perplexus.info :: Numbers : Bus Number

Bus Number (Posted on 2003-03-04)

While visiting a small town in some country, I lost my overcoat in a bus. When I reported the matter to the bus company I was asked the number of the bus. Though I did not remember the exact number of the bus, I did remember that the bus number had a certain peculiarity about it.

The number plate showed the bus number as a perfect square and also if the plate was turned upside down, the number would still be a perfect square.

I came to know from the bus company they had only five hundred buses numbered from 1 to 500. From this I was able to deduce the number.

Can you find out the bus number and the other one, too ?

Submitted by Ravi Raja

Rating: 2.7000 (10 votes)

Solution: (Hide)

The only numbers that can be turned upside down and still be read as a number are 0,1,6,8 and 9.The numbers 0,1 and 8 remain remain the same when turned over, but 6 becomes 9 and 9 becomes 6.Therefore the possible numbers on the bus were 9,16,81,100,169 or 196. However the number 196 is the only number which becomes a perfect square when turned over (as 961 is the square of 31).
Therefore, 196 is the correct answer.

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)

Subject	Author	Date
re: hahaha ^^	jduval	2007-07-08 13:54:39
No Subject	K Sengupta	2007-03-08 12:14:58
hahaha ^^	Amon	2005-05-03 00:37:52
what about	Muy Wong	2004-05-27 22:20:00
maybe	logischer Verstand	2004-04-28 19:16:56
spizy	Rohan Shah	2004-03-28 05:13:43
some hints	red_sox_fan_032003	2004-02-27 00:04:29
possible sol.	Jesse	2003-09-21 05:37:52
Not really	Gamer	2003-08-14 21:40:04
2 solutions (ones a cheat)	FatBoy	2003-08-14 19:02:32
re(3): Solutions	Ravi Raja	2003-03-05 03:52:22
re(2): Solutions	fwaff	2003-03-05 03:25:54
re: Solutions	Ravi Raja	2003-03-04 21:56:51
Solutions	fwaff	2003-03-04 21:46:54
Solution	Bryan	2003-03-04 09:40:02

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