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BrainTwister #17: Semi-one numbers

Can you solve this week's logic puzzle? Plus our quick quiz and the answer to last week's problem

By Colin Wright and Adam Atkinson

24 April 2024

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

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#17 Semi-one numbers

Set by Colin Wright (with thanks to Adam Atkinson)

When you count up to 2, exactly half of the numbers contain the digit “1”. We can use the term “semi-one numbers” to describe numbers with this property.

The same is true of a number between 15 and 20. Which one?

What is the next semi-one number after that?

Could there be infinitely many such numbers?

Solution next week

#16 Order, order!

Solution

There are many ways to arrange 1-9 so each pair differs by 2 or 3. For example: 1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 7, 9, 6,…

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