Math Puzzle Answer

You’re looking at the answer to one of our math puzzles. There are several other puzzles for you to try to figure out. Please click to find all our math puzzles.

Lottery Numbers - Answer

Eliminating the primes and the numbers with prime digits leave only these numbers: 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 16, 18, 40, 44, 46, 48 and 49.

The number 1 can't be played because:

• Eliminating the numbers from this set that are 1 more than a prime leaves 1, 9, 10, 16, 40, 46 and 49.
• But 16 - 9 = 7, 46 - 9 = 37, 16 - 10 = 6, and 46 - 40 = 6.

If the number 4 is played:

• The numbers that can be in the set are 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 40, 44, 46, 48, and 49.

If the number 49 is in the set:

• 8, 18, 44, and 46 can't be played.
• 14 and 16 cannot both be played.
• 16 can’t be played because 10 - 4 = 6 and 16 - 10 = 6.

Therefore, the numbers played are 4, 10, 14, 40 48, and 49.

Try any other combination and you'll see that this is the only solution that will work.