Mathematicians and Number Lovers Rejoice: The Quest Begins for Twenty-Six
As we bid farewell to 2025, a unique year in our century due to its square number status, we're left with an intriguing mathematical challenge. The year itself can be expressed as the sum of two squares, namely 44^2 = 1936 and 45^2 = 2025. But what's next? The number 2026 is just around the corner, and with it comes a puzzle that will put our math skills to the test.
The puzzle in question asks us to find an expression equal to 26 using only the four basic operations (+, -, x, ÷), brackets, exponentiation, and concatenation. But there's a twist: we can use different numbers of digits, as long as they're all single-digit numbers. Think you're up for the challenge?
The original puzzle offers several hints, including expressions that equal 26 using five 9s, six 8s, six 7s, six 6s, four 5s, six 4s, four 3s, and four 2s. But don't worry if you get stuck - no spoilers here! We want to hear from you about what you love most about the number 26.
Math enthusiasts will appreciate the fact that this puzzle is inspired by Inder Taneja's paper "26 and 2026 in Numbers and Magic Squares." If you're as fascinated by numbers as we are, check out his website, numbers-magic.com. And if you have a great puzzle suggestion for our journalist-in-residence, email us! We'll be back with the solutions at 5pm UK time, but first, let's enjoy this mathematical quest together and share your favorite things about the number 26.
As we bid farewell to 2025, a unique year in our century due to its square number status, we're left with an intriguing mathematical challenge. The year itself can be expressed as the sum of two squares, namely 44^2 = 1936 and 45^2 = 2025. But what's next? The number 2026 is just around the corner, and with it comes a puzzle that will put our math skills to the test.
The puzzle in question asks us to find an expression equal to 26 using only the four basic operations (+, -, x, ÷), brackets, exponentiation, and concatenation. But there's a twist: we can use different numbers of digits, as long as they're all single-digit numbers. Think you're up for the challenge?
The original puzzle offers several hints, including expressions that equal 26 using five 9s, six 8s, six 7s, six 6s, four 5s, six 4s, four 3s, and four 2s. But don't worry if you get stuck - no spoilers here! We want to hear from you about what you love most about the number 26.
Math enthusiasts will appreciate the fact that this puzzle is inspired by Inder Taneja's paper "26 and 2026 in Numbers and Magic Squares." If you're as fascinated by numbers as we are, check out his website, numbers-magic.com. And if you have a great puzzle suggestion for our journalist-in-residence, email us! We'll be back with the solutions at 5pm UK time, but first, let's enjoy this mathematical quest together and share your favorite things about the number 26.
. This math puzzle thingy has me super stoked 
! Twenty-six is literally so cool 
. I mean, who needs a fancy number when you can have one that's made up of squares? 44^2 and 45^2 all the way 
. And using different numbers of digits with just single-digit numbers sounds like such a fun challenge 
.
. Do we have any other number lovers out there who can share their favorite puzzles or brain teasers? That would be awesome 
. Can't wait for the solutions at 5pm UK time, gonna need my caffeine fix 
️!
. and yeah, using different numbers of digits with basic operations is definitely a challenge 
. can't wait to see if people come up with creative solutions! 
️
! I mean, I'm all for a good brain teaser, but sometimes it feels like they're just trying to drive us crazy with all those numbers and operations 
!
. And 26 itself is just such a unique number 
It's like a math scavenger hunt!
I'm loving how much excitement there is around finding a solution to this puzzle. As someone who's had their fair share of late nights spent staring at numbers trying to figure them out, I can appreciate the thrill of the chase! 
. I've been playing around with some expressions using single-digit numbers and it's surprising how many combinations you can come up with 
. Can't wait to see what others come up with! 
What I find most appealing is the fact that anyone can give it a go, no matter their skill level