Can you solve it? Are you ready for twenty twenty-six…seven?

As we say goodbye to 2025, let’s delight in its numerical charms one final time. The year was unique this century as being a square number.

• 44² = 1936

• 45² = 2025

• 46² = 2116

And since 45 = 20 + 25, we marvelled at the dazzling pattern:

(20 + 25)² = 2025

Good times. So what does 2026 hold in store?

Six seven! Yes, next year is bang on trend. To the puzzle:

Auld lang signs

Here is an expression equal to 26 that uses six 1s:

(1+1)×(1+1+11)

Find expressions equal to 26 using:

• Five 9s

• Six 8s.

• Six 7s.

• Six 6s.

• Four 5s.

• Six 4s.

• Four 3s.

• Four 2s.

• a partridge in a pear tree. (Only joking)

You are only allowed the four basic operations, +, –, x, ÷, brackets, exponentiation and concatenation. (Exponentiation is when you make a digit the exponent, such as 1¹. Concatenation is when you join digits together, such as taking two 1s and making 11.)

I’ll be back at 5pm UK with the solutions.

PLEASE NO SPOILERS. Instead write your favourite things about the number 26.

Thanks to Inder Taneja, author of the website numbers-magic.com. He has many more facts about the coming year in his paper 26 and 2026 in Numbers and Magic Squares

I’ve been setting a puzzle here on alternate Mondays since 2015. I’m always on the look-out for great puzzles. If you would like to suggest one, email me.