Totle #7: make 3 from 6, 12, 13, 17 and 19
Monday, October 19, 2026
Use all five numbers with + − × ÷ to make 3. Combine two at a time; every result has to be a positive whole number.
A Monday puzzle, so level 2 of 7 (they get harder from Sunday to Saturday). There were 5 different answers. Harder than 47% of all Totle puzzles, and these five numbers can make 1,320 different totals.
About this puzzle
A Monday puzzle, early in the week, but don't let that fool you: there are only five different answers, which is fewer than most Mondays give you.
The target is a tiny 3, and every number you're handed is bigger than it. That's what makes it interesting. You have to bring big numbers down, either by balancing them against each other or by dividing. Keep an eye on the 12 and 13, and on the 17 and 19: pairs that sit close together are a gift when the target is this small.
Playing past puzzles needs a free account. They don't count toward your streak.
How people did
On the day, 11 people played it and 10 solved it (91%).
Medals among the 10 who solved it:
How to think about it
- Work backward. Ask what two numbers make 3, then whether you can build them from what you have.
- Find the even splits. Division has to come out even, so spot the pairs that divide cleanly early.
- Make a 1 to use up a spare number. Two numbers one apart subtract to 1, and × 1 or ÷ 1 changes nothing.
- Break big numbers into tens. 7 × 16 is 70 + 42; 91 ÷ 7 is 70 ÷ 7 + 21 ÷ 7, or 10 + 3.
Hints and an answer
Tap one at a time to open it.
Hint 1: think about the target
The last move makes 3. It can add or subtract two numbers you've built, multiply two (3 is prime, so only 1 × 3), or divide a multiple of 3 by the right number (6 ÷ 2, 9 ÷ 3, 12 ÷ 4…). Look at the numbers you have: which of those could you build?
Hint 2: a first move
Try 6 + 12 = 18.
Hint 3: how it ends
The last move is 35 − 32 = 3. So the job is building 35 and 32 from the numbers.
Walk through it
Start from the target. 3 is small and every number is bigger, so there are two ways in: make two big totals that are just 3 apart and subtract, or divide something down.
Try the subtraction first. You want to split the five numbers into two groups whose totals differ by 3. The 13 and 19 make a natural pair: 13 + 19 = 32. So the other three need to make 35.
Check it: 6 + 12 = 18, and 17 + 18 = 35. A trick for that one is to make a ten first: 18 + 2 = 20, then 20 + 15 = 35.
Put it together: 6 + 12 = 18, 17 + 18 = 35, 13 + 19 = 32, and 35 − 32 = 3.
Show an answer
- 6 + 12 = 18
- 17 + 18 = 35
Make a ten first: 18 + 2 = 20, then add the other 15: 35. - 13 + 19 = 32
Make a ten first: 19 + 1 = 20, then add the other 12: 32. - 35 − 32 = 3
One of 5 different answers.
Other ways to get there
- (6 ÷ (19 − 17)) × (13 − 12)
Use the close pairs: 19 − 17 = 2, so 6 ÷ 2 = 3. Then 13 − 12 = 1 soaks up the last two numbers, and 3 × 1 = 3. - (13 + (19 × (12 ÷ 6))) ÷ 17
Divide down from a bigger number: 12 ÷ 6 = 2 and 19 × 2 = 38, then 13 + 38 = 51. Since 17 × 3 = 51, that means 51 ÷ 17 = 3.