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Topic: Daughters' Ages (Read 2341 times) |
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hakejam
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Daughters' Ages
« on: Nov 3rd, 2003, 12:57pm » |
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First of all, long time lurker, first time poster! Finally got up the nerve to post.
My first impression was that this problem isn't very hard. Here is what I did:
Since Dr. Demmel said that the product of his three children is 72, I found the prime factors of 72:
2x2x2x2x3x3
So his children has the possiblity of being a compantion of those:
4, 3, 6
8, 3, 3
12, 2, 3
9, 4, 2
6, 6, 2
18, 2, 2
9, 8, 1
He then goes on to say that the sum of them is the same of the number on a building on Telegraph Avenue.
I searched the Berkeley site for places on Telegraph Avenue. I couldn't find any numbers with the sum of any of the numbers that I got.
The riddle goes on to say that the oldest just started to learn the piano. Couldn't find any significance in this sentence.
My best guess would be that his daughters are 9, 4, 2 or 9, 8, 1.
What am I missing?
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
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Some people are average, some are just mean.
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Re: Daughters' Ages
« Reply #1 on: Nov 3rd, 2003, 1:35pm » |
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You are missing that "Telegraph Avenue" clue wasn't enough to determine the answer (which means all unique sums are ruled out). And that the 'oldest one' clue was sufficient to find the definite answer, using the information up to that point.
You might also have missed the search option at the top of the forum, but since it doesn't seem to be working for me (either) at the moment, that's a mute point 
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Wikipedia, Google, Mathworld, Integer sequence DB
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Icarus
wu::riddles Moderator
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Boldly going where even angels fear to tread.
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Re: Daughters' Ages
« Reply #2 on: Nov 3rd, 2003, 3:34pm » |
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Since towr is unable to provide, here is a link to one of the earlier threads on this puzzle.
Very seldom do any of these riddles require "local" knowledge, even when they seem to. There are some exceptions, but those are member posts, not William's official puzzles (of course he apparently has given up on updating the puzzle pages, since he is posting all his puzzles on the forum these days as well!)
But anyway, hakejam, we're glad to hear from you!
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"Pi goes on and on and on ...
And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
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SL
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There are actually more options than those 7 listed by hakejam.
Also the 6,6,2 can't work since one girl is the oldest.
There can be:
6,4,3
8,3,3
12,2,3
9,4,2
18,2,2
9,8,1
36,2,1
72,1,1
24,3,1
18,4,1
12,6,1
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casual_kumar
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Re: Daughters' Ages
« Reply #4 on: Aug 11th, 2006, 6:22am » |
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I was surprised to see this puzzle with incomplete answer, well I am trying
6,4,3 sum = 13
8,3,3 sum = 14
12,2,3 sum 17
9,4,2 sum = 15
18,2,2 sum = 22
9,8,1 sum = 18
36,2,1 sum = 39
72,1,1 sum = 74
24,3,1 sum = 28
18,4,1 sum = 23
12,6,1 sum = 19
6,6,2 sum = 14
So, now the information is enough to solve the puzzle. Forget the house number, we don't need it. But the fact that even the sum and product can't give a unique solution is a superb hint. See above, whats the house no. that still does not identify a unique set of factors? Its 14 so the house no. is clearly 14 as any other house number would have identified a set and there was no need for another hint. Also, as the oldest one is playing the piano so she is a unique person, among (8, 3, 3) and (6, 6, 2) the former has a unique elder sister!!!
theres your solution...
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| « Last Edit: Aug 12th, 2006, 12:13am by casual_kumar » |
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casual_kumar
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Re: Daughters' Ages
« Reply #5 on: Aug 11th, 2006, 6:26am » |
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hey thats not fare, i just checked the other thread and the solution lies there. Now I don't feel like having solved the puzzle. 
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BNC
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Re: Daughters' Ages
« Reply #6 on: Aug 11th, 2006, 7:29am » |
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on Aug 11th, 2006, 6:26am, casual_kumar wrote:| hey thats not fare, i just checked the other thread and the solution lies there. Now I don't feel like having solved the puzzle. |
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casual_kumar,
Just because someone sloved a puzzle before you did, should not take away your feeling of success. This forum has been going on for some years now, so there are probably thousands of solved riddles here. This is, BTW, the reason you'll notice many of us giving hints rather than posting the solution -- to allow others the joy of puzzling. You'll notince also we don't keep 'score' of solved problems. Solving the problem by yourself is a reward by itself!
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| « Last Edit: Aug 11th, 2006, 7:35am by BNC » |
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How about supercalifragilisticexpialidociouspuzzler [Towr, 2007]
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casual_kumar
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Re: Daughters' Ages
« Reply #7 on: Aug 12th, 2006, 12:14am » |
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Thanks for the supportive post. I am really enjoying this forum.
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