Make 4 with four 9s

The classic four nines puzzle: build an expression from exactly four 9s that equals 4. 4 cannot be made with + - × ÷ alone (the solver checked every expression) — you will need to stick 9s together (like 99) or use decimals (like .9).

Solutions using only + - × ÷

No expression made of four plain 9s and + - × ÷ reaches 4 — the solver checked every possible expression.

Solutions with concatenation and decimals

9 - 9 / (.9 + .9) = 4

Solutions with square roots, factorials, exponents

9 / 9 + 9 / sqrt(9) = 4
9 + 9 / 9 - sqrt(9)! = 4
9 - sqrt(9)! + 9 / 9 = 4
9 / .9 + sqrt(9) - 9 = 4
9 / .9 - 9 + sqrt(9) = 4

…and 716 more at this tier.

722 distinct solutions found in total, after removing trivial rearrangements.

How 4 compares

4 has 722 distinct solutions across all three tiers — #14 most plentiful of all 100 targets. Next door, 3 has 6,307 solutions and 5 has 621 solutions.

If 4 went down easily, make 11 with four 9s — 215 solutions, the nearest step up in scarcity.

Make 3 with four 9s · Make 5 with four 9s

The Number Lab

Same idea, different constraints: four 9s, four 4s, or any four digits you like.

Four Nines — the daily puzzle
Four Nines solver — every target, solved
Four Fours — the 1881 original
Four Fours solver — including the impossible five
Make 24 solver — any four digits
Today's 24 — one new hand a day

Got what you came for?

Stay for something you did not search for.

Four Nines — the daily puzzle: four 9s, one target, new at midnight
The Reflex Lab — nine ways to measure your hands and memory, none of them polite about it
hand me something weird — a random pick from the directory. Could be the horse.

Play the daily Four Nines puzzle, pick another number in the solver, or find more free math games.