a nice riddle.......

<p>did you use a ti-89 or n-spire to figure that 4th degree polynomial out? That's the only way I can imagine getting an answer like that....unless you're using a method that I haven't learned, even after calc 2?</p>

<p>lol I went into Maxima (sorta like Mathematica, except free and for Linux) and typed... <em>deep breath</em></p>

<p>expand( (x-2)<em>(x-3)</em>(x-4)<em>(x-5)/24 - (x-1)</em>(x-3)<em>(x-4)</em>(x-5)/3 + 3<em>(x-1)</em>(x-2)<em>(x-4)</em>(x-5)/2 - 7<em>(x-1)</em>(x-2)<em>(x-3)</em>(x-5) + 301<em>(x-1)</em>(x-2)<em>(x-3)</em>(x-4)/4 );</p>

<p>Note how, for each x=1...5, every term except for one is zero. I'm not sure if this method has a name, I just kinda made it up one time.</p>

<p>Wow I suck at math.</p>

<p>If we get accepted please facebook me so I can call you for help? lol semi serious ;p</p>

<p>Wow, I actually got that riddle in like 25-30 seconds. Usually, I'm absolutely horrible at math and riddles in general.</p>

<p>nice jpd8891. I solved it in like 40 seconds but it took me like 20 sec to read to comprehend the problem.</p>

<p>15 seconds. Not bad lol.</p>

<p>Mal77 I'm so with you. If we get accepted can we please be friends so I know at least one other person who doesn't have a clue!</p>

<p>haha i got it in just by looking at it. it's really not that bad :)</p>

<p>Oh btw I did:
f(x) = (f(x-1))(f(x-1)+1)</p>

<p>that's awesome, goldenratiophi! I think I remember learning something similar to your method a long time ago, but I didn't recognize it at first...the longest sequences we did were three terms so we could do them by hand...out of curiosity, does your school teach you to use programs like mathematica and maxima? I had never used a CAS program until I learned about them online.</p>

<p>You guys are mathematical beasts.
Or I am a dumbass.
Maybe both.</p>

<p>Lol. I love how difficult people are trying to make this problem for themselves.</p>

<p>Proud to say that i figured that out on my own in like two minutes as well.</p>

<p>iurgsaeeeeeeeeeegggggggggguaiehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa</p>

<p>That was my nose on the letters when I fainted
either i suck or i was just impatient with the question</p>

<p>Fun little puzzle. Very "online iq test"-esque. Anyone want something challenging?</p>

<p>Try this:
<a href="http://www.etienne.nu/cfnse/graphics/num5.gif%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.etienne.nu/cfnse/graphics/num5.gif&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Took me seriously like an hour :P (lots of free time at 2nd period)</p>

<p>Yay, pianista!</p>

<p>We thought the same way!</p>

<p>i'll do it after my flight...
going to Switzerland for the weekend and i'm leaving to the airport in..... 50 minutes!! ****...</p>

<p>4 8 15 16 23 46</p>

<p>dude, this is not lost (though, don't you just wish?????)</p>

<p>Maybe 30 seconds, don't overthink it. Goldenratiophi, your post made me go ***. How the hell...?</p>