Answer to December 2009 Problem
Numbers and Operations
Take the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Using each number exactly once, and selecting any math operations (but each operation can only be used once),
you must end up with the number 26.
The following solution is not accceptable because the multiplication operator is used twice:
2 x 3 + 4 x 5 = 26

You may use addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, parentheses, square root, and exponentiation.

 

Solution to the Problem:

There are at least two possible answers:

25 + 4 - 3 = 26

4 - 3 + 52 = 26

I accepted the following: 5(2*3)-4=26.
It didn't use the same multiplication symbol twice so that's why I counted it.

Correctly solved by:

1. John Funk Ventura, California
2. Hazen Dickerson Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
3. Austin Hale Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
4. Tawny Bugas Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
5. Trey Briggs Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
6. Kaycie Rees Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
7. Michael Black Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
8. Zachary Gray Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
9. Cassie Henry Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
10. Sierra West Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
11. Makayla Wisenbaker Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
12. Preston Condos Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
13. Tori Johnson Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
14. Chelsea Sidwell Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
15. Ali Lindemood Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
16. Taiya Cheney Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
17. Courtney Peterson Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
18. Sammy Hood Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
19. Kaylie Johnson Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
20. Bo Aimone Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
21. Mark Kampman Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
22. Clint Lamb Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
23. Michael Brown Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
24. McKinna Salsbury Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming