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Carpe Diem (Posted on 2023-04-07) Difficulty: 3 of 5
I’ve asked my wife to select a certain date in a format MM/DD and she replied: 04/17 adding an unsolicited remark: …”and, mind you, it is my birthday and it is just around the corner…!

I tried the digits 0,1,4,7 as a candidate generator of all the dates in April i.e. 1 to 30 (in my head, of course) : 1, 1+0!, 4-1, 4, 4+1, 7-1, …7*4+1, 7*4+1+0! and (check whether I err) found out that her date allows to create all the dates of April.

Now - solve the following puzzle:

a. How many dates in a leap year can be considered “a perfect generator” for the month they represent, provided each of the four digits of MM/DD can be used once and any of the operators “+ - * / ^ and ! “ twice at most. Concatenation: only numbers.
b. What dates are the worst generators i.e. create the lowest quantity of dates?
c. What perfect generator has the lowest sum of digits in its MMDD?
d. What would be the answer to a. if a sqrt operator were allowed as well?

Brackets, of course, are allowed.

No Solution Yet Submitted by Ady TZIDON    
Rating: 4.0000 (1 votes)

Comments: ( Back to comment list | You must be logged in to post comments.)
re: checking Ady and a - c -- the programs | Comment 2 of 5 |
(In reply to checking Ady and a - c by Charlie)

Program to produce main list:

clc,clearvars
global phi availOps stack availDigs forms   form vrange had 
phi=(1+sqrt(5))/2;
digSet=1:9;
availOps='+-*/!';  % note no v in version w/o sq root
stack=[];
% availDigs=digSet;
% availDigs=[0 1 4 7];
form='';

moLen=[31 29 31 30 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31];
for mo= 1:12
  extraDig=['0' char(string(mo))];
  extraDig=extraDig(end-1:end);
  for day=1:moLen(mo)
    tic
    dayDig=['0' char(string(day))];
    dayDig=dayDig(end-1:end);
    availDigs=[extraDig dayDig]-48;
%     disp(availDigs);
    vrange=1:moLen(mo); had=zeros(1,31);
    form=''; forms={};
    findIt()
    ct=0;
    for i=1:length(forms)
      if length(forms{i})>0
        ct=ct+1;
      end
    end
    fprintf('%4s %3d %3d\n',strcat(availDigs+48),moLen(mo),ct)
    toc
  end
end

function findIt()
global phi availOps stack availDigs forms   form vrange had 
% form
% stack
% disp(' ')
for whDig=1:length(availDigs)
   dig=availDigs(whDig);
   availDigs(whDig)=[];
   stack=[stack dig];
   saveform=form;
   form=[form char(string(dig)) ','];
   if length(stack)==1
     if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
       if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
         had(stack(end))=stack(end);
         forms{stack(end)}=form;
       else
         if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
           had(stack(end))=stack(end);
           forms{stack(end)}=form;
         end
       end
     end
   end
   if length(form)<22
   findIt();
   end
   stack(length(stack))=[];
   form=saveform;
   availDigs=[availDigs(1:whDig-1) dig availDigs(whDig:end)];

   idxcom=find(form==',');
   if length(idxcom)==1
     idxcom=[0 idxcom];
   end
   if length(idxcom)>=2
     saveform=form;
     stacksave=stack;
     
     if ~isnan(str2double(form(idxcom(end-1)+1:idxcom(end)-1)))
       stack(end)=10*stack(end)+dig;
       availDigs(whDig)=[];
       form=[form(1:idxcom(end)-1) char(string(dig)) ','];
       if length(stack)==1
         if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
           if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
             had(stack(end))=stack(end);
             forms{stack(end)}=form;
           else
             if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
               had(stack(end))=stack(end);
               forms{stack(end)}=form;
             end
           end
         end
       end
       findIt();
       availDigs=[availDigs(1:whDig-1) dig availDigs(whDig:end)];
     end
   
     stack=stacksave;
     form=saveform;
   end
end
if length(stack)>0
  for whOp=1:length(availOps)
    Op=availOps(whOp);
    if length(strfind(form,Op))>=2 || Op~='!' && Op~="v" && length(stack)<2
      continue
    end
    saveform=form;
    stacksave=stack;
    form=[form Op ','];
    if Op=='!'  
      if stack(end)>=0 && stack(end)<=17 && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
        stack(end)=factorial(stack(end));
          if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
            if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
              had(stack(end))=stack(end);
              forms{stack(end)}=form;
            else
              if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
                had(stack(end))=stack(end);
                forms{stack(end)}=form;
              end
            end
          end
        if length(form)<22
          findIt();
        end
      end
    elseif Op=='v'
      if stack(end)>=0 
        stack(end)=sqrt(stack(end));
        if length(stack)==1 && length(char(string(stack(end))))<8
          if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
            if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
              had(stack(end))=stack(end);
              forms{stack(end)}=form;
            else
              if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
                had(stack(end))=stack(end);
                forms{stack(end)}=form;
              end
            end
          end
        end
        if length(form)<22
          findIt();
        end
      end
      
    else
      if (Op~='/' || stack(end)~=0) && length(stack)>=2
        v=eval([num2str(stack(end-1),16) Op num2str(stack(end),16)]);
        stack=[stack(1:end-2) v];
        if length(stack)==1
          if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
            if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
              had(stack(end))=stack(end);
              forms{stack(end)}=form;
            else
              if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
                had(stack(end))=stack(end);
                forms{stack(end)}=form;
              end
            end
          end
        end

        if length(form)<22
          findIt();
        end
      end
    end
    stack=stacksave;
    form=saveform;
  end
end

end

Note the 'v' Op code was excluded, though the code for calculating square root was included. However when it was activated by placing v in the list of available operations, execution time exploded, and it was not worthwhile to try portion d of the puzzle.

