Puzzles/POY 1996

Puzzle of the year 1996: find phrases that generate each number i.101 , making no use of

• digits other than 1 9 9 6 in sequence
•  _ and __ and _. as numbers
• letters in numeric constants (e.g. 19r96 for 2 is prohibited)
• literal strings
• ?. or ?

The number of words in each phrase is to be minimized. (Word count is according to #;:y ). Where there are multiple phrases for the same number with the same number of words, phrases with fewer essential characters are preferred, and if those are equal, then phrases whose values can be worked out by hand are preferred.

Solutions:

 0  /: 1996
 1  * 1996
 2  # 1 996
 3  # 1 9 96
 4  # 1 9 9 6
 5  # #: 19.96
 6  {: 199 6
 7  <. ^ 1.996
 8  # #: 199.6
 9  1 9: 96
10  >. {: 19 9.6
11  # #: 1996
12  1 #. 9 9 _6
13  +/ 1 9 9 _6
14  <. %: 199.6
15  #. * 1 9 9 6
16  +/ 19 _9 6
17  p: {: 199 6
18  <: {. 19 96
19  {. 19 96
20  #. 1 9 _9 _6
21  >. >: 19.96
22  +/ 19 9 _6
23  +/ _1 9 9 6
24  1 #. 9 9 6
25  _1 p: 99.6
26  -: #. 19 _9 _6
27  <: -: #. 1 9 9 _6
28  <. #. 19 _9.6
29  p: 1 9: 96
30  #. >. 1 9.9 6
31  <: #. 1 9 _9 6
32  #. 1 9 _9 6
33  <. #. 19.9 _6
34  +/ 19 9 6
35  >: +/ 19 9 6
36  <. 1.9 ! 9.6
37  >. 1.9 ! 9.6
38  +: {. 19 96
39  <. +: 19.96
40  >. +: 19.96
41  -: #. 1 _9 96
42  >: -: #. 1 _9 96
43  <: <. %: 1996
44  <. %: 1996
45  >. %: 1996
46  >. #. 19.9 6
47  <. #. 19 9.6
48  -: {: 19 96
49  *: <. ^ 1.996
50  +: + / 1 9 9 6
51  <: #. 19 _9 _6
52  #. 19 _9 _6
53  #. <: 1 9 9 6
54  <. *: ^ 1.996
55  <: #. 1 9 9 _6
56  #. 1 9 9 _6
57  <: #. _19 96
58  #. _19 96
59  >: #. _19 96
60  >. {. o. 19 96
61  p: p: {: 199 6
62  <. o. 19.96
63  >. o. 19.96
64  #. 19 _9 6
65  >: #. 19 _9 6
66  >: >: #. 19 _9 6
67  -: #. 19 96
68  #. 1 9 9 6
69  >: #. 1 9 9 6
70  >: >: #. 1 9 9 6
71  p: {. 19 96
72  >: p: {. 19 96
73  p: >. 19.96
74  #. _1 _9 96
75  1 9 #. 9 _6
76  <: +/ _19 96
77  _19+96
78  +/ p: 1 9 9 6
79  p: >. >: 19.96
80  <: <: #. 1 _9 96
81  #. -. 1 9 _96
82  #. 1 _9 96
83  #. >: 1 9 9 6
84  >: #. >: 1 9 9 6
85  <: +/ _1 _9 96
86  +/ _1 _9 96
87  1 9 #. 9 6
88  +/ 1 _9 96
89  #. >: 1 _9 96
90  1 #. q: 996
91  <: +/ _1 99 _6
92  +/ _1 99 _6
93  1 #. 99 _6
94  +/ 1 99 _6
95  <: {: 19 96
96  {: 19 96
97  >: {: 19 96
98  #. <. 1.9 96
99  <: #. 19 9 6
100 #. 19 9 6

See also

• Puzzle of the Year 1996
  
• Puzzle of the Year 2005
  
• Puzzle of the Year 2006
  
• Puzzle of the Year 2007
  
• Puzzle of the Year 2008
  
• Puzzle of the Year 2009
  
• Puzzle of the Year 2010
  

Comments

• This is needed for a published solution in "At Play With J" Edn 2. See Doc/Articles/Play124