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They're dividing by 40, not 39. Half of 40 is 20, and half of 39 is 19.5. One tenth of 40 is 4, and one tenth of 39 is 3.9. It's really just a case of rounding.

Neo wrote: The oldest son was to receive one half the property, the next a quarter, the third an eighth and the youngest one tenth. The four brothers were at a loss as how to divide the inheritance among themselves without cutting up a camel, until a stranger appeared upon the scene.

You really can't do exactly what he says in the will without cutting one up.

Dismounting from his camel, he asked if he might help, for he knew just what to do. The brothers gratefully accepted his offer.

Adding his own camel to Ali Baba's 39, he divided the 40 as per the will. The oldest son received 20, the next 10, the third 5 and the youngest 4. One camel remained : this was his, which he mounted and rode away.

Scratching their heads in amazement, they started calculating. The oldest thought : is not 20 greater than the half of 39? Someone must have received less than his proper share ! But each brother discovered that he had received more than his due. How is it possible?

Because they received their exact portion of the 40 camels, and one rode away, they now all have slightly more than what they should've had. Percentually that is.

If they were just smart enough to give each one slightly more than what he should minimally get, it would've worked. Giving the first a half, the second a quarter and the third 1/8th leaves, in theory, 1/8th for the last. Because he can't really take that small bit of a camel (except for drumsticks that is) it was rounded down to 1/10th, so it would be below 4. In fact, they all together don't even get the entire 39 camels.


As for the previous one, don't loathe the post. It's 100% correct, and doesn't display a flaw in math. It displays a flaw in the basic interpretation of the human mind.

That hotel puzzle just twisted at my brain until I sat down with a pen and paper to finally figure it out.

Never was good at those logic puzzles. Ouch, head hurts >:(.

alright rereading my shoe question made no sense to me so I will help with the hotel quandry, try to save a little face here.

So the Room cost $ 25
They Tip bell boy $ 2
Thier rebates $ 3 => $30


don't trust the question it lies to you by adding the 2$ to men's price paid 27, but they only paid 25 without the tip.

There is this question (answer rather) that is bothering me. I think I'm right but am not sure...

In a village of 100 people there are 80 who have telephones, 75 who have cars, 85 who have mobiles and 70 who have fax machines.
What is the minimum number who have all four using a base of 100

My answer is 70, but several others have said that it's 10. (BTW i'm not too sure about the figures).
Anyway how do we solve this?

20 do not have telephones
25 do not have cars
15 do not have mobiles
30 do not have fax machines

20+25+15+30=90
100-90=10

well at least found out how to do it ::)

Neo wrote: There is this question (answer rather) that is bothering me. I think I'm right but am not sure...

In a village of 100 people there are 80 who have telephones, 75 who have cars, 85 who have mobiles and 70 who have fax machines.
What is the minimum number who have all four using a base of 100

My answer is 70, but several others have said that it's 10. (BTW i'm not too sure about the figures).
Anyway how do we solve this?

Actually..

The puzzle doesn't make sense, since the 85 people who have mobiles, have telephones, since a mobile (telephone) is technically speaking a telephone. Since only 80 people would have telephones, solving how many have only a regular phone:

85 + r = 80 -> 80-85 = r -> r = -5

Clearly can't have -5 people that only have a regular telephone.

It's a flawed puzzle..

mystran wrote:

Neo wrote: There is this question (answer rather) that is bothering me. I think I'm right but am not sure...

In a village of 100 people there are 80 who have telephones, 75 who have cars, 85 who have mobiles and 70 who have fax machines.
What is the minimum number who have all four using a base of 100

My answer is 70, but several others have said that it's 10. (BTW i'm not too sure about the figures).
Anyway how do we solve this?

Actually..

The puzzle doesn't make sense, since the 85 people who have mobiles, have telephones, since a mobile (telephone) is technically speaking a telephone. Since only 80 people would have telephones, solving how many have only a regular phone:

85 + r = 80 -> 80-85 = r -> r = -5

Clearly can't have -5 people that only have a regular telephone.

It's a flawed puzzle..

Ok... telephones = solar powered watches.