Today’s Puzzle:

Write the numbers from 1 to 12 in both the first column and the top row so that the given clues are the products of the numbers you write.

Factors of 1731:

• 1731 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 1731 = 3 × 577.
• 1731 has no exponents greater than 1 in its prime factorization, so √1731 cannot be simplified.
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 1 and 1. Adding one to each exponent and multiplying we get (1 + 1)(1 + 1) = 2 × 2 = 4. Therefore 1731 has exactly 4 factors.
• The factors of 1731 are outlined with their factor pair partners in the graphic below.

More About the Number 1731:

1731 is the hypotenuse of a Pythagorean triple:
144-1725-1731 which is 3 times (48-575-577).

OEIS.org informs us that 1731 is the sum of the squares of three consecutive prime numbers. Let’s find those three prime numbers. Since √(1731/3) rounds to 24, I’m guessing the middle prime number is 23. The prime numbers occurring before and after it are 19 and 29.

Is 19² + 23² + 29² = 1731? Yes, it is!

Here are some other ways that 1731 is the sum of three squares:
41² + 7² + 1² = 1731,
41² + 5² + 5² = 1731,
37² + 19² + 1² = 1731, and
29² + 29² + 7² = 1731.

Today’s puzzle:

You may see some Frankenstein monsters walking about this time of year, but there’s no reason to be afraid of them or of this monster puzzle I’ve created. Simply write the numbers 1 to 12 in both factor areas so that the puzzle functions like a multiplication table.

Here’s the same puzzle without any added color, if that’s what you prefer:

Factors of 1685:

• 1685 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 1685 = 5 × 337.
• 1685 has no exponents greater than 1 in its prime factorization, so √1685 cannot be simplified.
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 1 and 1. Adding one to each exponent and multiplying we get (1 + 1)(1 + 1) = 2 × 2 = 4. Therefore 1685 has exactly 4 factors.
• The factors of 1685 are outlined with their factor pair partners in the graphic below.

More About the Number 1685:

1685 is the sum of two squares in two different ways:
41² + 2² = 1685, and
34² + 23² = 1685.

1685 is the hypotenuse of FOUR Pythagorean triples:
164-1677-1685, calculated from 2(41)(2), 41² – 2², 41² + 2²,
627-1564-1685, calculated from 34² – 23², 2(34)(23), 34² + 23²,
875-1440-1685, which is 5 times (175-288-337), and
1011-1348-1685, which is (3-4-5) times 337.

 

Today’s Puzzle:

Make a multiplication table out of this puzzle. Can you see how to do it? The factors won’t be in the usual order, but I’m sure you can figure it out!

Factors of 1674:

• 1674 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 1674 = 2 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 31, which can be written 1674 = 2 × 3³ × 31.
• 1674 has at least one exponent greater than 1 in its prime factorization so √1674 can be simplified. Taking the factor pair from the factor pair table below with the largest square number factor, we get √1674 = (√9)(√186) = 3√186.
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 1,3 and 1. Adding one to each exponent and multiplying we get (1 + 1)(3 + 1)(1 + 1) = 2 × 4 × 2 = 16. Therefore 1674 has exactly 16 factors.
• The factors of 1674 are outlined with their factor pair partners in the graphic below.

More about the number 1674:

From OEIS.org we learn that
1/1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/4 + . . . + 1/1672 + 1/1673 ≈ 7.999888, but if you add the next tiny fraction, 1/1674, the sum will be a tiny bit more than 8 or approximately 8.000486.

That’s adding a whole lot of unit fractions just to get a sum over 8.

 

Today’s Puzzle:

Look how much fun these kids are having doing multiplication!

5th graders are having fun while practicing fast facts! Multiplication Clock Race may be our new favorite game!⏰ #RJLPride pic.twitter.com/Nm3PpUPcuQ

— Kelly Verity (@MissVerityMath) June 17, 2021

A game like that can help kids get ready to solve a fun puzzle based on the multiplication table.

Write each number from 1 to 10 in both the first column and the top row so that those numbers and the given clues become a multiplication table.

Factors of 1651:

• 1651 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 1651 = 13 × 127.
• 1651 has no exponents greater than 1 in its prime factorization, so √1651 cannot be simplified.
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 1 and 1. Adding one to each exponent and multiplying we get (1 + 1)(1 + 1) = 2 × 2 = 4. Therefore 1651 has exactly 4 factors.
• The factors of 1651 are outlined with their factor pair partners in the graphic below.

More About the Number 1651:

1651 is the hypotenuse of a Pythagorean triple:
635-1524-1651, which is (5-12-13) times 127.

1651 is the 26th heptagonal number because
5(26²)/2 – 3(26)/2 = 1651.

1651 is a nice-looking palindrome in base 2:
1651₁₀ = 11001110011₂.
That just means that
2¹⁰ + 2⁹ + 2⁶ + 2⁵ + 2⁴+ 2¹+ 2⁰ = 1024 + 512 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 2 + 1 = 1651.

 

 

Today’s Puzzle:

Write the numbers from 1 to 12 in both the first column and the top row so that those numbers and the given clues function like a multiplication table.

Factors of 1640:

• 1640 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 1640 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 × 41, which can be written 1640 = 2³ × 5 × 41.
• 1640 has at least one exponent greater than 1 in its prime factorization so √1640 can be simplified. Taking the factor pair from the factor pair table below with the largest square number factor, we get √1640 = (√4)(√410) = 2√410.
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 3,1 and 1. Adding one to each exponent and multiplying we get (3 + 1)(1 + 1) (1 + 1) = 4 × 2 × 2 = 16. Therefore 1640 has exactly 16 factors.
• The factors of 1640 are outlined with their factor pair partners in the graphic below.

