A right Charlie
Problem
Charlie's house number is a three-digit square number.
This number when reversed is also a square and is Charlie's telephone extension at work.
His car registration number is a four-digit square number and is formed from his house number by repeating the right hand digit.
What is Charlie's house number?
Getting Started
How about listing all the three-digit square numbers?
Student Solutions
The following solution was offered by Trevor of Riccarton High School, Christchruch, New Zealand. Other correct solutions were received from Andrei (School 205, Bucharest), Mary (Birchwood Community High School), Rachel and Sebastian (Hethersett High School) and Claire.
Well first, I found all three digit numbers which are square numbers...
$10^2 = 100$
$11^2 = 121$
$12^2 = 144$
$13^2 = 169$
$14^2 = 196$
$15^2 = 225$
$16^2 = 256$
$17^2 = 289$
$18^2 = 324$
$19^2 = 361$
$20^2 = 400$
$21^2 = 441$
$22^2 = 484$
$23^2 = 529$
$24^2 = 576$
$25^2 = 625$
$26^2 = 676$
$27^2 = 729$
$28^2 = 784$
$29^2 = 841$
$30^2 = 900$
$31^2 = 961$
...then I searched for pairs of square numbers that when one is reversed, it will be the same as the second, but not including paladromic numbers...
pairs: $144$, $4414
$169$, $961$
...then the final clue is that Charle's car registration number
is a four digit number which is also a square number
as well, and is formed by repeating the last digit of the house
number, and using the numbers which I have picked...
$1444$, $4411$
$1699$, $9611$
...I can pick a square number from here, if there is
one......$1444$ is a square of $38$! So that means that $144$ is
the
house number!