The Pierrot in the
illustration is standing in a
posture that represents the sign of multiplication.
He is indicating
the peculiar fact that 15 multiplied by 93 produces exactly the same
figures (1,395), differently arranged.
The puzzle is to
take any four
digits you like (all different) and similarly arrange them so that the
number formed on one side of the Pierrot when multiplied by the number
on the other side shall produce the same figures.
There are very few
ways of doing it, and I shall give all the cases possible.
Can you find
them all?
You are allowed to
put two figures on each side of the
Pierrot as in the example shown, or to place a single figure on one
side and three figures on the other.
If we only used three digits
instead of four, the only possible ways are these: 3 multiplied by 51
equals 153, and 6 multiplied by 21 equals 126.