More about the Number 1640:

Since 1640 = 40 x 41, we can be sure that 1640 is the sum of the first 40 even numbers.

1640 is the sum of two squares in two different ways:
38² + 14² = 1640, and
34² + 22² = 1640.

1640 is the hypotenuse of a Pythagorean triple in FOUR different ways:
360-1600-1640, which is 40 times (9-40-41),
672-1496-1640, calculated from 34² – 22², 2(34)(22), 34² + 22²,
but it is also 8 times (84-187-205),
984-1312-1640, which is (3-4-5) times 328, and
1064-1248-1640, calculated from 2(38)(14), 38² – 14², 38² + 14²,
but it is also 8 times (133-156-205).

1640₁₀ = 2222₉ because 2(9³ + 9² + 9¹ + 9⁰) = 2(729 + 81 + 9 + 1) = 2(820) = 1640.
1640₁₀ = 2020202₃ because 2(3⁶ + 3⁴ + 3² + 3⁰) = 2(729 + 81 + 9 + 1) = 2(820) = 1640.

 

Today’s Puzzle:

Write the numbers from 1 to 10 in both the first column and the top row so that those numbers and the given clues work to make a multiplication table.

Factors of 1629:

1 + 6 + 2 = 9, so 1929 is divisible by both 3 and 9. (It’s only necessary to add the non-nine numbers together to check those two divisibility rules.)

• 1629 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 1629 = 3 × 3 × 181, which can be written 1629 = 3² × 181.
• 1629 has at least one exponent greater than 1 in its prime factorization so √1629 can be simplified. Taking the factor pair from the factor pair table below with the largest square number factor, we get √1629 = (√9)(√181) = 3√181.
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 2 and 1. Adding one to each exponent and multiplying we get (2 + 1)(1 + 1) = 3 × 2 = 6. Therefore 1629 has exactly 6 factors.
• The factors of 1629 are outlined with their factor pair partners in the graphic below.

More about the Number 1629:

1629 is the sum of two squares:
30² + 27² = 1629.

1629 is the hypotenuse of a Pythagorean triple:
171-1620-1629, calculated from 30² – 27², 2(30)(27), 30² + 27².
It is also 9 times (19-180-181).

Today’s Puzzle:

In a recent post, I compared π or (3.14…) with √10 or (3.16…). Steve Morris lives in England where today’s date is written 16-3, not 3-16. He jokingly commented, “So I guess Tuesday (16 March) should be Root Ten Day!” Seriously, day-month-year makes more sense as a writing convention than month-day-year.

Should today be Root Ten Day?
14 March has long been embraced as pi day in the United States, but should 16 March also be a quasi-holiday where kids eat roots like ten French fries or ten carrot sticks?

I remember one of my college professors telling his class that
√2 is about 1.4, and Valentines day is February 14,
√3 is about 1.7, and Saint Patrick’s day is March 17.

To which we could add
√1 is 1, and New Year’s Day is January 1, and
√10 is about 3.1, and Halloween is October 31. (I realize there is a rounding issue with that one.)

Pi day is just a fake holiday ONLY MADE POSSIBLE BY THE STUPID US DATE FORMAT. https://t.co/U6ldKlk6RL

— Ícaro Medeiros (@icaromedeiros) March 15, 2021

Oops. That could be said about all the fake holidays I’ve listed above.

My sister told me that she’s not celebrating Pi Day, because it’s a fake holiday perpetuated by @Hallmark and #BigMath. Same goes for #PrimeDay and @amazon. pic.twitter.com/nab4afqqDX

— W_Rothenberg (@W_Rothenberg) March 15, 2021

Pie day leftovers: husband asks how big of a slice I want, but in radians. I say π/4, max. He brings a full quarter of the thing and says “pie/4!”. I roll my eyes. He said “be glad I didn’t bring you an empty plate and say pie/ate”. Life married to a physicist. 🤣 🥧 pic.twitter.com/4zENmWh7jg

— Rebecca Varney (@RebeccaMVarney) March 16, 2021

And here’s a more serious thought:

For those who think fake/marketing holidays are stupid, Piefalootin in Garland sold completely out of pie on this pi day! They expect to have more baked by 6 p.m. Local businesses need support ALL the time, but I’ all in for anything that helps them! pic.twitter.com/n14ZiSwuS0

— Kristina Rowe – Just Me In Big D (@justmeinbigd) March 14, 2021

Well, however you want to remember what √10 is or not, I decided to make today’s puzzle look like a square root sign for the fun of it. Write the numbers from 1 to 12 in both the first column and the top row so that the puzzle functions like a multiplication table.

Factors of 1615:

• 1615 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 1615 = 5 × 17 × 19.
• 1615 has no exponents greater than 1 in its prime factorization, so √1615 cannot be simplified.
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 1, 1, and 1. Adding one to each exponent and multiplying we get (1 + 1)(1 + 1)(1 + 1) = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8. Therefore 1615 has exactly 8 factors.
• The factors of 1615 are outlined with their factor pair partners in the graphic below.

More about the Number 1615:

1615 is the hypotenuse of FOUR Pythagorean triples:
247-1596-1615, which is 19 times (13-84-85),
684-1463-1615, which is 19 times (36-77-85),
760-1425-1615, which is (8-15-17) times 95, and
969-1292-1615, which is (3-4-5) times 323.