Number Play | FIO

Question 6

Can you fill a supercell table without repeating numbers such that there are no supercells? Why or why not?

Check your answer with HomiSolve it yourself, then let Homi check your steps and spot mistakes.
Solution
Understand the Question
  • A supercell is a cell whose number is strictly greater than all of its adjacent neighboring cells.
  • When filling a grid with distinct (non-repeating) numbers, there is always one unique maximum (largest) number in the table.
  • Because this largest number is greater than every other number in the table, it is automatically greater than all of its neighbors, making that cell a supercell.

Step 1 · Define a Supercell

A supercell is a cell containing a value that is greater than all the numbers in the cells immediately adjacent to it.Diagram 1

Step 2 · Analyze the Maximum Number

When filling the table without repeating numbers, all values are distinct. In any finite set of distinct numbers, there is always a unique greatest number.

Let MM be the maximum number placed in the grid:

  • Every other cell in the table contains a value strictly less than MM.
  • Therefore, any cell adjacent to MM must contain a number smaller than MM.

Step 3 · Conclude the Impossibility

Since every neighbor of the cell containing MM has a smaller value, the cell containing MM will always satisfy the condition of being a supercell, regardless of where it is placed in the grid.

Thus, any table filled with non-repeating numbers will always contain at least one supercell.

Answer

No, it is not possible. The cell containing the largest number will always be greater than all its neighbors, so there will always be at least one supercell.

Common Mistakes
  • Assuming Edge Placement Helps: Thinking that placing the largest number in a corner or edge avoids making it a supercell. A cell only needs to be greater than its existing neighbors to be a supercell.
  • Overlooking Non-Repeating Condition: If numbers were allowed to repeat (e.g., all cells filled with 11), zero supercells would be possible. However, with distinct numbers, a maximum always exists.

More questions in FIO

Q1

Colour or mark the supercells in the table below.

Q2

Fill the table below with only 4-digit numbers such that the supercells are exactly the coloured cells.

Q3

Fill the table below such that we get as many supercells as possible. Use numbers between 100 and 1000 without repetitions.

Q4

Out of the 9 numbers, how many supercells are there in the table above?

Q5

Find out how many supercells are possible for different numbers of cells.

Do you notice any pattern? What is the method to fill a given table to get the maximum number of supercells? Explore and share your strategy.

Q6

Can you fill a supercell table without repeating numbers such that there are no supercells? Why or why not?

Q7

Will the cell having the largest number in a table always be a supercell? Can the cell having the smallest number in a table be a supercell? Why or why not?

Q8

Fill a table such that the cell having the second largest number is not a supercell.

Q9

Fill a table such that the cell having the second largest number is not a supercell but the second smallest number is a supercell. Is it possible?

Q10

Make other variations of this puzzle and challenge your classmates.

Q11

Identify the numbers marked on the number lines below, and label the remaining positions.

Put a circle around the smallest number and a box around the largest number in each of the sequences above.

Q12

Digit sum 14 a. Write other numbers whose digits add up to 14. b. What is the smallest number whose digit sum is 14? c. What is the largest 5-digit whose digit sum is 14? d. How big a number can you form having the digit sum of 14? Can you make an even bigger number?

Q13

Find out the digit sums of all the numbers from 40 to 70. Share your observations with the class.

Q14

Calculate the digit sums of 3-digit numbers whose digits are consecutive (for example, 345). Do you see a pattern? Will this pattern continue?

Q15

Pratibha uses the digits '4', '7', '3' and '2', and makes the smallest and largest 4-digit numbers with them: 23472347 and 74327432. The difference between these two numbers is 74322347=50857432 - 2347 = 5085. The sum of these two numbers is 97799779. Choose 4-digits to make:

a. the difference between the largest and smallest numbers greater than 50855085.

b. the difference between the largest and smallest numbers less than 50855085.

c. the sum of the largest and smallest numbers greater than 97799779.

d. the sum of the largest and smallest numbers less than 97799779.

Q16

What is the sum of the smallest and largest 5-digit palindrome? What is their difference?

Q17

The time now is 10:01. How many minutes until the clock shows the next palindromic time? What about the one after that?

Q18

How many rounds does the number 5683 take to reach the Kaprekar constant?

Q19

Write an example for each of the scenarios shown in the diagram whenever possible.

Q20

Always, Sometimes, Never?

Below are some statements. Think, explore and find out if each of the statement is 'Always true', 'Only sometimes true' or 'Never true'. Why do you think so? Write your reasoning and discuss this with the class.

a. 5-digit number + 5-digit number gives a 5-digit number

b. 4-digit number + 2-digit number gives a 4-digit number

c. 4-digit number + 2-digit number gives a 6-digit number

d. 5-digit number – 5-digit number gives a 5-digit number

e. 5-digit number – 2-digit number gives a 3-digit number

Q21

Steps you would take to walk: a. From the place you are sitting to the classroom door b. Across the school ground from start to end c. From your classroom door to the school gate d. From your school to your home

Q22

Number of times you blink your eyes or number of breaths you take: a. In a minute b. In an hour c. In a day

Q23

Name some objects around you that are: a. a few thousand in number b. more than ten thousand in number

Q24

There is only one supercell (number greater than all its neighbours) in this grid. If you exchange two digits of one of the numbers, there will be 4 supercells. Figure out which digits to swap.

Q25

How many rounds does your year of birth take to reach the Kaprekar constant?

Q26

We are the group of 5-digit numbers between 35,000 and 75,000 such that all of our digits are odd. Who is the largest number in our group? Who is the smallest number in our group? Who among us is the closest to 50,000?

Q27

Estimate the number of holidays you get in a year including weekends, festivals and vacation. Then, try to get an exact number and see how close your estimate is.

Q28

Estimate the number of liters a mug, a bucket and an overhead tank can hold.

Q29

Write one 5-digit number and two 3-digit numbers such that their sum is 18,670.

Q30

Choose a number between 210 and 390. Create a number pattern similar to those shown in Section 3.9 that will sum up to this number.

Q31

Recall the sequence of Powers of 2 from Chapter 1, Table 1. Why is the Collatz conjecture correct for all the starting numbers in this sequence?

Q32

Check if the Collatz Conjecture holds for the starting number 100.

Q33

Starting with 0, players alternate adding numbers between 1 and 3. The first person to reach 22 wins. What is the winning strategy now?

← Back to Number Play