hardmath

Can you name the largest number that can be written with four 1's?

285311670611, which is 11^11

Why this works

This riddle plays on the interpretation of "largest number" and how we can manipulate the digit 1. While it might initially seem like a trick question limited to basic arithmetic or combinations of four 1's, the key lies in recognizing that we can use exponents. When we write 11^11, we're actually using two of the 1's to create the base (11) and the other two to denote the exponent (11), resulting in a significantly larger number: 285311670611. This clever use of mathematical operations transforms a simple riddle into a showcase of exponential growth!

Common Wrong Answers

“1111”

1111 is simply the number formed by placing four 1's together, but it is not the largest number that can be represented using four 1's mathematically.

“4”

While four 1's can add up to 4 (1 + 1 + 1 + 1), this does not utilize the potential of mathematical operations to create a larger number.

“11111111”

11111111 is a large number formed by repeating the digit 1, but it does not use only four 1's, nor does it represent the largest number achievable with the correct mathematical operations.

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