Problem with a problem

I saw a problem that showed an equation that showed 8 being multiplied by itself and underneath the 8s was a notation that it was being done 128 times. The other side of the equation sowed 2 being multiplied by itself and underneath it was a notation that said it was being done N times. The solution to the problem said the answer was 2 to the 10th power because 8 is 2 to the third power multiplied by 128 which is 2 to the 7 power so N must be 10. That is not how the problem was displayed. The left side of the equation was 8 to the 128th power and the right side was 2 to the Nth power so the correct solution to the problem is 2 to the third power (8) to the 128th power which is 2 to the 3rd power to the 128th power which is, by multiplying exponents, is 2 to the 384th power not 2 to the tenth power.

Easy Math Editor

This discussion board is a place to discuss our Daily Challenges and the math and science related to those challenges. Explanations are more than just a solution — they should explain the steps and thinking strategies that you used to obtain the solution. Comments should further the discussion of math and science.

When posting on Brilliant:

Use the emojis to react to an explanation, whether you're congratulating a job well done , or just really confused .
Ask specific questions about the challenge or the steps in somebody's explanation. Well-posed questions can add a lot to the discussion, but posting "I don't understand!" doesn't help anyone.
Try to contribute something new to the discussion, whether it is an extension, generalization or other idea related to the challenge.
Stay on topic — we're all here to learn more about math and science, not to hear about your favorite get-rich-quick scheme or current world events.

Markdown	Appears as
`italics` or `_italics_`	italics
`bold` or `__bold__`	bold
- bulleted - list	bulleted list
1. numbered 2. list	numbered list
Note: you must add a full line of space before and after lists for them to show up correctly
paragraph 1 paragraph 2	paragraph 1 paragraph 2
`[example link](https://brilliant.org)`	example link
`> This is a quote`	This is a quote
# I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world"	# I indented these lines # 4 spaces, and now they show # up as a code block. print "hello world"

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `$` ... `$` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$

Comments

If you're referring to my problem, then you have misinterpreted my question.

The left hand side consists of all $+$ only, not $\times$ .

If however the left hand side consists of all $\times$ only, then yes, 384 is the correct answer.

Pi Han Goh - 4 years, 7 months ago

I see that Pi Han has replied to you.

In future, if you spot an error with a problem, you can select "Report Problem" from the menu. This allows the creator to respond to you accordingly.

Brilliant Mathematics Staff - 4 years, 7 months ago

Math	Appears as
Remember to wrap math in `\(` ... `\)` or `\[` ... `\]` to ensure proper formatting.
`2 \times 3`	$2 \times 3$
`2^{34}`	$2^{34}$
`a_{i-1}`	$a_{i-1}$
`\frac{2}{3}`	$\frac{2}{3}$
`\sqrt{2}`	$\sqrt{2}$
`\sum_{i=1}^3`	$\sum_{i=1}^3$
`\sin \theta`	$\sin \theta$
`\boxed{123}`	$\boxed{123}$