Avatars

[Conway]

Oh, I guess I was so consumed in the cheapness of the intended solution that I didn't think to check for more conventional ways!

  Try this, moving one stick:

  X=V/|

  (There are many different puzzles that could us this trick. I just need to find one that doesn't have a more obvious solution!)

[ccexplore]

It's a backroute, if you prefer. &#A0;

Speaking of "backroutes", since DragonsLover didn't specify the letters have to be the same size and the matchsticks whole, here's a "challenge":

DragonsLover 1:  use no more than 1 matchstick to correct the equation

"This is not a glitch-free solution, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to do this, given the limited number of matchsticks."  (Hint: Break the matchstick into 3 segments to form a smaller S)

[/parody]

[Proxima]

It's a valid solution, so you can't call yours the solution.

It's a backroute, if you prefer. &#A0;

I assume you're meant to form the letter S to spell SIX; but I much prefer the other way. More mathematical; more honest.

[Conway]

Okay, here's one I just thought of. It's a little cheap.

  Move one stick to make this correct:

  |X/|=V

[guest]

Try this, moving one stick:

 X=V/|

I moved one of the sticks in the X to the | to make it a V. 1=5/5

[ccexplore]

I'm not sure guest's solution is acceptable, since the same letters have rather different shapes and orientations in their two occurrences.

Here's mine solution: Move the "\" of the X further left to turn the "X" to a "V".  Or, turn the "V" into an "X"

[ccexplore]

X=V/|

Hmm, if we assume the fraction bar "/" is also a movable matchstick, here's a wacky take on it:

Move the "/" on top of the "|" and make it horizontal, so the equation reads X=VT.  Which can be interpreted as a physics formula relating position (X), constant linear velocity (V) and time (T).  (Basically, distance = speed x time.)

[DragonsLover]

ccexplore: Just put the little stick on the equal sign and you're done!

[Lemeri]

EeeRmm... As an on topic post, I changed mine.

[DragonsLover]

Oh wow! Screaming Barney from Half-Life!

You like playing Half-Life?

[Lemeri]

I only got it fairly recently. I discovered that sometimes when the security guards die, they leave their mouths gaping open. It's kinda weird... Just that black void in the middle of their faces, with a line of little shark teeth.

[Conway]

Wicked avatar, Lemeri!

Guest and Explore, I suppose both your answers are correct. I can't say about your physics solution, since I'm not familiar with than terminology.

  Still nobody's spotted the intendeds solution, but I guess that's my fault for not making sure it couldn't be beaten any other way!

  Oh, and it doesn't involve putting a line through the equals, and you can only rotate the line you move.

[Proxima]

Rotate the top bar of the equals to form a greater-than sign.

Although, if we weren't restricted to rotation, I have another really cheap solution:

Break the I in half. Five over one-half equals ten.  

[Conway]

Close, very close. But a greater-than sign has both lines diagonal.

[Proxima]

It doesn't have to; they're both equally valid ways of writing it.