In the following alphametic multiplication puzzle, each of the small letters denotes a different base ten digit from 0 to 9. However, each asterisk represents a base ten digit from 0 to 9, whether same or different. None of the numbers can contain any leading zero.

         * * *
         * * *
        -------
         * * *
      s o *
   * * *
--------------
 s i m p l e
--------------

What is the number represented by "simple"?

    199
    515
-------    
    995
   199
  995
-------  
 102485

The program didn't check to assure that the o was different from the remaining letters, but only one solution came out anyway and it fit that requirement also.

FOR a = 100 TO 999
FOR b = 100 TO 999
 simple = a * b
 IF simple >= 102345 AND simple <= 987654 THEN
  s$ = LTRIM$(STR$(simple))
  good = 1
  FOR i = 1 TO 5
    IF INSTR(MID$(s$, i + 1), MID$(s$, i, 1)) > 0 THEN good = 0: EXIT FOR
  NEXT
  IF good THEN
      b1 = b \ 100
      b2 = (b \ 10) MOD 10
      b3 = b MOD 10
        i1 = b3 * a
        IF i1 >= 100 AND i1 <= 999 THEN
          i2 = b2 * a
          IF i2 >= 100 AND i2 <= 999 THEN
             i3 = b1 * a
             IF i3 >= 100 AND i3 <= 999 THEN
              IF simple \ 100000 = i2 \ 100 THEN
                PRINT a: PRINT b: PRINT i1: PRINT i2: PRINT i3: PRINT simple: PRINT
              END IF
             END IF
          END IF
        END IF
  END IF
 END IF
NEXT
NEXT

 

Posted by Charlie on 2010-02-07 14:37:39