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[Each student] is supposed to write a computer program to handle very
large numbers that could not be handled on a typical hand-held
calculator. The teacher told the students to use that program to
determine if a certain very large number is a perfect square. (What
is a perfect square? A perfect square is a whole number or an integer
that is arrived at by squaring another whole number. For example, 900
is a perfect square of 30; 196 is a perfect square of 14. 625 is the
perfect square of 25. So there are no fractions, no decimals, no
nothing. Just whole numbers allowed.)
Each student is assigned a particular number. This kid's number is
334,912,740,121,562. And the teacher wants to know if this is a
perfect square.
His father says, "That's a big number!"
And then out of the inky shadows, who appears but Crusty! And he
says, "Oh, your teacher gave you an easy number."
"She did?" said the kid.
"Oh yeah. I can give you the answer right now."
The question is, what did Crusty know?