Author Topic: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this... (Read 256 times)

Wizard X · « **on:** March 01, 2011, 03:13:23 AM »

The following math problem illustrates the essence of hacking:

Use each of the numbers 1, 3, 4, and 6 exactly once with any of the four basic math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to total 24. Each number must be used once and only once, and you may define the order of operations; for example, 3 * (4 + 6) + 1 = 31 is valid, however incorrect, since it doesn't total 24.

The rules for this problem are well defined and simple, yet the answer eludes many. Like the solution to this problem (shown later), hacking solutions follow the rules of the system, but they use those rules in counterintuitive ways. This gives hackers their edge, allowing them to solve problems in ways unimaginable for those confined to conventional thinking and methodologies.

Sedit · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2011, 06:22:25 AM »

(61/3 = 20.3333333) + 4 = 24.3333333

Its got all your numbers but its not a solid 24 so its more then likely not the answer, Ill give it a few more minutes tommorow since I love brain teasers.

As close as ima come right now its almost 1:30 in the morn. A real hacker works best at around 3:30 or whenever the brain starts to really shut down IMO. Somethings come natural when your brain is half asleep but sometimes lifes to demanding to stay up till your brain hits that sweet spot, ya know what I mean?

btw I doubt it but since zero is not really a number can I add that to the list to use because ifso I have an easy solution using a 10

Oerlikon · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2011, 04:38:15 PM »

Sedit is right!
I thought I am the only weirdo who thinks most clearly when very tired!

Those two things poped-up in my mind:

Maybe: (6x4)+(1x0)+(3x0)=24

or

6/(1-(3/4))=24

since 3/4=0.75
1-0.75=0.25
6/0.25=24

Vesp · « **Reply #3 on:** March 01, 2011, 08:31:03 PM »

Yep, that was fun - have any other brain/hacker type questions like this?

Wizard X · « **Reply #4 on:** March 01, 2011, 11:50:20 PM »

Quote from: Oerlikon on March 01, 2011, 04:38:15 PM

Sedit is right!
I thought I am the only weirdo who thinks most clearly when very tired!

Those two things poped-up in my mind:

Maybe: (6x4)+(1x0)+(3x0)=24

or

6/(1-(3/4))=24

since 3/4=0.75
1-0.75=0.25
6/0.25=24

GOOD! I'll post another one soon?

lugh · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2011, 12:11:04 AM »

How many cats are in a small room if in each of the four corners a cat is sitting, and opposite each cat there sit three cats, and at each cat's tail a cat is sitting ?

Happyman · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2011, 12:48:21 AM »

Vesp · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2011, 01:00:50 AM »

12?
.. or maybe 4. Depends on how seriously they are taking the word opposite...

Oerlikon · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2011, 02:10:04 AM »

4

If "and at each cat's tail a cat is sitting" means each cat sits on it's own tail!

Vesp · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2011, 03:01:36 AM »

I was imagining the room was so small that they could sit on one another tail, but than I started to think they couldn't be facing their opposites...

Good point about sitting on their own tails, also doesn't say what end of the tail a cat is sitting - so it wouldn't even need to be sitting on its own tail, but just sitting.

Oerlikon · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2011, 03:49:45 AM »

Try to break my old password:

If you have this:

QRODP*8694

What number is in the place of "*"!?
It's a blank version (that means only on degree of encription) of code I invented.
It's VERY effective to protect your info,as long as I know there is no standard
program can calculate it (not avoid or guess randomly!) from info you got,only human!

This one is VERY simple,only one person so far figured out the catch!

Sedit · « **Reply #11 on:** March 02, 2011, 05:54:05 AM »

Quote from: Oerlikon on March 01, 2011, 04:38:15 PM

Sedit is right!
I thought I am the only weirdo who thinks most clearly when very tired!

Those two things poped-up in my mind:

Maybe: (6x4)+(1x0)+(3x0)=24

or

6/(1-(3/4))=24

since 3/4=0.75
1-0.75=0.25
6/0.25=24

Nice one Oerlikon, how long did it take you? I worked on it for id have to say around 15 minutes perhaps but I knew if I kept focusing on it I would have been screwed because if I couldnt get it I would have become obsesed and not gotten any sleep.

timecube · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2011, 01:50:37 PM »

How about a real hacker question. I'll upload 2000 pages of obfuscated assembly printouts and you get to scan through it for integer overflows

The original question really isn't too far off, because after you find something it's just hours on end of juggling moving parts thinking "Now how the hell can I make it do THAT?"

Oerlikon · « **Reply #13 on:** March 02, 2011, 04:45:20 PM »

Quote from: Sedit on March 02, 2011, 05:54:05 AM

Quote from: Oerlikon on March 01, 2011, 04:38:15 PM
Sedit is right!
I thought I am the only weirdo who thinks most clearly when very tired!

