An interesting math problem
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg36106] An interesting math problem
- From: timreh719 at yahoo.com.tw (bryan)
- Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 05:52:19 -0400 (EDT)
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Hi All: I have a very interesting math problem:If I have a scales,and I have 40 things that their mass range from 1~40 which each is a nature number,and now I can only make 4 counterweights to measure out each mass of those things.Question:What mass should the counterweights be??? The answer is that 1,3,9,27 and I wnat to use mathematica to solve this problem. In fact,I think that this physical problem has various answer,ex.2,4,19,28 this way also work,because if I have a thing which weight 3 , and I can measure out by comparing 2<3<4 . But,If I want to solve this math problem: {x|x=+-a+-b+-c+-d}={1,2,3,4,,,,,,40} where a,b,c,d is nature numbers. How to solve it ?? Thank you very much in advance and hope mail to me your method and mathematica solving method. appreciate any idea sharing sincerely bryan