How many
math words can you find on a phone keypad by starting on one of the eight
lettered buttons (2 through 9) and picking one of the letters on it, then moving one button
in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) to a new button and picking one
of its letters, and so on?
You may use a button only once in each word, and words must be two to eight letters in length.
You must find at least six MATH words to be included on the Problem Solvers list.
Solution to the Problem:
I did not allow abbreviations,
only math words.
Here is a list of math words
that I found on the phone keypad:
(1) pi -- number
(2) four -- number
(3) two -- number
(4) couple -- two
(5) plane -- undefined term
in geometry
(6) half -- fraction
(7) sum -- addition
(8) bit -- binary digit
(9) cent -- hundred
(10) dot -- dot-product
(11) rule -- a ruler or
algorithm
(12) slant -- slant height of
solids in geometry
(13) fair -- in game theory or
statistics (dice)
(14) fairly -- in game theory
(15) unfairly -- in game theory?
This word uses
ALL 8 buttons!!!!
(16) flow -- as in flow chart?
K. Sengupta added the following:
(17) plot -- on a coordinate system
John Funk added the following:
(18) loci -- plural of locus (location)
(19) foci -- plural of focus
(20) trial -- in statistics
John Funk and Les Walker added the following:
(21) flip -- in probability (coin tossing)
Les Walker added the following:
(22) nu -- Greek letter used in statistics
(23) box -- box plots in statistics
K. Sengupta, Les Walker, and John Funk sent in numerous abbreviations:
LCM LCD nth cis cot GCF