Base jumping
In the country of Expluswye people do arithmetic using a smaller base than our decimal system, which uses base 10. My friend Basil recently moved house in Expluswye and, when he sent me his new address, commented that his new 3-digit house number was a perfect square. To my eyes Basil’s house number is a prime, but when I converted the number to decimal I saw that Basil was right and that the number is indeed a perfect square. This square written as a decimal is a 3-digit number that shares no digits with the house number as Basil writes it.
What is the number on Basil’s new house?
WIN £15 will be awarded to the sender of the first correct answer opened on Wednesday 20 March. The Editor’s decision is final. Please send entries to Enigma 1737, Â鶹´«Ã½, Lacon House, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8NS, or to enigma@newscientist.com (please include your postal address).
Answer to 1731 Power play: The difference is 7849
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The winner Richard Brookfield of Worcester, UK
