March 2007: Nine ways to eight (solution)

2, 7, 1: 2+7-1=8 or 7+1²=8
2, 7, 2: 7+(2/2)=8
2, 7, 3: 7+3-2=8 or 2*(7-3)=8
2, 7, 4: 2^7-4=8
2, 7, 5: 7+(.2)*5=8 or 7+(.5)*2=8
2, 7, 6: 2*7-6=8
2, 7, 7: (7/.7)-2=8
2, 7, 8: 7+.2+.8=8 or 7.2+.8=8 or 7.8+.2=8
2, 7, 9: (7+9)/2=8

Correct solutions: Katie Shrader, Rob Peters ('02), Sunil Baidar, Christina Lakin, Travis Doll

March 2007: Nine ways to eight

Create nine different mathematical expressions that equal 8. You must use the digits 2, 7 and one other. That other digit must be a 1 in the first expression, 2 in the next expression, and so on, up to 9. You can use a digit once and only once in each expression.

You may use the four arithmetic symbols: plus, minus, times, and divided by, as well as exponents and decimal points. You may use parentheses as you need them. For example: using the digits 2, 7, and 1 you can make the expression (2+7)-1= 8.

January/February 2007: The Sixteen Grid (solution)

Correct solutions: Katie Shrader, Andrew Hulme