what is the number

a=0

a6 not means a*6

it means a number on the left on 6

OK usama, I think I understand. So 6a means 6 and the number on the right of 6? eg if a=3 then the equation would read 36*6=63 ?

Well if it's base 10

a6*6=6a

break it up by the column values in base 10 notation
is ((ax10) +6) x 6=(6x10)+a

do the calculation
60a + 36= 60+a

subtract 60 from both sides
60a - 24=a

Subtract a from both sides
59a-24=0

Add 24 to both sides
59a=24

Divid both sides by 59
a=24/59

a=(6 * 10^57 - 36) / 59

hingehead
24/59 canot be put on the left of 6




markr

excellent

24/59 canot be put on the left of 6


And 1.0169491525423728e+56 can?

I do not get it. What does the filled in equation look like?

hingehead had the right idea, but assumed that a was a single digit.

[(a * 10) + 6] * 6 = (6 * 10 ^ n) + a
(60 * a) + 36 = (6 * 10 ^ n) + a
59 * a = (6 * 10 ^ n) - 36

so a = [(6 * 10 ^ n) - 36] / 59 for some n that makes a an integer.

I presume markr has worked out that 57 is the smallest possible n.

yep

Damn I knew the left hand side would I could use more than single digits, but the right hand side obviously (now) can't.

And I dispute that you can't put a fraction in that number - you just have understand how base notation works. No laws, just conventions. (although using fractions in base 2 would be kind of silly - hey maths is abstract so if I'm completely abstract I must be very good at maths....

argues self into a singularity and disappears to another universe.....