Sunday times teaser 2529

[MichaelZZ]

Has anyone done this? The only answer that I can get is £22407 but this doesn't meet the "less than £10,000" requirement.

[scotman]

What is the question?

[MichaelZZ]

The question is a bit dressed up as usual but essentially is what number, less than 10,000 when multiplied by pi (in this case, pi = 22/7) gives the answer consisting of the same digits as the original number but with the digits reversed?

[k0black]

I get the same!

I assume that the original question should have stated "under £100,000" rather than "under £10,000".

Or, just possibly, the original question intended that the result after multiplying by 22/7 should be rounded, in which case £185 gives approx. £581.43, which rounds to £581. This is the only such solution below £10,000. (Only the starting sum is explicitly stated to be a whole number of pounds, although it does imply that the result should be, too.)

[MichaelZZ]

Thanks for that reply, k0black. Very comforting to know that I'm not alone!

[erundle]

I usually try these numerical things with a bit of C code just to keep my hand in. I could not get an answer until I read your item, changed the search parameters, and out popped your answer !!! Yet another foul-up between problem setter and type setter methinks ?

[Clive_Young]

Today's (20/03/2011) Sunday Times apologizes for the mistake - your, and k0black's, surmise that it should have read "less than £100,000" is correct, as is your answer of £22407.