Thursday 4 June 2009

A math problem

The things I get asked in the pub!

"Oh - Andy, can you help me with this little problem? I've tried but I got stuck. It's from the Indian mathematician Mahavira, from about 900AD."
Seriously, I was asked this whilst sat at the bar. I like this place!
Three traveling merchants find a purse full of gold coins on the road.

The first merchant says “If I had the purse, I would have twice as much money as you two put together.”

The second says “If I had it, I would have three times as much as both of you put together.”

The third merchant says “If I had it, I would have five times as much as you both put together.

How much did each merchant have and how much was in the purse?
It took me a side of A4 to get the answer but I'm sure it can be done more succinctly... anyone?

Please show your workings.
I'll post my solution tomorrow.

4 comments:

yorksnbeans said...

can you give a hint?

NobblySan said...

You bugger, Holroyd!

I've already got some simultaneous equations going, and they're not compatible with my half-finished bottle of wine.

I'll have to try again tomorrow.

Andy Holroyd said...

yorksnbeans, you want a hint? OK - there are infinitely many correct answers. Hope that helps :)

yorksnbeans said...

sorry, still stumped. :-(

darn I feel stupid.

if this has something to do with a play on words.....