Funny math problem/riddle; can you figure out why this works?
By cyberfluf
@cyberfluf (4996)
Netherlands
January 1, 2008 3:35pm CST
I heard this one years ago from a student who was studying to become a math teacher, it's pretty funny :) I'm unsure why and how it works but here it goes.
I think just some very logical thinking and calculating and choosing the right numbers, but still.. it's funny:
There's a rich sjeik who has 3 sons, when he dies his sons will inheret his 17 camels. They need to split up the camels amongst them but they can't kill them in the process.
The olderst son will get 1/2 of the lot
The middle son will get 1/3 of the lot
The youngest son will get 1/9 of the lot
When their father dies the sons have a problem; 17 can't be split honestly in half so they lend a camel from their neighbours - they now have 18 camels.
Olderst son gets 1/2 = 9 camels
Middle son gets 1/3 = 6 camels
Youngest son gets 1/9 = 2 camels
Total = 17 camels. Great! Now we can return the lend camel to the neighbours :)
2 people like this
3 responses
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
2 Jan 08
I was just wondering... if you only have 17 camels to divide in the first place how could that be a lack of math skills?
@uath13 (8192)
• United States
2 Jan 08
If that stumps you try this.
3 men check into a hotel
A room will cost them $30
They split it & each man pays $10
After they leave the lobby the clerk realizes they were supposed to get the senior discount so the room would have costed $25.
The clerk gies the bussboy $5 to give back to the men.
Knowing they split the money & $5 couldn't be split 3 ways he kept $2.
He got to the room , told them they were overcharged & gave them each $1.
Each man has now paid $9
The puzzle... 9 * 3 ( the amount each paid for the room )= 27
27 + 2 = 29
Where did the extra dollar go?
1 person likes this
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
2 Jan 08
Well it doesn't stump me, I merely think it's fun :)
It's not a hard to solve puzzle. I've seen the one you are pointing out before; here on mylot actually. Only the person who posted it used 2 man buying a bag of crisps together. It's a fun mathematical problem though, thanks for sharing!
@gerald_lian (2188)
• Australia
23 Feb 08
I think I can solve the riddle. The 2 dollars the bussboy kept was to confuse us. It should be 27 + 3 = 30, where the 3 in the equation is the money given back to the three men. Since the bussboy kept the 2 dollars, we can assume that the clerk (or the hotel) took back the 2 dollars if the bussboy gave it back to the clerk.
@jormungand (91)
• Turkey
1 Jan 08
The father said;
oldest son will get 1/2
middle son will get 1/3
youngest son will get 1/9
Normally, if we add this, we must find 1, so that all the camels are splitted to But, if we add these, 1/2 + 1/3 +1/9 = 17/18.
So, I think that the father had a problem with mathematics.:)
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
2 Jan 08
Good thinking, you do not neccesairily have to be smart to become rich :)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us and have a great day.
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
2 Jan 08
I just thought of something.. how can it be a lack of math if he merely has 17 camels? You could say: split them otherwise, but when making up once testament you never know when you are going to die and what you exactly leave; but that's more a social matter than math ;)
@jormungand (91)
• Turkey
2 Jan 08
But he must make sure that the addition of this 3 fractions is 1. Otherwie, all camels cannot be distributed. For example when he says, "3/17, 4/17 and 7/17", it is also wronmg.
We can see, for example, saying "1/100, 2/100 and 3/100" is wrong. There are some camels not distributed, It's not different than "1/2, 1/3 and "1/9". Both don't add to 1 and there are aslo some camels not distributed.
