diff --git a/2024/07/part 1 solution.py b/2024/07/part 1 solution.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be8910d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2024/07/part 1 solution.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import logging
+
+# Configure logging
+logging.basicConfig(filename='debug.log', level=logging.DEBUG, format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s')
+
+
+testing = 1
+if not testing:
+    with open(r"2024/07/input.txt", "r") as file:
+        input = file.read()
+else:
+    input = '''190: 10 19
+3267: 81 40 27
+83: 17 5
+156: 15 6
+7290: 6 8 6 15
+161011: 16 10 13
+192: 17 8 14
+21037: 9 7 18 13
+292: 11 6 16 20'''
+
+# first we organise the input to something more usable
+input = input.split('\n')
+#print(input)
+input = [x.split(': ') for x in input if x.strip()]
+#print(input)
+input = [(int(x[0]), list(map(int, x[1].split()))) for x in input]
+#print(input)
+
+# # Find and print the largest target number
+# largest_target = max(input.keys())
+# print(f'The largest target number is: {largest_target}')
+
+OPERATORS = ['+', '*']
+
+def generate_expressions(numbers, current_expr=""):
+    if len(numbers) == 1:
+        yield current_expr + str(numbers[0])
+    else:
+        for operator in OPERATORS:
+            new_expr = current_expr + str(numbers[0]) + operator
+            yield from generate_expressions(numbers[1:], new_expr)
+
+def evaluate_left_to_right(expr):
+    tokens = expr.split()
+    total = int(tokens[0])
+    i = 1
+    while i < len(tokens):
+        operator = tokens[i]
+        next_number = int(tokens[i + 1])
+        if operator == '+':
+            total += next_number
+        elif operator == '*':
+            total *= next_number
+        i += 2
+    return total
+
+correct_results = []
+for target, numbers in input:
+    logging.info(f'Processing target: {target} with numbers: {numbers}')
+    for expr in generate_expressions(numbers):
+        expr_with_spaces = expr.replace('+', ' + ').replace('*', ' * ')
+        result = evaluate_left_to_right(expr_with_spaces)
+        if int(result) == int(target):
+            correct_results.append(target)
+            logging.info(f'Tried {expr} = {result} matches {target}')
+            # we can break here because we only need to find one correct expression
+            break
+        else:
+            pass
+            logging.info(f'Tried {expr} = {result}, but target is {target}')
+
+print(f'Sum of correct results: {sum(correct_results)}')
+
+# too low 2501605300634
+# print(2501605300634 - 2501605301465)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/2024/07/part 2 solution.py b/2024/07/part 2 solution.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1677874
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2024/07/part 2 solution.py	
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import logging
+
+# Configure logging
+logging.basicConfig(filename='debug.log', level=logging.DEBUG, format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s')
+
+
+testing = 1
+if not testing:
+    with open(r"2024/07/input.txt", "r") as file:
+        input = file.read()
+else:
+    input = '''190: 10 19
+3267: 81 40 27
+83: 17 5
+156: 15 6
+7290: 6 8 6 15
+161011: 16 10 13
+192: 17 8 14
+21037: 9 7 18 13
+292: 11 6 16 20'''
+
+# first we organise the input to something more usable
+input = input.split('\n')
+#print(input)
+input = [x.split(': ') for x in input if x.strip()]
+#print(input)
+input = [(int(x[0]), list(map(int, x[1].split()))) for x in input]
+#print(input)
+
+# # Find and print the largest target number
+# largest_target = max(input.keys())
+# print(f'The largest target number is: {largest_target}')
+
+OPERATORS = ['+', '*', '|']
+
+def generate_expressions(numbers, current_expr=""):
+    if len(numbers) == 1:
+        yield current_expr + str(numbers[0])
+    else:
+        for operator in OPERATORS:
+            if operator == '|' and len(numbers) > 1:
+                # Concatenate the current number with the next number
+                concatenated_number = int(str(numbers[0]) + str(numbers[1]))
+                new_expr = current_expr + str(concatenated_number)
+                yield from generate_expressions(numbers[2:], new_expr)
+            elif len(numbers) > 1:
+                new_expr = current_expr + str(numbers[0]) + operator
+                yield from generate_expressions(numbers[1:], new_expr)
+
+def evaluate_left_to_right(expr):
+    tokens = expr.split()
+    total = int(tokens[0])
+    i = 1
+    while i < len(tokens):
+        operator = tokens[i]
+        next_number = int(tokens[i + 1])
+        if operator == '+':
+            total += next_number
+        elif operator == '*':
+            total *= next_number
+        i += 2
+    return total
+
+correct_results = []
+for target, numbers in input:
+    logging.info(f'Processing target: {target} with numbers: {numbers}')
+    for expr in generate_expressions(numbers):
+        expr_with_spaces = expr.replace('+', ' + ').replace('*', ' * ')
+        result = evaluate_left_to_right(expr_with_spaces)
+        if int(result) == int(target):
+            correct_results.append(target)
+            logging.info(f'Tried {expr} = {result} matches {target}')
+            # we can break here because we only need to find one correct expression
+            break
+        else:
+            pass
+            logging.info(f'Tried {expr} = {result}, but target is {target}')
+
+print(f'Sum of correct results: {sum(correct_results)}')
+
+# too low 2501605300634
+# print(2501605300634 - 2501605301465)
\ No newline at end of file