Sphinx's Riddle (Part 2)

Logic Level 4

After solving the puzzle in the last Sphinx's Riddle , you were facing yet another Sphinx guarding another exit portal. (It was indeed a complex pyramid!)

Once more, there were 9 stone tablets arranged in a 3 × 3 3\times 3 square, and behind each tablet hid a distinct digit from 1-9 inclusively. Like before, you had to answer every number correctly; otherwise, you'd be eaten alive!

Then the Sphinx gave you 3 clues for the 3 rows of the square:

Clue for Row #1 : A A is prime . The 2-digit A B \overline{AB} is prime. The 3-digit A B C \overline{ABC} is prime and is the sum of a cube and A B \overline{AB} .

Clue for Row #2 : D D is composite. D E \overline{DE} is composite. D E F \overline{DEF} is the difference between two squares .

Clue for Row #3 : G G is a perfect square. G H \overline{GH} is a perfect square. G H I \overline{GHI} is the sum of two different squares.

What is the value of the 9-digit integer A B C D E F G H I \overline{ABCDEFGHI} ?


The answer is 239875164.

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1 solution

Considering the third row, G G can only 1 1 , 4 4 , or 9 9 . However, there's no square for the ninety-odds, so G H \overline{GH} can only be 16 16 or 49 49 . Then the sum of two squares can be 164 = 1 0 2 + 8 2 164 = 10^2 + 8^2 or 493 = 1 8 2 + 1 3 2 493 = 18^2 + 13^2 .

If 493 493 is used, there will be 3 odd digits left: 1 1 , 5 5 , and 7 7 . For the conditions in the first row, A A must be prime while the number tailing it will also make it prime. Therefore, B B & C C can't be even as it will be composite, and it can't be 5 5 either because it will make the number divisible by 5 5 . Thus, the values of B B & C C are either 1 1 or 7 7 , and the prime A A can only be 5 5 or 2 2 . However, combining the first two digits will result in: 21 21 , 27 27 , 51 51 , and 57 57 . None of them are prime, so for the third row, 493 493 isn't applicable.

Now if 164 164 is used, the remaining odd numbers will be: 3 3 , 5 5 , 7 7 , & 9 9 . From the reasons discussed above, two of these odd numbers will fall upon B B and C C . Then, the new possibilities for A B C \overline{ABC} will be: 239 239 , 293 293 , 379 379 , 397 397 , 539 539 , 593 593 , or 739 739 . Of all these primes, only 239 = 23 + 6 3 239 = 23 + 6^3 . Hence, A B C = 239 \overline{ABC} = 239 .

Then the 3 last digits left are 5 5 , 7 7 , & 8 8 . To start with a composite digit, D D must be 8 8 , and 875 = 3 0 2 5 2 875 = 30^2 - 5^2 while 857 857 is prime. Therefore, D E F = 875 \overline{DEF} = 875 .

As a result, A B C D E F G H I = 239875164 \overline{ABCDEFGHI} = \boxed{239875164} .

Moderator note:

Great systematic approach! Interesting problem :)

Although your solution give a correct answer, there something you left, which is 162 = 9 2 + 9 2 162=9^2+9^2

Tran Hieu - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Oh, thank you. Maybe I'll emphasize for "different squares" then.

Worranat Pakornrat - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Well, even you put it as two square then the case GHI = 162 still invalid.

Tran Hieu - 5 years, 1 month ago

How about 5^2 + 12^2 = 169?

Siva Budaraju - 4 years, 1 month ago

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