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| OK Brainiacs, someone explain this to me! | |
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| Topic Started: Sep 4 2008, 10:44 AM (267 Views) | |
| New Harumf | Sep 4 2008, 10:44 AM Post #1 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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3 MEN GO INTO A MOTEL. THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK SAID THE ROOM IS $30, SO EACH MAN PAID $10 AND WENT TO THE ROOM. A WHILE LATER THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK REALIZED THE ROOM WAS ONLY $25, SO HE SENT THE BELLBOY TO THE 3 GUYS' ROOM WITH $5. ON THE WAY, THE BELLBOY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPLIT $5 EVENLY BETWEEN 3 MEN, SO HE GAVE EACH MAN A $1 AND KEPT THE OTHER $2 FOR HIMSELF. THIS MEANT THAT THE 3 MEN EACH PAID $9 FOR THE ROOM, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF $27, ADD THE $2 THAT THE BELLBOY KEPT = $29. WHERE IS THE OTHER DOLLAR? |
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| Rhadamanthus | Sep 4 2008, 11:04 AM Post #2 |
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Legitimist
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Each man did not pay 9$ for the room. One man paid 9$ for the room. The other two each paid 8$ for the room and 1$ each to the bellboy. So 25$ was paid for the room, and 2$ to the bellboy. That makes 27$. The remaining 3$ are in the hands of each of the three men. |
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| Nag Ehgoeg | Sep 4 2008, 11:22 AM Post #3 |
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The Devil's Advocate
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BODMAS. |
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| Deleted User | Sep 4 2008, 11:29 AM Post #4 |
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Deleted User
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Ah, the classic. I got the answer. Actually, this one is easier with the number 4, because of the stupid indivisibility of the number 3. Here it goes: 4 men go to a hotel. Each takes out 10 dollars and goes to the room. The receptionist realises that the men have overpaid. She orders the bellboy to return the men $7. The bellboy doesn't know what to do, fearing that $7 would be difficult for the men to split and might cause trouble. So he keeps $3 and returns a dollar each to the men. So each men pays $10, but the get back 1 dollar, so they each paid $9. That makes a total of $9 X 4 = $36. Now add the $3 with the bellboy, and there is only $39 dollars. Where the other dollar go? Same could be with 5 men, which is easier for younger people. Solution: Since the men get back $7 dollars, this means the price for the room is $33. Now $33/4 gives $8.25, so that is the actual cost of the room per man. The men now get back a dollar each, so that makes it $9.25. So $9.25 X 4 = $37 $37 + $3 = $40 There you have it! |
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| New Harumf | Sep 4 2008, 11:39 AM Post #5 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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Fine and well. I figured that much out, but why doesn't it work out the other way. Each man, indeed, paid 10.00. Each man, indeed got back a buck, which mean's each man's actual cash outlay was 9.00. 9 x 4 is, indeed 36. 36 plus the 3 the bellboy held is indeed 39. What is incorrect about that logic?? |
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| Rhadamanthus | Sep 4 2008, 11:44 AM Post #6 |
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Legitimist
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NH, you are double counting the bellboy's money. You are counting it once as part of each man's cash expidenture, and again separately. |
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| Tristan da Cunha | Sep 4 2008, 11:46 AM Post #7 |
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Science and Industry
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Consider the money the bellboy kept to be part of the final room fee. In the 3 man scenario Front desk holds $25 and bell man holds $2 for final bill of $27. Edited by Tristan da Cunha, Sep 4 2008, 11:50 AM.
