the comments until I find the solution on my own or I give up!
times?..
got it under 2 mins.
I found two solutions and I think one has the same “root” principle as @ronald
Thanks for giving away the answer.
Think I got it in around 2 mins, but being not so bright I could be wrong ! Possibly two answers, one with a slanted number, one without ? Not sure of validity of either LOL.
Groan! It looks better if you’re also allowed to break and bend one of the other matches.
About 10 minutes.
I got one but I’m not logically convinced it is the one sought (it relies on symbols which are not universal). I got another after reading @Mico’s comment, which I believe to be the one… pity that I had read him… I’ll never know if I could have reached it on my own.
PS.: Who’s Ronald?
Now that I see it, Nick made a better work in covering his hints… he derails more than he helps
Apologies, must be Roland (typo)
That’s what puzzles me: while your hint was obvious (nothing against it… I only read things here after done with my thoughts), Roland’s isn’t. I have the feeling that to solve the problem based on what he said is at the same league as to solve it without it. So, how was you able to think your solution to be like his? Why so many think he had spoiled the problem?… I look to his comment and can not see any practical suggestion there.
Joao Pedro Afonso…..I think what the hint is referring to is what I think might be a second answer…..the equation might be a little slanted….or maybe one might say it would need two moves to be really right….?….. I haven’t read any further comments yet…..so some one else may have already addressed this possible solution and dismissed it…. but hope it answers your question……. :}
I think I’m going to ask this again Monday (when we all can speak freely).
got it. 3 minutes.
Took me about a minute. No slanty numbers, no goofy symbols, no broken pieces. And I’m only at half-power tonight!
Got it from all the subtle clues – doubt I would have got it today otherwise.
Like the idea of breaking the matches – would like to break all the matches for being a rotten puzzle that this time I couldn’t get on my own.
Got it from the hints doubt I would have got it otherwise. Good one.
Ah! got it but only thanks to the hints…. wish I hadn’t read them. Now I’ll never know where I’d have gotten it on my own.
Almost immediate. But I vaguely recall having come across it earlier.
OK, so I googled it and cheated.
Sneaky…but still perfectly valid.
And (bonus!) it even fits the available space, so you don’t need to shift any other matches, or cut up the match you’re moving.
It also retains the equals sign: “VII > I” doesn’t count!
I also think that “VII>I” is one of the solutions
Yes….but looks a bit skewey (think that’s not a real word)
Is sqrt allowed?
5 seconds!
Also cheated, I couldn’t figure it out after 3 or so minutes so looked it up. This was a pretty good one, not sure if I would have even thought of this solution.
one question would help me find a solution… does the match has to stay in one piece? if not, I have an answer, took me about 3 minutes or 4 or five, less than ten for sure… if the match must be left intact… I have no clue
matches must not be broken…..but I guess you could chew on one end….won’t help solve the puzzle but might make you feel better…hehe..
45 seconds. confirmed it with google afterwards
took about 5 mins, and all I came up with was another inequality which isn’t right… looked it up and found 2 very cool solutions.
Yep easy
As you take any matchstick strike it so it lights then drop it on the rest of them
They all burn and disappear leaving nothing behind
Nothing = Nothing
checked the answer from another website and i think its a little stupid
Thought of one possible answer after 30 seconds.
(But not sure if my answer technically counts, so I’ll try to think of another.)
If you don’t mind slanty answers, I found two.
I found two possible solutions…and I’ll leave it at that, but I’ll be back on Monday to see if I’m right.
Took me longer than I thought it would…8 minutes and I only found one solution. I’ll be back on Monday to see the solution.
Yea… I got a solution. It’s not valid if you take the signs as we use it in programming languages… and yea, slant numbers. =|
Well, the correct solution isn’t in a font i like. With a slightly different font I have a much better solution in mind. Still, an enjoyable 10 minutes of pondering.
still staring at it…
After thinking on it a while last night, I came up with two more solutions that require slanty numbers (one of which requires you to look at the puzzle upside-down, which is always a possibility with these), and one solution which uses a symbol not everyone might recognize. Reading the comments here, I realized that latter solution isn’t what others found. So, if anyone else wants to stay occupied, there is yet another solution with no slanty numbers (or broken/burnt/bend matches), but you may have to learn a new symbol.
I wonder if you were logical in the new symbol…
Everybody is posting answers, or ways that they found the solution that pretty much give up the answer. Knock it off people!
Anyway, I found AN answer in a minute or two although it is not the correct one and it is slightly wonkier looking than the real answer. Also figured about the real answer a minute later after reading Roland’s clue.
Grrr!
Is there a chance to delete those who posted the solution?
Hmpf.
I usually try the puzzle BEFORE I read the comments, because you never know what wou will find. However, only recently I have seen people post their answers on Fridays…
30 sec
i think i got it in 2-3min
“As ever, please do NOT post your answer, but do say if you think you have solved it and how long it took.”
Got it in three minutes but not sure if I’m breaking the rules.
Have come up with something after looking at thus for about 5 min, though it’s more of a statement and is most likely wrong. Looking forward to seeing the solution on Monday!
I think I got it. Not so sure though. Took about 5 minutes.
I am thinking about another one.
I think I got the second one.
Got it straight away (seriously). Do I win anything?
I got it in 2 mins.
