Playing with Numbers, Palindromes and Ambigram

Last December 2, 2021 date if written as "12022021" is not only a palindrome (the same front to back) but it’s also an ambigram which means it’s the same upside down as well! 

 

The above date was published in my FB page just recently for Nerds Alert. However, it aroused my interest on playing with Numbers,Palindromes and ambigram. A palindrome is a word, sentence, number, phrase, or other sequence of characters which reads the same backward as forward, such as madam, radar or racecar. 

There are also numeric palindromes, including date/time stamps using short digits 11/11/11, 11:11 and long digits 02/02/2020. Sentence-length palindromes ignore capitalization, punctuation, and word boundaries.Here's a short video on palindromic numbers.

What do you mean by playing with numbers?

Playing with numbers involves activities like arranging the numbers, understanding BODMAS rule*, finding out whether a given number is a factor of another number or a multiple of another number, understanding the properties of factors and multiples. Also, it involves learning how to use an index or exponent for a number, simplification of brackets, multiples and factors, divisibility rules from 2 to 11, the concept of co-prime numbers and prime factorization, finding HCF and LCM, etc.,

*The BODMAS rule states we should calculate the Brackets first (2 + 4 = 6), then the Orders (5² = 25), then any Division or Multiplication (3 x 6 (the answer to the brackets) = 18), and finally any Addition or Subtraction (18 + 25 = 43).

Example of Playing with Numbers:

There are several tricks with numbers to test divisibility by other numbers.

Reversing the digits of a two-digit number

Similarly, we can try reversing the digits for dividing by 9.

Selecting a two-digit number: 25

Reversing the digits: 52

Subtract: 52-25 = 27

Divide by 9: 27/9 = 3

Remainder is 0.

Reversing the digits of a three-digit number

Forming three-digit number from the given three digits

For a given three-digit number, rearrange the digits such that all the three numbers are distinct and add them all. Then dividing it by 37, the remainder is always 0.

For example, assuming a three-digit number 124.

On rearranging the digits: 241 and 412.

Add all the three numbers: 124 + 241 + 412 = 777

Divide 777 by 37: 777/37 = 21; remainder is 0.

For complete details read:

 https://byjus.com/maths/playing-with-numbers/ and also wikipedia

Meanwhile enjoy this photo of my creation of a Christmas arrangement table center piece, from materials taken in my Garden this year.