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Friday, February 10, 2017

No, ONE isn't 1!

\begin{align*} TWO &= 2 \\ SEVEN &= 7 \\ EIGHT &= 8 \\ TEN &= 10 \\ TWENTY &= 20 \\ SEVENTY &= 70 \\ EIGHTY &= 80 \\ ONE &= ? \end{align*}
(Source: Brilliant.org (problem page))

The letters are each variables that multiply together to create the end result. The key to starting to solve the problem is to notice in particular that, while SEVEN is equal to seven, SEVENTY is equal to 70. So TY is equal to ten. Then notice dividing the equation EIGHTY = 80 by the other equation EIGHT = 8 results in Y = 10. This means that T is equal to one. Accordingly, because TEN = 10, then EN is equal to ten. This means in turn that TWENTY = TW(10)(10) = 20. TW is equal to \frac{1}{5}. Then TWO = \frac{1}{5}O = 2. This means that O is equal to ten. NE has already been figured out, since it's the same as EN due to commutativity. ONE is then equal to 100.

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