I got in 10 minutes
Yes, please give something if we win. The answer can be email to u. And u can choose. Thanks
I prefer to think of my 30-40 second answer as involving italics.
easy..don’t focus on I
Anyone remember the Friday Puzzle about the 2year old child, your pet dog or cat and yourself where you must choose one to die? And the results……well I saw on one of the entertainment news shows that a French game show has been created where the contestants are to give increasing levels of electric shocks to a fellow contestant…..only they don’t know that the contestant getting shocked is really an actor…..but even with the sight of that person in increasing pain they continue to increase the level of the shocks…..it shows how welling people are to do the unthinkable just because others are doing it too…… WELL Mr.Wiseman interesting idea for a show ……..hmmm? Oh where is komincents when you need him…lol…?
jeez…….somedays I can’t get anything right…..not “welling” I meant “willing”……. sorrry…….. :}
Got it, I’m sure. About 45 seconds/a minute.
10 sec
Got it! Took about 2 minutes. Thanks for the quick brain stretch!
[...] It’s the Friday Puzzle! Well, the matchstick puzzle seemed to go down well last week, so here is another one. Can you move one matchstick and [...] [...]
Done! Less than 10 sec.!!!
Hum… I think I got the answer… Took me about five minutes. I wonder what the right answer is so that I can find out if I got it correct or not.
Hi Lu, Richard asks that we not post the answer here {but some just can’t help them self and do it anyway} this gives the whole weekend for people to have a go at the puzzle and he will post the answer here on Monday am. ……. :}
I found a solution immediately that does not use the “not equals” sign, but does use another sign.
I got two answers, both of which seem quite acceptable. I guess it took about 10 minutes. Are the puzzles getting easier or am I getting better at these things?
yes, I got solution in 4-5 min. Thanks for gave me a some work to my mind
hahaha wt i got an answer but not sure if its the rite one though, but it does makes sense…
got answer in 2 mins.. Nice Puzzle!
[...] It's the Friday Puzzle! « Richard Wiseman's Blog [...]
@ DeepField:
I usually try to find the solution BEFORE I read the comments too.
BUT it upsets me when someone just blows the rules that were set by Richard (or anybody else).
See? I had so much fun with the puzzle – and the other participants should’ve had it as well.
So I was boiling over last night.
Sorry!
This was too easy! Ha! 30 secs! =)
Took me 5 sec
a few seconds only, but the V shape primed me to look for an alteration.
I solved it… probably in like 20 mins. lol
There must be a dozen ways to answer this puzzle, but I’ve only come up with one. I think I’ll make an egg sandwich and give it some more thought.
Smiling out loud. Nothing has changed since school days. All the competitive maths whiz kids are tripping over each other to be the first to solve the problem. Meanwhile, those of us with Post Traumatic Math Anxiety Disorder sit in the shadows, praying not to be called upon whilst thinking “Why does anyone care?”
Seriously, I still envy those who are good at maths.
if I have it, less than a minute & fun! Thanks
No idea how to do this but nice to see humble matchsticks still survive in the high tech cyber world we find ourselves in.
ugh. I stumbled upon this whole mess accidentally and now I’m furious that 1) I don’t know the answer yet and 2) I didn’t find this puzzle on Sunday night and have the rest of the weekend to beat myself up about not knowing the answer yet!
I found an answer, but not until I read the first 7 or 8 comments. I don’t know if I would have without the perspective-shift that they gave me.
I got 1 answer in 1-2 minutes, closer to 2 min. I think. I then looked at posts and realized the 2nd, which is more elegant, but both seem to be valid.
I think I’m in the same boat. I will have to wait for the actual answer to confirm I’m right but I think I found two possible answers.
i got it!it’s valid
Snap! Got it. About 2 minutes, I think. I didn’t know about your Friday puzzle, I’ll be coming back. I saw it on the WordPress splash screen when I logged in. (How do they pick who gets to be featured there?)
I used to have a wonderful calendar that gave a math problem or a puzzle every day, that was great. How come nobody gives me cool presents like that anymore?
Oh, I say! This brought back memories!
While the puzzle itself is not exactly original, it did send me straight back to the time I was incarcerated (quite wrongly, of course) for attempted treason against the kingdom of Lower Burzhenstrocke. The sentence of 13 years imprisonment was entirely unfair (as was the whole trial) but I was fortunate enough to have this exact puzzle thrust into my hand by an unidentified spectator on leaving the courtroom. Needless to say, the duration of my stay in the Grand Gaol was filled most delightfully on working out the solution to this riddle.
Those 13 years flew by as if they were a mere trifle and I emerged with a grin on my face as the solution finally came to me.
Thanks for the chance to reminisce, Richard!
got it. about 3 minutes.
5 seconds
I have NO idea of what it means.I hope I can solve one of your other brain teaser puzzles
yes in less than a minute.
Got it, less than a minute.
Got it, less than a min…
Hi,
I think, I got the right answer. Under 2 mints.
Under thirty secs if the slanted look is okay. I’ll wait til Monday to find out if I’m right.
12SECS
thank for infomation
it tooks me 30 secs
Still can’t get this one and gave stared at it for quite a bit of time. I’m happy that I’ve used the puzzle to help me learn about my problem solving technique instead of just obsessing over the answer. Hope to have eureka moment sometime today.
It tooks me just 30 secs
I have found three kind of answeres.
Under two minutes
please don’t look to my gramma. I’m not an english man…
i think got it in 3 min.
i never got it!!!!! i worked on it for ten min. but never got it!!! im such a loser!!!!!!
so easy…
I got it !!! 3-4 minutes
Well I’ve got an answer, not sure if it’s the right one but never mind, got my brain working as it took me 4 or 5 mins!!
I found 3 different solutions!
Done!
I know the answer!
I got it for 1-3 seconds because i already know the answer before this puzzle made !!
ms71ba.wordpress.com
ahahaha … Done!
I took only 3 seconds to solve it
30 seconds… somehow this one clicked right away.
whre is the soluition??? I’m waiting for it…
can sme actually tel d answer …….
m dead stuck!
ya i got IT
hahahhah
10mins
nt bad i guess