You have 30 seconds. You're given 6 numbers and a target number, and must give an expression that evaluates to as close to the target as possible.
The expression can only use the numbers given, in the amount given, and you may use standard arithmetic symbols and parentheses. You don't need to use all of the numbers.
Order of operations matters: Moving left to right, evaluate parentheses, then multiplication/division, then addition/subtraction. Use proper formatting: use only the symbols "()*/+-". If your expression can't be parsed, such as due to an extra '(', it won't score.
Negative or fractional values must not appear at any time when evaluating your expression.
You get 10 points for matching the target, 7 points for being within 5 of the target, and 5 points for being within 10 of the target. Example: for numbers "75, 2, 5, 6, 1, 4, Target: 273", you earn 10 points for "(75*4) - (5*6-2-1)".
Formatting is generally flexible. Parentheses are optional if the order of operations implies them anyway, and spacing is unimportant (unless you separate a number, i.e. "25" as "2 5" would not work).
Using any characters other than numbers and the given special characters will cause your submission to be rejected.
For multiplication, special allowances are made for formatting. You may:
- Use an asterisk: '*'
- Use an 'x'
- Use implied multiplication; for example "5(2+1)" or "(2+1)5" or "(4+1)(2+1)"
If you're wondering why you can't have negative/fractional values at a middle step in your expression's evaluation: This is in keeping with the rules used on the game show Countdown.