# What is the highest number that can be got from 4383 by moving exactly 2 matches?

What is the highest number that can be got from 4383 by moving exactly 2 matches?

Number 1 has got 2 matches, so I thought it will be 47831 as I remove two matches from second number (3), but it isn't the highest possible.

Format is same like this (1 is only number with only two matches)

Does anybody know solution?

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Please do not use [homework] as a sole tag. Surely you know from which class you took the exercise, so please add the topic as a tag of the question. –  Asaf Karagila Jul 4 '11 at 11:51
edited .... can you help now? –  genesis Jul 4 '11 at 11:53
I felt that (puzzle) is the most appropriate tag, so I added it. If this really is homework, then you are having fun at school! –  Jyrki Lahtonen Jul 4 '11 at 12:02
$438^3 = 84027672$? Or isn't that allowed? –  yatima2975 Jul 5 '11 at 10:41
@ShreevatsaR: you can put the lower two matches on top, as the 'normal' and the superscripted 3 overlap. –  yatima2975 Jul 5 '11 at 15:15
show 4 more comments

If you want to play with notation, you could have 4^783 or $438^3$ depending on what you allow.

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Of course with actual matches, the caret would be squished in between the 4 and the 3. Might be considered cheating because really you should move the whole 4, as I did in the drawing. On the other hand:

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| _| |_|


Only moves 2 matches and would be how you would write $438^3 = 84,027,672$

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7^983 is the highest number. The 4 changes to a 7, and the 3 changes to a 9.

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That's even better :) –  yatima2975 Jul 5 '11 at 15:04
+1 It took me a while to see how you did it, but I got it in the end. Well done! –  Jyrki Lahtonen Jul 5 '11 at 19:16
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