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Vamshi Jandhyala

Books · Number Puzzles

Chapter 46

One Hundred from Nine Digits

Using each of the digits 11 to 99 exactly once, and only plus signs and a fraction bar, write an expression equal to 100100.

Solution

A neat one is 91+5742638=91+9=100,91 + \frac{5742}{638} = 91 + 9 = 100, in which the digits 9,1,5,7,4,2,6,3,89, 1, 5, 7, 4, 2, 6, 3, 8 are precisely 11 to 99, each used once. There are several others in the same spirit, for instance 81+7524396=81+19=100and82+3546197=82+18=100,81 + \frac{7524}{396} = 81 + 19 = 100 \qquad \text{and} \qquad 82 + \frac{3546}{197} = 82 + 18 = 100, each again using every digit once. The knack is to pick the whole-number part, see how much is missing from 100100, and then arrange the leftover digits into a fraction equal to that shortfall.