Help with math question

[Kyteland]

I'm trying to do a problem from an IQ test somebody posted here earlier. The test can be found here: http://www.highiqsociety.org/common/iqtests/ultrahigh.htm

Linky to the problem

I can't figure out what the value for Y should be. The Y in the unsolved name is the only one in the problem. There is also no J, Q, or X anywhere in the problem.

As a shortcut , here is what I have solved so far.
A = 6
B = 11
C = 20
D = 24
E = 7
F = 16
G = 12
H = 5
I = 9
J = ???
K = 13
L = 21
M = 2
N = 22
O = 8
P = 14
Q = ???
R = 23
S = 15
T = 3 <---Edit: Typo, was 2, now is 3.
U = 10
V = 4
W = 17
X = ???
Y = ???
Z = 18

Each letter has a unique value. I'm assuming their range is 1-26. The unused values are 1, 19, 25, 26.

The solution will be this: FEYNMAN = 75+Y. Possible answers are 76, 94, 100, 101.

I tried to find a pattern in the numbering which would fill in the last 4 numbers but I couldn't find one.

My best guess is that the answer is 94 because there are only 23 letters used in the puzzle. If I assume that the number range is only 23 instead of 26, then that range must be 2-24 and the answer must be y=19.

Does this sound right or am I just reaching for an answer here?

 

[TuxDave]

I remember this problem and ended with the same problems as you did. I gave up at that point because unless there was a pattern in the way the set the numbers, I have no clue how to get a concrete answer without doing some fudging.

 

[MegaloManiaK]

Wow, i hate you man.


Now im going to be plauged by this forever.

I have no clue what the answer is, did you come up with your list of numbers using glaser?

the problem didn't say those were the correct values, it said "IF"

<--anxiously awaiting an answer

 

[upsciLLion]

There are 26 "equations" given, so wouldn't it be possible to set up a square matrix for this and then just RREF it? I was never very good with linear algebra, so I could easily be wrong.

ups

 

[MegaloManiaK]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
There are 26 "equations" given, so wouldn't it be possible to set up a square matrix for this and then just RREF it? I was never very good with linear algebra, so I could easily be wrong.

ups

Yup

26 equations and 23 unknowns.

Seems like alot of work though for an IQ test.

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
There are 26 "equations" given, so wouldn't it be possible to set up a square matrix for this and then just RREF it? I was never very good with linear algebra, so I could easily be wrong.

ups

Yup

26 equations and 23 unknowns.

Seems like alot of work though for an IQ test.

Not for a TI-86, though.

ups

 

[MegaloManiaK]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion

Originally posted by: MegaloManiaK

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
There are 26 "equations" given, so wouldn't it be possible to set up a square matrix for this and then just RREF it? I was never very good with linear algebra, so I could easily be wrong.

ups

Yup

26 equations and 23 unknowns.

Seems like alot of work though for an IQ test.

Not for a TI-86, though.

ups

Heh, i COULD do it on my ti, but do you really want to sit and input 23 equations????

 

[MegaloManiaK]

geez, i only hit submit once.

 

[MegaloManiaK]

...

 

[MegaloManiaK]

dp

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
There are 26 "equations" given, so wouldn't it be possible to set up a square matrix for this and then just RREF it? I was never very good with linear algebra, so I could easily be wrong.

ups

Yes, solving for the values I listed above was very easy using linear algebra. I eliminated all of the less frequent letters (f,u,v,w,z,j,q,x,y) and carefully removed certain names so that I had 17 unknowns and and 17 equations. That was easy to plug in to a calculator and solve using matricies.

The hard part was what to do after that. It looks like there isn't enough information to complete the problem, but being that it is on an IQ test for "Exceptionally high IQ's" I just have to assume that I'm missing something.

MegaloManiaK: The glaser example was just that. Those values don't work in the example. Even if they did, that doesn't help to figure out what Y should be. I guess I'll just have to assume that Y is 19 and get on with my life....

 

[upsciLLion]

You could also examine the possibility that the question might be flawed. *shrug*

ups

 

[Kyteland]

I suppose I could just submit the test more than once and see on which one my score goes up....

 

[FuzzyBee]

you have towo letters assigned to "2"

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: fuzzy bee
you have towo letters assigned to "2"

Oops, typo. I fixed it.

 

[FuzzyBee]

Originally posted by: Kyteland

Originally posted by: fuzzy bee
you have towo letters assigned to "2"

Oops, typo. I fixed it.

...if only i could learn how to spell "two"

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: fuzzy bee

Originally posted by: Kyteland

Originally posted by: fuzzy bee
you have towo letters assigned to "2"

Oops, typo. I fixed it.

...if only i could learn how to spell "two"

I figured that it was just an anagram for woot or something...

 

[DrPizza]

I'm so glad to find another link to that IQ test! (I forgot what thread it came from, and didn't save the site in favorites)

When I got to that question, I said to myself: "multiple equations with multiple unknowns, set up a matrix to solve it." Then I figured that I'd have no problem solving it, but it wasn't worth the bother and the time since the results of that test would have no impact upon my life. So, I skipped it, and when I got to the results, I figured that there's another question I would have gotten correct if I bothered.


What I'd like to see is a thread with "how to" for a couple of those questions... I was almost convinced that a couple of the questions were thrown in as distractors... questions that were entirely random and had no real pattern. I was positive of quite a few of my answers though... I must have been just missing something. It killed me on the polygon inscribed on a circle problem when I derived a formula for n points on the polygon, only to realize that in coming up with the formula, I had 10 minutes earlier already answered the question correctly.

 

[DrPizza]

Hmmmm.... in numerical order by value, the letters are:

_ MTVHAEOIUBGKPSFWZ _ CLNRD _ _

It's so tantalizing to look for some sort of reason for that order, given that the vowels are clustered together:
AEOIU

I can find no rhyme or reason for it.

 

[RossGr]

Originally posted by: Kyteland

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
There are 26 "equations" given, so wouldn't it be possible to set up a square matrix for this and then just RREF it? I was never very good with linear algebra, so I could easily be wrong.

ups

Yes, solving for the values I listed above was very easy using linear algebra. I eliminated all of the less frequent letters (f,u,v,w,z,j,q,x,y) and carefully removed certain names so that I had 17 unknowns and and 17 equations. That was easy to plug in to a calculator and solve using matricies.

The hard part was what to do after that. It looks like there isn't enough information to complete the problem, but being that it is on an IQ test for "Exceptionally high IQ's" I just have to assume that I'm missing something.

MegaloManiaK: The glaser example was just that. Those values don't work in the example. Even if they did, that doesn't help to figure out what Y should be. I guess I'll just have to assume that Y is 19 and get on with my life....

Why did you elimenate equations, do the solution with all of the information and your misslng letters should pop out.

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: RossGr
Why did you elimenate equations, do the solution with all of the information and your misslng letters should pop out.

I eliminated equations to make plugging the equation in to a solver easier. After I solved for 17 of the variables I plugged those values in to the remaining equations to solve for the rest of the unknowns. Subdividing the problem does not affect the answer in any way.

The reason I can't solve for Y is because that unknown is only in one of the equations, and that particular equation doesn't have a known answer to it! In other words, there are two unknowns and only one equation.

 

[Noirish]

Hmm... I don't think you are supposed to write out all the equations, it's going to take too long.
I remember seeing this, there is an easier way...