Mathematicians
Two mathematicians (let's call them M and N) – once good friends – meet after a long time to have a drink together. M asks, "Are you married? Any kids? Do you still live in that old apartment building?" N replies, "Yes, I'm married with three kids, and we live in a private house now." M asks, "How old are your kids?" N replies, "Let me answer with a riddle: The product of the ages of my kids is 36. Now, see that bus over there? The sum of my kids' ages is equal to that bus number." M thinks for a moment, then says, "I don't have sufficient information to solve the puzzle." N replies, "Oh, yes, you're right. I forgot to mention that one of my kids was born before we bought the house." Soon after N provides this last bit of information, M solves the puzzle and tells N the correct ages of the kids.
Can you figure out the solution? Also, how would the solution change if N's additional piece of information was that one of his kids was born after he bought the house?
4
comments from:
a,
Michael,
Caci,
Michael,
4 Comments:
ok, there are three kids nad we know that one of the kids' age is different from the other two so products of 3 numbers that = 36:
1 2 18
1 3 12
1 4 9
1 6 6
the sum of each group is:
21
16
14
13
so each number is possible for a bus number
I think something is not right!
Pk
There is no missing information. You haven't listed all of the possible three integer combinations whose product is 36. They are actually:
1, 1, 36
1, 2, 18
1, 3, 12
1, 4, 9
1, 6, 6
2, 2, 9
2, 3, 6
3, 3, 4
Using that hint, see if you can finish solution.
the bus number is 13? The solution wouldn't change if he said one of his kids was born after he bought his house because he would have had twins born before whose ages would now be 6 and a one year old. Since he said one of his kids was born before he bought the house that makes the oldest one 9 and the twins are 2 (born after he bought the house). I really have no idea but that is my guess.
Correct, although the solution would change if he said that one of the kids was born after he bought the house. As it stands, he had a kid (now age 9), bought a house, and then had twins (now age 2). If he had said that one was born after he bought the house he would have twins (now age 6), bought a house, and then had another child (now age 1).
Remember, the problem is to find the kids ages, not the bus number.
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