3 3 8 8 - Solution

3 3 8 8 - Solution

The trick to this problem was finding a way to make the most of the two 3's and two 8's that you could use. The answer was:

24 =	$$ 8\over\displaystyle 3- { 8 \over \displaystyle 3} $$

To see how this works, start by writing the left hand side as: $$ {8 \over 1}\over\displaystyle 3- { 8 \over \displaystyle 3} $$ When you multiply this out it becomes clear that it is correct. $$ {{8\over 1} \over\displaystyle {{9- 8} \over \displaystyle 3}} = {{8 \times 3} \over {(9-8) \times 1}} = {24 \over 1} = 24 $$ Clever isn't it!