Magic Gopher

[Vixynne Rose]

Someone sent this to me in an email...and I'm not sure if it's the late--er, early--hour, or the fact that I'm SO incredibly un-math-oriented, but this is spooky!
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/games/magic-gopher-central.swf (http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/games/magic-gopher-central.swf)

Can anyone tell me how it works?

[Peaches O Malley]

That was cool! It worked for me. ;-)

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

Can anyone tell me how it works?
Just walk through it using variables instead of actual numbers and you'll see how it works.

"Think of a number with two digits".
Let's use "xy" as our two digit number, where x is the tens digit and y is the ones digit.

Such a number is expressed as 10x + y.

"Add the two numbers together"
x + y

"Subtract the new number from the original number"
(10x + y) - (x + y)

10x + y - x - y

10x - x + y - y

9x + 0

9x

So the number we finally end up with will always be a multiple of 9 (specifically, 9 times the tens digit of our original number {i.e.: 43 -> 9 * 4 -> 36})

"Look at the symbol next to your number"
Notice that every multiple of 9 in the list (9,18,27,36,45,54,63,72,81 [but not 90 since we can never end up with 90]) just happens to have the same symbol next to it. No matter what number you start with, you'll alwyas end up with that symbol.

That's all there is to it.

[Vixynne Rose]

Just walk through it using variables instead of actual numbers and you'll see how it works.


Let's use "xy" as our two digit number, where x is the tens digit and y is the ones digit.

Such a number is expressed as 10x + y.


x + y


(10x + y) - (x + y)

10x + y - x - y

10x - x + y - y

9x + 0

9x

So the number we finally end up with will always be a multiple of 9 (specifically, 9 times the tens digit of our original number {i.e.: 43 -> 9 * 4 -> 36})


Notice that every multiple of 9 in the list (9,18,27,36,45,54,63,72,81 [but not 90 since we can never end up with 90]) just happens to have the same symbol next to it. No matter what number you start with, you'll alwyas end up with that symbol.

That's all there is to it.


Cyrano, you're my hero...of course, I knew all along there was a rational explanation, there's no such thing as a magic gopher. I knew it the whole time. Heh.
::whistle::

Seriously, thank you for breaking that down, I'm just not mathematically-gifted. My gifts all lie in other areas. ::wicked::

[Lady Sarah]

Bob got to it faster than I did... something similar ran through the email chains a few years ago and everyone up here couldn't figure it out - it's variables, that's all. I did a re-look at my first go-round's number and it was the same symbol as my second time.

You're basically pre-determined to pick the symbol the program distills, it just adjusts the symbols around the variables.

[WenchLadyKate]

Just walk through it using variables instead of actual numbers and you'll see how it works.


Let's use "xy" as our two digit number, where x is the tens digit and y is the ones digit.

Such a number is expressed as 10x + y.


x + y


(10x + y) - (x + y)

10x + y - x - y

10x - x + y - y

9x + 0

9x

So the number we finally end up with will always be a multiple of 9 (specifically, 9 times the tens digit of our original number {i.e.: 43 -> 9 * 4 -> 36})


Notice that every multiple of 9 in the list (9,18,27,36,45,54,63,72,81 [but not 90 since we can never end up with 90]) just happens to have the same symbol next to it. No matter what number you start with, you'll alwyas end up with that symbol.

That's all there is to it.

Algebra!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!! :augh::augh::augh:
(got an A, BTW...)

[renren]

Algebra!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!! :augh::augh::augh:
(got an A, BTW...)

I hated it, could never pass it!:grumpy:

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

Seriously, thank you for breaking that down, I'm just not mathematically-gifted. My gifts all lie in other areas. ::wicked::
Well, having demonstrated my skills for you, I'm certainly looking forward to the opportunity for you to return the favor..... http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/1377/404nq.gif

[Vixynne Rose]

Well, having demonstrated my skills for you, I'm certainly looking forward to the opportunity for you to return the favor..... http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/1377/404nq.gif

But of course!

::knits you a sword-warmer::


(I'm kidding, I can't knit.) :lol:

[Lady Sarah]

But of course!

::knits you a sword-warmer::


(I'm kidding, I can't knit.) :lol:

that anything like a willie warmer? :shhh:

[Vixynne Rose]

that anything like a willie warmer? :shhh:

Willie?

I thought his name was Bob? ::twirls hair blondely:: ::bateyel:


*rotfl*