Math Is Fun Forum

luca-deltodesco

Member

Registered: 2006-05-05

Posts: 1,470

Another..nother number trap.

This is one i've known for many years.

Start with any number (or infact, word i might say)

At each step, take the number that represents the number of letters in the word, and use that as your next word
you inevitably end up at four, which ofcourse is the end of the line, since the word 'four' has 4 letters.

Timbuktu -> 8
Eight -> 5
Five -> 4
Four -> 4

Equivalent version in Italian, you inevitably end up with 'tre' (3)

Timbuktu -> 8
Otto -> 4
Quatro -> 6
Sei -> 3
Tre -> 3

Last edited by luca-deltodesco (2009-07-19 10:34:28)

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The End Of All Things To Come.

quittyqat

Member

Registered: 2009-04-08

Posts: 1,215

Re: Another..nother number trap.

Wow! This is so interesting!
magic

5
five

4
four

4

Will it work for hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

36
                       ten

three

five

four

4
               

thirty-six
               

                       nine

four

4
Yes!

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soroban

Member

Registered: 2007-03-09

Posts: 452

Re: Another..nother number trap.

Hello, luca-deltodesco!

Wow -- This is new to me!

Thank you!
.

simron

Real Member

Registered: 2006-10-07

Posts: 237

Re: Another..nother number trap.

In Spanish:
diez->quatro->seis->quatro->seis...
It keeps repeating quatro and seis.

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Linux FTW

NATT

Member

Registered: 2009-09-29

Posts: 110

Re: Another..nother number trap.

In Sinhala:
Eka->Deka->Thuna->Hathara->Paha->HAya->Hatha->Ata.. lol

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simron

Real Member

Registered: 2006-10-07

Posts: 237

Re: Another..nother number trap.

I wonder if this can be proved mathematically.

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luca-deltodesco

Member

Registered: 2006-05-05

Posts: 1,470

Re: Another..nother number trap.

I wouldn't have thought so, because one could quite easily define a language where every name for a number, has 1 more letter than the number value, and so you could never reach a finite loop.

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The Beginning Of All Things To End.
The End Of All Things To Come.

simron

Real Member

Registered: 2006-10-07

Posts: 237

Re: Another..nother number trap.

True, so let me restate that:
I wonder if this can be proven mathematically for the English language.

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