A friend presented an easy puzzle to me:
"Given the digits 2 3 4 5 6 , insert 4 mathematical operators between them, do not change the order and get 10 as a result."
My solution was (2^3+4)*5/6 to which my friend reacted by:
"Exponentiation is not permitted, use just the 4 arithmetical operations (or less) and not more than one pair of brackets."

I've found a solution and dare you to find it or maybe find other solutions as well.

(In reply to re(2): How about .. 2 questions & 1 remark. by Charlie)

I admit that there was some "red herring", intentional , of course.

Both the "maybe", the exponentation and the D2 were part of my planning to disguise the fact that it should be instantly solved: the numbers' sum is 20, reduce the sum by changing 5
into -5. Piece of cake!

Finding that, one is free to shout "Eureka" or feel cheated or explore the task a little more and enjoy the joke.
 I have also thought that the 1st solver might come up  with one of the more complicated formulas without discovering
the easy one.

Anyway , the purpose was not to avoid a KISS solution,
but make it slighly hidden and less obvious - Columbus' egg....

Posted by Ady TZIDON on 2013-01-05 17:34:10