Question

Puzzle time: You are allowed to use any number of mathematical operators or functions (e.g. +, -, *, /, sin, cos, tan, factorial, sqrt, etc) but only two constants both of which must be the number 2.

Answer 1

Use these rules to produce the number 5.

Answer 2

what r sin cos tan and factorial?

Answer 3

they are trigometry functions

Answer 4

*trigonometry

Answer 5

i dont knw em..

Answer 6

do we need to know then for this?

Answer 7

I know of two ways of solving this - one requires the use of trig functions but the other one does not...

Answer 8

3+2

Answer 9

you are not allowed to use the number 3. the only "number" you can use are 2 and 2 - i.e. two 2's

Answer 10

o..

Answer 11

Can you use floor and ceiling functions?

Answer 12

Unfortunately not...

Answer 13

do u have to use both of the 2s?

Answer 14

yes - the expression you end up with must have exactly two 2's within it

Answer 15

ok

Answer 16

haha thts what ijust typed in my calc

Answer 17

but its not 5

Answer 18

@moneybird - that works out to be 2 doesn't it?

Answer 19

i though it needs to be equal to 2 my bad

Answer 20

:-)

Answer 21

haha yea

Answer 22

can there be more 2s?

Answer 23

trying to use floor and ceiling functions was a clever thought though @moneybird

Answer 24

what r floor and ceiling functions?

Answer 25

floor(1.5678)=1
ceiling(1.5678)=2

Answer 26

floor basically says "drop the decimal part"

Answer 27

ceiling says "round down to integer"

Answer 28

*up

Answer 29

o

Answer 30

can we more than just two 2s?

Answer 31

nope

Answer 32

hmm

Answer 33

both answers that I have are /fairly/ simple - so no magical complicated functions are needed

Answer 34

o..

Answer 35

is one of them with no trignometric functions in it?

Answer 36

correct

Answer 37

ok..so it has like somple ones tht a third grader is familiar with?

Answer 38

yup

Answer 39

like +,-,/,*

Answer 40

a bit more than just those...

Answer 41

factorial and sqrt?

Answer 42

it has sqrt and powers in it...

Answer 43

o..

Answer 44

if i use 2 as a power, does it still count as one of the 2s?

Answer 45

yes

Answer 46

but the purer answer uses only trig functions

Answer 47

argh..

Answer 48

who said this was going to be easy? ;-)

Answer 49

not me!

Answer 50

:-)

Answer 51

hmmm i need clues...

Answer 52

I gave you a clue already:
it has sqrt and powers in it...

Answer 53

but u can have only two 2s! and if i say 2 to the power of 2 then my 2s r used!!!!

Answer 54

correct - so think of other ways of using sqrt and powers - and remember "power" does not mean it has to be to the power to "2". as long as the only digits that appear in the answer are two 2's - then the solution is valid.

Answer 55

so u mean they can be to the power of any number?

Answer 56

if I say anymore I will give the answer away :-)

Answer 57

hmmmmmmmm