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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

209.0. "Change base by reversing" by HARE::STAN () Wed Jan 16 1985 04:38

Find the smallest number in base 10 which can be converted to base 8
by reversing the digits. (Leading zeroes are not allowed.)

[Problem by Meir Feder, JRM, vol 16, issue 2, p. 139, problem 1301d.]
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209.1FUTBAL::BUDNIKWed Jan 16 1985 09:4510
Assuming that you want to eliminate the trivial solution(s) with a 
single digit the answer is:

                 10a + b = 8b + a
                      9a = 7b
                     a/b = 7/9

smallest integer values for a & b are 7 & 9 so

                 decimal 79 = octal 97
209.2AURORA::HALLYBWed Jan 16 1985 10:331
Octal 97?
209.3FUTBAL::BUDNIKWed Jan 16 1985 11:251
Oops, sorry about that.  Back to the drawing board!
209.4METOO::YARBROUGHWed Jan 16 1985 13:101
Hmm. If you allow leading 0's the smallest non-trivial solution is 03160.
209.5FUTBAL::BUDNIKWed Jan 16 1985 13:0911

                 decimal 1527465 = octal 5647251




Being a programmer rather than a mathematician I gave up trying 
to find the answer myself and just asked my friendly computer.
(I find that is usually more reliable).  However, I would still 
be interested in seeing an "elegant" mathematical solution.
209.6HARE::STANWed Jan 16 1985 13:416
1527465 is indeed correct and is the smallest solution.

Only one of many people solved this problem in the Journal of
Recreational Mathematics, and he, apparently, used a computer too.

Quick work!
209.7TAV02::NITSANThu Jan 17 1985 00:356
                                               d          d-1
 If n has d digits (base 8 and base 10) then  8  > n >= 10   ,

 so  d*log(8) > (d-1)*log(10) ,  so  d < log(10)/(log(10)-log(8)) ,

 so d<=10...
209.8SPRITE::OSMANThu Jan 17 1985 18:229
Is there a related problem in NON-integers here ?  For instance, is
it interesting to look for

	0 . d1 d2 d3 . . . dn (10) = 0 . dn . . . d3 d2 d1(8) ?

Or perhaps

	d1 d2 d3 . . . dn . e1 e2 e3 . . . em (10) =
		em . . . e3 e2 e1 . dn . . . d3 d2 d1 (8) ?
209.9R2ME2::GILBERTFri Jan 18 1985 19:058
A couple other possible problems.

Since the number of digits is bounded (see a previous response), there
shouldn't be very many solutions.  What are they?

The same problem can be posed for different pairs of bases.  For example,
for bases 3 and 5, we have 21 (base 3) = 12 (base 5).  Are there any pairs
of bases (not greater than base 16) that have no 'reversible' number?
209.10R2ME2::GILBERTFri Jan 18 1985 23:2220
Here are some known solutions for other pairs of bases, up through base 16.
An asterisk means there's no solution.  A question mark means that one is
still 'open'.  The open ones are: (6,7), (8,9), (10,11), (10,12), (12,14),
and (14,15).

     3  4   5   6   7       8     9  10  11    12  13    14  15
 3   X
 4 112  X
 5  12  *   X
 6   *  * 223   X
 7   * 12  23   ?   X
 8   *  * 133   * 334       X
 9   *  *  12 255  34       ?     X
10   * 13   *   *  23 1527465   445   X
11   *  *   *  12  35     122    45   ?   X
12   *  *   *   *   *     337 14124   ? 556     X
13   *  *  13 115  12   10107    23  34  56 66BB8   X
14   *  *   *   *   *       *   225 438 355     ? 667     X
15   *  *   *   * 125      12    47   *  57   588  67     ?   X
16   *  *   *  13  25       *  1075  35  23   538  45 123D1 778
209.11TURTLE::GILBERTSun Jan 20 1985 02:403
Here are two more: (10,12) 132513, and (14,15) 1528C1.

The following are still open: (6,7), (8,9), (10,11), and (12,14).
209.12AURORA::HALLYBMon Jan 21 1985 18:271
Then there's the equivalent problem for negative number bases ...
209.13GOLLY::BUDNIKTue Jan 22 1985 09:123
here's one more:  (10,11) 454003312

that leaves: (6,7), (8,9), (12,14)
209.14TURTLE::GILBERTTue Jan 22 1985 23:533
One more: (6,7) = 10541322115

Leaving (8,9) and (12,14).