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Mental arithmetic

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  • W W Balboos GHB

    Answer: 2 (ALL IN M'HEAD) I pretty much know those squares by heart. First 3 = 365 (already a hint): 1 Next two 169 + (200-4) = 365: 1 1 + 1 = 2

    Ravings en masse^

    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

    "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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    Jorgen Andersson
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    W∴ Balboos, GHB wrote:

    I pretty much know those squares by heart.

    Obviously, why did I expect anything else. :)

    Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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    • J Jorgen Andersson

      There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

      Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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      kmoorevs
      wrote on last edited by
      #11

      I did not use a calculator or a notepad. :laugh: I've been working in JavaScript for too long. This is how I visualized it:

              result = 0.0;
              for (i = 10; i < 15; i++) {
                  result += Math.pow(i, 2);
              }
              result = result / 365;
      

      The question reminded me of writing my first basic programs to solve high school geometry and advanced math homework problems. (class of '85)

      "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse

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      • W W Balboos GHB

        Answer: 2 (ALL IN M'HEAD) I pretty much know those squares by heart. First 3 = 365 (already a hint): 1 Next two 169 + (200-4) = 365: 1 1 + 1 = 2

        Ravings en masse^

        "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

        "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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        James McCullough
        wrote on last edited by
        #12

        I did it the same way. But then, I'm an accountant, so.... Kind of a nerd as-is.

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        • J Jon McKee

          10^2 = 1 0*2 0^2 = 100 11^2 = 1 1*2 1^2 = 121 12^2 = 1 2*2 2^2 = 144 13^2 = 1 3*2 3^2 = 169 14^2 = 1 4*2 4^2 = 196 (the last term (16) carries the one over, so 4*2+1 = 9) Add those up: 365 + 365 (365 + 365)/365 = (365/365) ((1 + 1)/1) = 1 * 2 = 2

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          Nelek
          wrote on last edited by
          #13

          Elegant way to do it. :thumbsup:

          M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.

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          • J Jorgen Andersson

            There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

            Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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            Joop Eggen
            wrote on last edited by
            #14

            (12-2)²+(12-1)²+12²+(12+1)²+(12+2)² using (a+b)² = a²+2ab+b² will cancel those 2ab. Hence remains 5*12² + 2*4 + 2*1 = 5*146 = 10*73 = 730. Divided by 365 = 2. So the exercise is indeed for the application of (a+b)²+(a-b)² = 2a²+2b².

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            • J Joop Eggen

              (12-2)²+(12-1)²+12²+(12+1)²+(12+2)² using (a+b)² = a²+2ab+b² will cancel those 2ab. Hence remains 5*12² + 2*4 + 2*1 = 5*146 = 10*73 = 730. Divided by 365 = 2. So the exercise is indeed for the application of (a+b)²+(a-b)² = 2a²+2b².

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              Jorgen Andersson
              wrote on last edited by
              #15

              Yeah! This was my solution as well.

              Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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              • J Jorgen Andersson

                There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                Caslen
                wrote on last edited by
                #16

                1. Each square is approximately 20 more than the previous, so 5x100+20+40+60+80=700, estimating a correction for the approximation and assuming a whole number solution as it's a mental arithmetic problem then the total is 730 and the answer is 2. 2. What everyone else said.

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                • J Jorgen Andersson

                  There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                  Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                  aserrano
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #17

                  1^2 + 2^2 + ... + n^2 = n(n+1)(2n+1)/6 => (14*15*29 - 9*10*19)/6*365 => 30*(7*29 - 3*19)/6*365 => (7*29 - 3*19)/73 => 146/73 => 2 ;-)

                  Ariel Serrano Informatica Ambientale S.r.l. (www.iambientale.it) Via Teodosio, 13, 20131, MI Milan, Italy.

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                  • A aserrano

                    1^2 + 2^2 + ... + n^2 = n(n+1)(2n+1)/6 => (14*15*29 - 9*10*19)/6*365 => 30*(7*29 - 3*19)/6*365 => (7*29 - 3*19)/73 => 146/73 => 2 ;-)

                    Ariel Serrano Informatica Ambientale S.r.l. (www.iambientale.it) Via Teodosio, 13, 20131, MI Milan, Italy.

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                    Jorgen Andersson
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #18

                    I even forgot this formula existed. I also wouldn't have done it in my head. :)

                    Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                    • J Jorgen Andersson

                      Yeah! This was my solution as well.

