April 01, 2005

Coded

Follow these directions:

Select any three digit number such that the hundreds digit is at least two greater than the units digit. (For example: 672) Call this number w.
Reverse the digits of w. (For example: 276) Call this number x.
Subtract x from w. Call this remainder y.
Reverse the digits of y. Call this number z.
Add y and z.
Multiply the sum of y and z by 100,000.
From the product obtained in the last step, subtract 8,685,432.

This number is the final answer. However, it is in code. To produce the message, substitute a letter for each digit according to the following key:

0 - o
1 - l
2 - f
3 - m
4 - i
5 - r
6 - p
7 - w
8 - a
9 - g

If your work is correct, you should be able to read the decoded message.


Thanks to shinydome


I know, instead of fooling with this I should have been mailing chap. 1. But I couldn't resist.
w=783
x=387
y=w-x=396
z=693
y+z=1089
1089*100000=108900000
108900000-8685432=100214568 = looflirpa
and reversed...
Hah!

Posted by rakkity.

When you screw up and multiply by 1,000,000 instead of 100,000, it doesn't work completely, but the april part still comes out. Curious............

Posted by mathlete.

Should I take it personally, the lack of an "s" at the end?

Posted by michael.

Wait, Michael. Let me get this straight. YOU post a code to have us come up with April Fool. We do. And then YOU ask if you should take the lack of an "S" personally?

Well, then, I guess the answer is ... "Yes".

Posted by hunh?.

Quintessential Mac puzzle, minus the inordinate amount of thinking required.

Rakkity, thanks for sparing us from getting out pencil (I think I still have one somewhere) and paper!

Posted by smiling.

Might have been a quintessential Mack (that's my father, Jennifer) puzzle, but the generous contributor was shinydome.

Posted by michael.

Clearly I do not have all of my father genes, I was too lazy to figure that out, I just jumped to the comments. Utilized my resources (some other fool wasting his time to figure it out) and now just gained an extra 2 minutes of sleep.
Good night. :-)

Posted by CoffeeBoy.

Posted by Michael at April 1, 2005 10:56 AM
Comments

I know, instead of fooling with this I should have been mailing chap. 1. But I couldn't resist.
w=783
x=387
y=w-x=396
z=693
y+z=1089
1089*100000=108900000
108900000-8685432=100214568 = looflirpa
and reversed...
Hah!

Posted by: rakkityat April 1, 2005 12:59 PM

When you screw up and multiply by 1,000,000 instead of 100,000, it doesn't work completely, but the april part still comes out. Curious............

Posted by: mathleteat April 1, 2005 02:19 PM

Should I take it personally, the lack of an "s" at the end?

Posted by: michaelat April 1, 2005 05:28 PM

Wait, Michael. Let me get this straight. YOU post a code to have us come up with April Fool. We do. And then YOU ask if you should take the lack of an "S" personally?

Well, then, I guess the answer is ... "Yes".

Posted by: hunh?at April 1, 2005 06:58 PM

Quintessential Mac puzzle, minus the inordinate amount of thinking required.

Rakkity, thanks for sparing us from getting out pencil (I think I still have one somewhere) and paper!

Posted by: smilingat April 1, 2005 10:52 PM

Might have been a quintessential Mack (that's my father, Jennifer) puzzle, but the generous contributor was shinydome.

Posted by: michaelat April 2, 2005 07:02 PM

Clearly I do not have all of my father genes, I was too lazy to figure that out, I just jumped to the comments. Utilized my resources (some other fool wasting his time to figure it out) and now just gained an extra 2 minutes of sleep.
Good night. :-)

Posted by: CoffeeBoyat April 4, 2005 10:38 PM