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| Nag Ehgoeg | Sep 4 2008, 12:14 PM Post #8 |
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The Devil's Advocate
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It's funny, this was up on /b/ last night... |
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| Arya Hindustan | Sep 5 2008, 09:19 PM Post #9 |
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Private
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According to the story and the solution(I heard the 5 men one and my solution was almost similar.), the "missing" $1 is actually divided amongst the men in the price of the hotel(Mine was restaurant). So for 3 men - $0.33, 4 men - $0.25 and 5 men - $0.20 |
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| New Harumf | Sep 6 2008, 03:34 PM Post #10 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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So far, only one close answer, and that's TC! |
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| Nag Ehgoeg | Sep 6 2008, 05:23 PM Post #11 |
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The Devil's Advocate
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It's already been solved. Ok let's break this down. Man 1 has $10 Man 2 has $10 Man 3 has $10 Hotel has $0 Bellboy has $0 Man 1, Man 2 and Man 3 each give $10 to Hotel. (Total of $30 given away.) Man 1 has $0 Man 2 has $0 Man 3 has $0 Hotel has $30 Bellboy has $0 Hotel gives $5 to Bellboy. Man 1 has $0 Man 2 has $0 Man 3 has $0 Hotel has $25 Bellboy has $5 Bellboy gives $1 to Man 1, $1 to Man 2, $1 to Man 3. (Total of $3 given away.) Man 1 has $1 Man 2 has $1 Man 3 has $1 Hotel has $25 Bellboy has $2 [Edit] RD solved it first. I gave the logic. TC solved it second. You've got to process the transactions according to mathmatical logic. Not doing so is like saying: 9+1 = 10 10 x 3 = 30 How comes (30-1)/3 = 9.666.... [Edit] If you want it backwards: Bellboy has $2 Hotel has $25 Man 1 has $1 Man 2 has $1 Man 3 has $1 Man 1, Man 2 and Man 3 each give $1 to Bellboy. (Total of $3 given away.) Man 1 has $0 Man 2 has $0 Man 3 has $0 Hotel has $25 Bellboy has $5 Bellboy gives $5 to Hotel. Man 1 has $0 Man 2 has $0 Man 3 has $0 Hotel has $30 Bellboy has $0 Hotel gives $10 each to Man 1, Man 2 and Man 3. (Total of $30 given away.) Man 1 has $10 Man 2 has $10 Man 3 has $10 Hotel has $0 Bellboy has $0 Edited by Nag Ehgoeg, Sep 6 2008, 05:36 PM.
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| Comrade Queen | Sep 6 2008, 05:38 PM Post #12 |
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Comrade Bitchqueen
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Yeah, I was thinking about this this morning. RD got it right first. Each of the three men did not pay $9. Only one did, and the other two paid $8. So this...
is a lie. And the Bellboy kept a $2 tip. |
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| Nag Ehgoeg | Sep 6 2008, 05:43 PM Post #13 |
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The Devil's Advocate
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Actually thanks to Scy, I think I see the solution that NH wants (it's already been said, but I'll spell it out in baby terms because I know NH won't shut up until someone does):No. It meant each of the men paid $9 for the room (9x3) INCLUDING the bellboys tip (that $2 didn't magically spring out of no-where - the men paid $10 and got $1 back). Which is a total of $27. And each man has $1 (1x3). For a total of $3. $27+$3=$30 Edited by Nag Ehgoeg, Sep 6 2008, 05:49 PM.
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| Ibrium | Sep 6 2008, 05:50 PM Post #14 |
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HEY. HEY. HEY.
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A stripper has it. |
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| Nag Ehgoeg | Sep 6 2008, 05:55 PM Post #15 |
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The Devil's Advocate
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Usually I have no problem in sig'ing awesome quotes taken entirely out of context. But this one isn't quite so awesome out of context. Otherwise... you betcha I'd quote that. |
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| Tristan da Cunha | Sep 6 2008, 09:34 PM Post #16 |
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Science and Industry
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RD and Nag had already posted the correct answer. I only restated it in a more conversational form since there was still some questioning.
$27 is $27. You cannot "ADD THE $2 THAT THE BELLBOY KEPT = $29". That is fraudulent accounting and the SEC will be launching an investigation.
Again, incorrect logic and incorrect accounting. Wordplay with the English language is being used to pull figures out of thin air.
I'll take one for the team and sig this one. Edited by Tristan da Cunha, Sep 6 2008, 10:00 PM.
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| New Harumf | Sep 7 2008, 11:44 AM Post #17 |
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Bloodthirsty Unicorn
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Finally! Those damn strippers :evil: |
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11:41 AM Jul 13