Answer to March 4, 2002 Problem

Wedded Bliss
Please help me wish my son, Michael, and his soon-to-be-bride, Kristine, much wedded bliss by solving the following problem: 

    M I K E       
  + K R I S
-----------
  B L I S S
Each distinct letter represents a different digit in the addition problem.

They will be married on March 9, 2002!

 

Solution:
Two of the 16 correct answers are: 

   3 7 8 0           8 7 6 0 
 + 8 9 7 5         + 6 9 7 3
----------    or  ----------   
 1 2 7 5 5         1 5 7 3 3

B must be 1 since that is the most that can be carried from adding two single digit numbers.
E must be 0 since S + E = S.
R must be 9 because you can only carry a 1 from the previous column and R cannot equal 0 (since E = 0).

After Richard Johnson sent in 16 solutions to the problem, I wrote a computer program in C++ to determine if there were any more answers. But the computer yielded only the same 16 solutions. James Alarie also came up with the same 16 solutions. David and Judy Dixon sent in 15 of the solutions. 

B E I K L M R S
- - - - - - - -
1 0 4 8 5 6 9 2
1 0 4 8 6 7 9 2
1 0 5 7 4 6 9 2
1 0 5 7 6 8 9 2
1 0 5 8 6 7 9 3
1 0 6 7 2 4 9 3
1 0 6 8 2 3 9 4
1 0 7 5 4 8 9 2
1 0 7 6 2 5 9 3
1 0 7 6 5 8 9 3
1 0 7 8 2 3 9 5
1 0 7 8 3 4 9 5
1 0 8 5 2 6 9 3
1 0 8 6 2 5 9 4
1 0 8 7 2 4 9 5
1 0 8 7 4 6 9 5

The bride, the groom, and the mother of the groom all solved this week's problem:

Correctly solved by:

1. Kristine Kohlroser Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
2. Michael Pleacher Portland, Maine
3. Richard K. Johnson * La Jolla, California
4. Rick Jones * Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
5. Walt Arrison Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6. Wobbly Bells Rockford, Michigan
7. Tori Eads Winchester, Virginia
8. Izzy Kushner * Closter, New Jersey
9. ---------- United Kingdom
10. Carol Pleacher Stephens City, Virginia
11. Jessica Gates Rockford, Michigan
12. Angela Wolf ----------
13. Elizabeth Emmart Winchester, Virginia
14. Nick von Keller Winchester, Virginia
15. Ben Huizenga ----------
16. Matt McMurtry Arlington, Virginia
17. Brendan Jones Winchester, Virginia
18. Ellen Sankovich Winchester, Virginia
19. James Alarie * University of Michigan -- Flint, Michigan
20. Kelsey Dufendach Rockford, Michigan
21. George Gaither Winchester, Virginia
22. Jill Schlueter Winchester, Virginia
23. Amy Lamport Rockford, Michigan
24. Adam Peck ----------
25. Jaime Garcia * Winchester, Virginia
26. Dwyer ----------
27. Luay Almassalha ----------
28. Griffin ----------
29. David and Judy Dixon * Bennettsville, South Carolina
* Sent in multiple solutions to the problem