                      Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                      Joop Eggen
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #19

                      Though one mistake, (a+b)² + (a-b)² = 2a² + 2b². Good we are still as intelligent as then (?). Probably the same trick the teacher would demonstrate. It would be interesting if some mathematician historian would check whether such tricks were indeed collected for instruction - of numerical math.

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                      • J Jorgen Andersson

                        There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                        Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                        Member 12207222
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #20

                        Use squares of binomials: 10^2 = (12 - 2)^2 = 12^2 - 4*12 + 4 14^2 = (12 + 2)^2 = 12^2 + 4*12 + 4 11^2 = (12 - 1)^2 = 12^2 - 2*12 + 1 13^2 = (12 + 1)^2 = 12^2 + 2*12 + 1 12^2 = 12^2 Add them up, sum = 5*(12^2) + 5*2 = 5 * 146 Denominator = 365 = 5 * 73 Hence ratio = 146/73 = 2 The difference of squares is quicker: (14^2 - 12^2) + (10^2 -12^2) = 26*2 - 22*2 = 4*2 (13^2 - 12^2) + (11^2 -12^2) = 25*1 - 23*1 = 2*1 Hence 10^2 + 11^2 + 12^2 + 13^2 + 14^2 = 5*12^2 + 5*2 = 5 * 146 But this year is a leap year!

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                        • W W Balboos GHB

                          Answer: 2 (ALL IN M'HEAD) I pretty much know those squares by heart. First 3 = 365 (already a hint): 1 Next two 169 + (200-4) = 365: 1 1 + 1 = 2

                          Ravings en masse^

                          "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                          "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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                          Frank Malcolm
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #21

                          Exactly the same thought process, and I also know the squares in my head - up to 16 anyway. Above that there's a bit of mental arithmetic required.

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                          • W W Balboos GHB

                            Answer: 2 (ALL IN M'HEAD) I pretty much know those squares by heart. First 3 = 365 (already a hint): 1 Next two 169 + (200-4) = 365: 1 1 + 1 = 2

                            Ravings en masse^

                            "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                            "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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                            Davyd McColl
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #22

                            I was about to "guess" 2 based on the same premise: first three and a "feeling" about the last two (:

                            ------------------------------------------------ If you say that getting the money is the most important thing You will spend your life completely wasting your time You will be doing things you don't like doing In order to go on living That is, to go on doing things you don't like doing Which is stupid. - Alan Watts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gXTZM\_uPMY

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                            • J Jorgen Andersson

                              There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                              Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                              Menuki
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #23

                              We know that (a+b)²=a²+b²+2ab So: 11² = (10 + 1)² = 10² + 1² + 2x10x1 12² = (10 + 2)² = 10² + 2² + 2x10x2 13² = (10 + 3)² = 10² + 3² + 2x10x3 14² = (10 + 4)² = 10² + 4² + 2x10x4 So: 10² + 11² + 12² + 13² + 14² = 5x10² + (1² + 2² + 3² + 4²) + 2x10x(1 + 2 + 3 + 4) 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 1² + 2² + 3² + 4² = 1 + 4 + 9 + 16 So: 10² + 11² + 12² + 13² + 14² = 5x100 + 30 + 2x10x10 = 500 + 30 + 200 = 730 730/365 = 2

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                              • J Jorgen Andersson

                                There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                                Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                                Stuart Dootson
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #24

                                Noticed that 10^2 + 11^2 + 12^2 = 365. Then 13^2 = 169, 14^2 = 196 - and those two summed are 365. So dividing 2 lots of 365 by 365 gives 2 as the answer. If you don't know your squares, use the identity (n+1)^2 = n^2 + n + (n+1) 10^2 = 100 (that's easy enough to remember!) For the next, add 21 (10+11). Then add 23, then 25, then 27 for the other squares. However - for the first three squares, we're adding 300 to 2*21 and 23 - 2*21=42, add 23 and you have 65, a total of 365. The last two, we have 200 + (23+25+25+27) + 2*21+23. The last bit we know is 65. The middle bit is clearly 100, so the last two squares sum to 365 too.

