Garfields's hexagon

Garfield arranges the integers from 1 to 7 (inclusive) in the little circles of the hexagon above such that all shaded triangles have the same sum.

How many (distinct) arrangements are there?


The answer is 144.

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1 solution

Paola Ramírez
Mar 16, 2015

First find which numbers will be common for all shaded triangles (center circle) so the remaining numbers can be ordered in three pairs with the same sum.

If I put 1 2 + 7 = 3 + 6 = 4 + 5 \boxed{1 \Rightarrow 2+7=3+6=4+5}

If I put 2 2 there's no a possible arrangament

If I put 3 3 there's no a possible arrangament

If I put 4 3 + 5 = 2 + 6 = 1 + 7 \boxed{4 \Rightarrow 3+5=2+6=1+7}

If I put 5 5 there's no a possible arrangament

If I put 6 6 there's no a possible arrangament

If I put 7 1 + 6 = 2 + 5 = 3 + 4 \boxed{7 \Rightarrow 1+6=2+5=3+4}

So in the center I can put 3 3 numbers, then I select one number for the first saded triangle ( 6 1 ) \binom{6}{1} , then by the second ( 4 1 ) \binom{4}{1} and last by the third ( 2 1 ) \binom{2}{1} . Result is 3 × ( 6 1 ) ( 4 1 ) ( 2 1 ) = 72 3\times\binom{6}{1}\binom{4}{1}\binom{2}{1}=\boxed{72} .

Note: I only select one number by triangle because the other one is definite by the first.

In a hexagon only six numbers can be arranged. Not seven.

Vikram Venkat - 6 years, 3 months ago

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I have corrected that

Paola Ramírez - 6 years, 3 months ago

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It still says 1 to 7 numbers.

Vikram Venkat - 6 years, 2 months ago

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@Vikram Venkat There is a place for 7th number in the middle

Sivaramakrishnan Sivakumar - 6 years, 2 months ago

You should make clear that different numbers in each of the shaded triangles represents a distinct arrangement even though it may be simply a rotation of another arrangement.

Geoff Keith - 6 years, 1 month ago

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