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Math Investigation

The document describes a process of taking a multi-digit number with non-equal digits, arranging them in descending order, subtracting the reverse, and repeating. This always produces 6174 for 4-digit numbers and 495 for 3-digit numbers. For 5-digit numbers, it was found to approach but not reach a fixed number after several steps. The process can be extended to numbers with more digits to investigate what patterns emerge.

Uploaded by

Reaneth Buerano
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
494 views

Math Investigation

The document describes a process of taking a multi-digit number with non-equal digits, arranging them in descending order, subtracting the reverse, and repeating. This always produces 6174 for 4-digit numbers and 495 for 3-digit numbers. For 5-digit numbers, it was found to approach but not reach a fixed number after several steps. The process can be extended to numbers with more digits to investigate what patterns emerge.

Uploaded by

Reaneth Buerano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 11

There is something very special about the

number 6174. Select any four-digit number


whose digits are not equal, and arrange the
digits to form the largest possible number,
that is, put the digits in decreasing order
from left to right. Then form the reverse of
this number and subtract it from the larger
number. Continue this process by forming
the largest possible number from the
difference and subtracting the reverse. The
example in the following table shows the
process ending with 6174 after five steps.

Step

Maximun
Reverse
Number

Difference

8421

1248

7173

7731

1377

6354

6543

3456

3087

8730

0378

8352

8532

2358

6174

1. If you begin with any four-digit number


whose digits are not all equal, will the
above process always product 6174?
2. What happens when this process is
applied to three-digit numbers whose
digits are not all equal? Is there a
special number in this case?
3. What happens when the process is
applied to five-digit numbers? Is there a
special number in this case?
4. You may wish to continue this
investigation for numbers with more
digits.

1.
Step

Maximun
Reverse
Number

Difference

1.

8721

1278

7443

2.

7443

3477

3996

3.

9963

3699

6264

4.

6642

2466

4176

5.

7641

1467

6174

Step

Maximun
Reverse
Number

Difference

1.

5432

2345

3087

2.

8730

0378

8352

3.

8532

2358

6174

2.

Step

Maximun
Reverse
Number

Difference

1.

210

012

198

2.

981

189

792

3.

972

279

693

4.

963

369

594

5.

954

459

495

Step

Maximun
Reverse
Number

Differenc
e

1.

654

456

198

2.

981

189

792

3.

972

279

693

4.

963

369

594

5.

954

459

495

3.
Step

Reverse

Differenc
e

1.

Maximu
m
Number
84321

12348

71973

2.

97731

13779

83952

3.

98532

23589

74943

4.

97443

34479

62962

5.

96624

24669

71955

6.

97551

15579

81972

7.

98721

12789

85932

Step

Reverse

Differenc
e

1.

Maximu
m
Number
87651

15678

71973

2.

97731

13779

83952

3.

98532

23589

74943

4.

97443

34479

62964

5.

96624

24469

71955

6.

97551

15579

81972

7.

98721

12789

85932

Prepared by:
Lyra R. Polinares
Submitted to:
Prof.Editha Magsino

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