                                Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

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                                • J Jorgen Andersson

                                  There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                                  Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                                  Menuki
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #25

                                  We know that (a - b)² = a² + b² - 2ab So: 10² + 14² = 10² + 14² - 2x10x14 + 2x10x14 = (10-14)² + 2x140 = 4² + 2x140 11² + 13² = 11² + 13² - 2x11x13 + 2x11x13 = (11-13)² + 2x143 = 2² + 2x(140+3) = 2² + 2x140 + 2x3 12² = 144 = 140 + 4 So: 10² + 11² + 12² + 13² + 14² = 4² + 2² + 2x140 + 2x140 + 2x3 + 140 + 4 = 16 + 4 + 5x140 + 6 + 4 = 20 + 700 + 10 = 730 And 730/365 = 2

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                                  • J Jorgen Andersson

                                    There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                                    Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                                    Martin ISDN
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #26

                                    10^2 + 11^2 + 12^2 + 13^2 + 14^2 = 10^2 + (10 + 1)^2 + (10 + 2)^2 + (10 + 3)^2 + (10 + 4)^2 = 5 x 10^2 + some junk... i.e. 500 + junk in that junk there is 2x10x1 + 2x10x2 + 2x10x3 + 2x10x4 = 2x10(1 + 2 + 3 + 4) = 2 x 10^2 = 200 that's 700 + what's left of the junk at this point it became obvious that either the result is 2 or it's best to use a calculator.

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                                    • J Jorgen Andersson

                                      There's an artwork by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky called Mental Arithmetic. In the Public School of S.Rachinsky, 1895 - Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky - WikiArt.org[^] The interesting part is the task on the blackboard. (102 + 112 + 122 + 132 + 142)/365 Like the Russian boys, you have no calculator and no paper. Upvotes for: 1. A good reasoned guess at the answer 2. The exact answer, with an explanation of how you got it by mental arithmetic. <edit> I should have expected you to brute force it in your heads. (You did do it without paper or calculator, right?) So from now on I will upvote elegant solutions!</edit>

                                      Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello Never stop dreaming - Freddie Kruger

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                                      Member 4317199 Paddy
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #27

                                      use ((12-2)**2 + (12-1)**2 + 12**2 + (12+1)**2 + (12+2)**2) the -2ab from the first two cancel the +2ab from the second two. so 5 * 12**2 + 4 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 4 5 * 144 + 10 divide top and bottom by 5 146/73 (which is essentially what Joop said. But I scrupulously didn't cheat by looking at previous. The hardest part was not picking up a pencil!)

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                                      • W W Balboos GHB

                                        Answer: 2 (ALL IN M'HEAD) I pretty much know those squares by heart. First 3 = 365 (already a hint): 1 Next two 169 + (200-4) = 365: 1 1 + 1 = 2

                                        Ravings en masse^

                                        "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                        "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

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                                        jsc42
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #28

                                        Everyone should know the squares - at least for 1 to 20. After that, you just need to know that multiples of ten are (x * 10)^2 = x^2 * 100. You can then do the halfways [numbers ending in 5] (x * 10 + 5)^2 = ((2x + 1) * 10)^2 / 4 [looks a lot more complicated than it is]; thereafter, for numbers ending in 1, 2, 6, 7 you apply (x + 1)^2 = x^2 + 2x + 1 (or x^2 + (x + 1) + x) [do it twice for 2 and 7] and for numbers ending in 3, 4, 8, 9 you apply (x - 1)^2 = x^2 - 2x -=1 or x^2 - (x + 1) - x = x^2 - x - x - 1 [do it twice for 3 and 8] At least, that's what I use! And I assure you, once you've got the hang of them that are simple. Edit: It is also useful to memories powers of two and squares of prime numbers

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                                        • J Joop Eggen

                                          (12-2)²+(12-1)²+12²+(12+1)²+(12+2)² using (a+b)² = a²+2ab+b² will cancel those 2ab. Hence remains 5*12² + 2*4 + 2*1 = 5*146 = 10*73 = 730. Divided by 365 = 2. So the exercise is indeed for the application of (a+b)²+(a-b)² = 2a²+2b².

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                                          bjongejan
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #29

                                          I did it almost the same way, but decided not to multiply 144 by 5, since I knew I was going to divide by 5, since 365 is dividable by 5. So:

                                          ((12-2)²+(12-1)²+12²+(12+1)²+(12+2)²)/365 = (144+(2*(2²+1²))/5)/(365/5) = (144+10/5)/73=146/73 = 2

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