10001110100110101
Here's a new teaser I came across:
A census taker approaches a house and asks the woman who answers the door,"How many children do you have, and what are their ages?"
Woman: "I have three children, the product of their ages are 36, the sum of their ages are equal to the address of the house next door."
The census taker walks next door, comes back and says, "I need more information."
The woman replies, "I have to go, my oldest child is sleeping upstairs."
Census taker: "Thank you, I have everything I need."
Question: What are the ages of each of the three children?
I think I've seen this one before. If this one is too easy, I'll put up another one.
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 at 19:41:46 (UTC)
Consider :
a,b,c : children's ages
i) a <= b < c
ii) a x b x c = 36
iii) a + b + c = n
iv) a,b,c are integers
Two key points to note.
One is knowing that she has an eldest child, thus removing the possibility of having two oldest children (i).
The second is that the census taker had to come back despite knowing the value of n, the sum of the ages.
After working out all the possibilities, (I got 8), you'll end up with only 2 that result in the same n : 2,2,9 and 1,6,6.
The only solution that satisfies i) is 2,2,9.
Dr. Hwansworth
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 at 20:06:01 (UTC)
This was a boring math teaser -- one where the solution depends on enumerating a bunch of (finite)possibilities.
I like the ones that require a flash of insight.
BTW, QYV, this teaser stuff is great! I'm thinking of swiping the idea for an all-teaser website! hehe
Reg<e-mail>
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 at 20:15:46 (UTC)
Hmmm.. maybe I should've just posted my answer and saved my solution for later, as I'm sure most of you won't bother answering now. Eh, I have to redeem myself for my previous blunders.
The thing that bothers me about this question : WHY does the mother have to go if the oldest is SLEEPING?? Is she in the middle of performing some covert operation that she doesn't want him to know about? What could it be?!
Also, people who answer questions with riddles deserve a punch in the stomach.
Regarding the cat situation, I'd have let it in. What's the big deal? If it does have a home, wouldn't it have gone back by now? Can't you let it sleep under a nice roof tonight and let it find its way home tomorrow? What a gip.
Dr. Hwansworth
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 at 21:09:20 (UTC)
Come now. I discarded that solution out of hand. Just because there are two six-year-old kids doesn't mean there isn't an oldest. I'm sure they don't see it that way.
I figured they must be 9, 2 and 2 just because no self-respecting nine-year-old would be caught dead sleeping during the middle of the day.
As for the cat situation, I think you should tell HNT he's a meanie and take the poor little kitty a saucer of milk. Alternatively, you could phone the Humane Society, drop the cat off and say that you'll take it if no one claims it (or at least suggest this rational course of action to HNT).
FlyingS<e-mail>
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 at 21:11:41 (UTC)
Me confused. Should have said "6, 6 and 1".
FlyingS