You can use the digits 1,2,and 3 once only and any mathematical symbols you are aware of, but no symbol is to be used more than once. The challenge is to see if you can make the smallest positive number.

Special rules: You cannot use Euler's number or pi or infinity.

Special thanks to: Rhonda Wendel for Make the most of these digits and for the problem text which was slightly altered.

(In reply to Solution by pavlos)

However, the limit in this case is equal to 1/(infinity), and so has no actual value. Obviously Alan did not intend for people to try and use limits, because that's too easy. There are several ways, and so I believe we want a method of finding a very small value that has only one way of being obtained. I do like the idea though, it's just that the situation doesn't really call for it.

Edited on March 23, 2006, 9:37 am

Posted by Justin on 2006-03-17 21:05:25