Those two things poped-up in my mind:

Maybe: (6x4)+(1x0)+(3x0)=24

or

6/(1-(3/4))=24

since 3/4=0.75
1-0.75=0.25
6/0.25=24

Nice one Oerlikon, how long did it take you? I worked on it for id have to say around 15 minutes perhaps but I knew if I kept focusing on it I would have been screwed because if I couldnt get it I would have become obsesed and not gotten any sleep.

Tried to use division and numbers between 0 and 1 since that is what most people avoid (including me) and answer just poped-out!
I am not realy a hacker... it was a simple math and I was forced to practice it a lot for exams,that's all!

Timecube,I don't know what that even means!

Sedit · « **Reply #14 on:** March 02, 2011, 05:29:08 PM »

Quote from: timecube on March 02, 2011, 01:50:37 PM

How about a real hacker question. I'll upload 2000 pages of obfuscated assembly printouts and you get to scan through it for integer overflows

The original question really isn't too far off, because after you find something it's just hours on end of juggling moving parts thinking "Now how the hell can I make it do THAT?"

Wouldn't it just be more fun to alter one variable and for no reason what so ever the entire algorith system you where using fails and does not seem to recover even when you replace the variables value back to what it was? Oh yeh those are some good times. Good enough that it made me realize I was never going to professionally be a programmer and im almost glad I got booted from school because it was setup at that time that upon graduation we where going to be placed into various Jobs fixing systems to avert Y2K. It would have been the start of a job that would have caused me to lose my mind sooner or later. The pressure of having a time limit on when the program had to be released would have surely caused me to crack. Still wouldn't mind that payday that I would have been getting though.

Sedit · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2011, 05:33:49 PM »

Quote from: lugh on March 02, 2011, 12:11:04 AM

How many cats are in a small room if in each of the four corners a cat is sitting, and opposite each cat there sit three cats, and at each cat's tail a cat is sitting ?

I dont know if I understand correctly but if there are 4 corners and 3 cats opposing the other cat then the only answer could be 3*4=12. The useless tail information got everyone confused I think. There has to be 3 cats in every corner in order for the statement to be logically true.

[edit]

Curious, Happy... how did you come up with 7?

Oerlikon · « **Reply #16 on:** March 02, 2011, 05:45:27 PM »

No Sedit,it's a simple trick question. Tail part is there to confuse you.
If you have "normal" room with 4 corners and each casts stays in one corner facing room(not wall)
and facing other 3 cats that stay in other 3 corners.

It's question like: "Plane full of refuges crashes on the border of 2 neutral states,where will the wounded ones be burried?"

Wizard X · « **Reply #17 on:** March 03, 2011, 03:01:27 AM »

Quote from: Oerlikon on March 02, 2011, 04:45:20 PM

Quote from: Sedit on March 02, 2011, 05:54:05 AM
Quote from: Oerlikon on March 01, 2011, 04:38:15 PM
Sedit is right!
I thought I am the only weirdo who thinks most clearly when very tired!

Those two things poped-up in my mind:

Maybe: (6x4)+(1x0)+(3x0)=24

or

6/(1-(3/4))=24

since 3/4=0.75
1-0.75=0.25
6/0.25=24

Nice one Oerlikon, how long did it take you? I worked on it for id have to say around 15 minutes perhaps but I knew if I kept focusing on it I would have been screwed because if I couldnt get it I would have become obsesed and not gotten any sleep.

Tried to use division and numbers between 0 and 1 since that is what most people avoid (including me) and answer just poped-out!
I am not realy a hacker... it was a simple math and I was forced to practice it a lot for exams,that's all!

Timecube,I don't know what that even means!

Use each of the numbers 1, 3, 4, and 6 exactly once with any of the four basic math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to total 24. Each number must be used once and only once, and you may define the order of operations; for example, 3 * (4 + 6) + 1 = 31 is valid, however incorrect, since it doesn't total 24.

I made it simpler with the "for example, 3 * (4 + 6) + 1 = 31" Many don't think to use brackets ( ) as it states, "Use each of the numbers 1, 3, 4, and 6 exactly once with any of the four basic math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to total 24. Each number must be used once and only once, and you may define the order of operations"

akcom · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2011, 03:49:35 PM »

Quote from: timecube on March 02, 2011, 01:50:37 PM

How about a real hacker question. I'll upload 2000 pages of obfuscated assembly printouts and you get to scan through it for integer overflows

The original question really isn't too far off, because after you find something it's just hours on end of juggling moving parts thinking "Now how the hell can I make it do THAT?"

QTF

edit: Now-a-days though You've got a fuzzer that can do a damn good job. And much quicker too.

atara · « **Reply #19 on:** March 03, 2011, 07:17:03 PM »

6 / (1 - 3/4)

Got this without scrolling down, what do I win?

Author Topic: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this... (Read 256 times)

Wizard X

Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Sedit

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Oerlikon

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Vesp

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Wizard X

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

lugh

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Happyman

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Vesp

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Oerlikon

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Vesp

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Oerlikon

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Sedit

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

timecube

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Oerlikon

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Sedit

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Sedit

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Oerlikon

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

Wizard X

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

akcom

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...

atara

Re: Can you be a HACKER? Solve this...