Program to produce and analyze statistics:


 fid=fopen('c:\VB5 Projects\flooble\carpe diem new.txt','r');
 mo=0;
 totct=0;moCt=0;
 worst=99; worstday={}; lowsod=9999; lowestsodday={};
 while ~feof(fid)
   l=fgetl(fid);
   prevmo=mo;
   mo=str2double(l(1:2));
   if mo>prevmo
     daysInMo=str2double(l(7:8));
     fprintf('%2d %2d\n',prevmo, moCt)
     moCt=0;    
   end
   day=str2double(l(3:4));
   dayct=str2double(l(11:12));
   if dayct==daysInMo
     disp(l)
     totct=totct+1; moCt=moCt+1;
     sumdig=sum(l(1:4)-48);
     if sumdig <=lowsod
       if sumdig<lowsod
         lowestsodday={};
       end      
       lowsod=sumdig;
       lowestsodday{end+1}=l(1:4);
     end    
   else
     if dayct<=worst
       if dayct<worst
         worstday={};
       end      
       worst=dayct;
       worstday{end+1}=l(1:4);
     end
   end
 end
 fclose('all');
 fprintf('%2d %2d\n',prevmo, moCt)
 
 disp (totct)
 fprintf('worst dates(%2d):\n',worst);
 for i=1:length(worstday)
   disp(worstday{i})
 end
 disp('low sod:')
 for i=1:length(lowestsodday)
   disp(lowestsodday{i})
 end

Program for an individual date (the first written, for verifying 0417:

clc,clear
global phi availOps stack availDigs forms   form vrange had 
phi=(1+sqrt(5))/2;
digSet=1:9;
availOps='+-*/!';
stack=[];
availDigs=digSet;
availDigs=[0 4 1 7];
form='';
forms={};

vrange=1:30; had=zeros(1,31);
findIt()

for i=1:length(forms)
 % disp(forms{i})
  fprintf('%3d %s\n',i,forms{i})
end


function findIt()
global phi availOps stack availDigs forms   form vrange had 
% form
% stack
% disp(' ')
for whDig=1:length(availDigs)
   dig=availDigs(whDig);
   if dig==3
     xx=99;
   end
   availDigs(whDig)=[];
   stack=[stack dig];
   saveform=form;
   form=[form char(string(dig)) ','];
   if length(stack)==1
     if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
       if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
         had(stack(end))=stack(end);
         forms{stack(end)}=form;
       else
         if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
           had(stack(end))=stack(end);
           forms{stack(end)}=form;
         end
       end
     end
   end
   findIt();
   stack(length(stack))=[];
   form=saveform;
   availDigs=[availDigs(1:whDig-1) dig availDigs(whDig:end)];

   idxcom=find(form==',');
   if length(idxcom)==1
     idxcom=[0 idxcom];
   end
   if length(idxcom)>=2
     saveform=form;
     stacksave=stack;
     
     if ~isnan(str2double(form(idxcom(end-1)+1:idxcom(end)-1)))
       stack(end)=10*stack(end)+dig;
       availDigs(whDig)=[];
       form=[form(1:idxcom(end)-1) char(string(dig)) ','];
       if length(stack)==1
         if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
           if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
             had(stack(end))=stack(end);
             forms{stack(end)}=form;
           else
             if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
               had(stack(end))=stack(end);
               forms{stack(end)}=form;
             end
           end
         end
       end
       findIt();
       availDigs=[availDigs(1:whDig-1) dig availDigs(whDig:end)];
     end

   
     stack=stacksave;
     form=saveform;
   end
end
if length(stack)>0
  for whOp=1:length(availOps)
    Op=availOps(whOp);
    if length(strfind(form,Op))>=2 || Op~='!'&& length(stack)<2
      continue
    end
    saveform=form;
    stacksave=stack;
    form=[form Op ','];
    if Op=='!'  
      if stack(end)>=0 && stack(end)<=17 && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
        stack(end)=factorial(stack(end));
%         if length(stack)==1
          if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
            if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
              had(stack(end))=stack(end);
              forms{stack(end)}=form;
            else
              if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
                had(stack(end))=stack(end);
                forms{stack(end)}=form;
              end
            end
          end
%         end
        if length(form)<22
          findIt();
        end
      end
    else
      if Op~='/' || stack(end)~=0
        v=eval([num2str(stack(end-1),16) Op num2str(stack(end),16)]);
        stack=[stack(1:end-2) v];
        if length(stack)==1
          if stack(end)>=vrange(1) && stack(end)<=vrange(end) && stack(end)==floor(stack(end))
            if ~ismember(stack(end),had)
              had(stack(end))=stack(end);
              forms{stack(end)}=form;
            else
              if length(form)<length(forms{stack(end)})
                had(stack(end))=stack(end);
                forms{stack(end)}=form;
              end
            end
          end
        end

        if length(form)<22
          findIt();
        end
      end
    end
    stack=stacksave;
    form=saveform;
  end
end

end


  Posted by Charlie on 2023-04-07 17:28:29
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