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        riddles >> putnam exam (pure math) >> University Interview Questions
        
(Message started by: THUDandBLUNDER on Jan 18^th, 2005, 7:36am)

Title: University Interview Questions
Post by THUDandBLUNDER on Jan 18^th, 2005, 7:36am

Three brilliant students go for separate interviews with a university admissions officer, a number theorist. He chooses 4 whole numbers greater than 1 and tells the 1st student their product. The student tells him the 4 numbers. He tells the 2nd student the sum of the squares of the 4 numbers and she duly tells him the 4 numbers. 'Too easy', he thinks. So he tells the 3rd student the product of the 3 smallest numbers plus twice the square of the largest number. The student was unable to tell him the 4 numbers.

What 4 numbers did he choose?

Title: Re: University Interview Questions
Post by Icarus on Jan 18^th, 2005, 4:27pm

Were the students given that the 4 numbers were distinct, or did they have to consider the possibility of 2 or more of the numbers being the same?

Title: Re: University Interview Questions
Post by THUDandBLUNDER on Jan 18^th, 2005, 11:46pm

on 01/18/05 at 16:27:07, Icarus wrote:

Were the students given that the 4 numbers were distinct...?

Not in the version I have.

Title: Re: University Interview Questions
Post by Eigenray on Jan 19^th, 2005, 6:36am

::[hide]2,3,3,5[/hide]::?