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EARZ
 
Reply Tue 15 Aug, 2006 02:34 pm
A census taker came to a house where a man lived with
three daughters. "What are your daughters' ages?" he asked.
The man replied, "The product of their ages is 72, and the
sum of their ages is my house number."
"But that's not enough information," the census taker insisted.
"All right," answered the farmer, "the oldest loves chocolate.

What are the daughters' ages?
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 589 • Replies: 6
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Brandon9000
 
  1  
Reply Tue 15 Aug, 2006 02:41 pm
In my opinion, this is not a math question, at least not a purely math question, because there is, indeed, not enough information. The only relevant fact I can see is that the product of their ages is 72. Even if we knew the house number, it would still not be enough information to solve for 3 variables.
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stuh505
 
  1  
Reply Tue 15 Aug, 2006 02:58 pm
I think you can also assume that they have positive integer ages, which could potentially be used to solve for a third variable under some circumstances, if you knew the house number.
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Wolf ODonnell
 
  1  
Reply Tue 15 Aug, 2006 03:06 pm
Wait a minute... The census taker has just visited a farmer. Therefore the house has no number, at least he has no neighbours.

If the house has no number, then... there can't be three daughters. Rolling Eyes

Something's very wrong with this question. Where'd you find it?
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lmur
 
  1  
Reply Tue 15 Aug, 2006 03:14 pm
The chocolate-loving oldest daughter is seventy-two with her younger siblings being one-year-old twins.
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Wolf ODonnell
 
  1  
Reply Tue 15 Aug, 2006 03:20 pm
lmur wrote:
The chocolate-loving oldest daughter is seventy-two with her younger siblings being one-year-old twins.


But it could also be one 12 year-old daughter, one 6 year-old daughter and one 1 year-old daughter with a house number of 19.

Or one 12 year-old daughter, one 3-year old daughter and one 2-year old daughter with a house number of 17.

Or one 24 year-old daughter, one 3 year-old daughter and one 1year-old daughter with a house number of 28.

Curiously, enough though a Google search of:

Quote:
three daughters product 72


Comes up with plenty of pages, the third one of which actually gives you the solution to the problem. This shows that someone here is being very, very lazy.
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spendius
 
  1  
Reply Tue 15 Aug, 2006 05:59 pm
No,No.No.

The youngest is one. The next is two and the third is 36 which is just about the time they get self indulgent and start eating chocolate to try to reduce the aching pangs.

Any other numbers are daft because twins at 1 make the 3rd 72 and at 2 make her 18 and census takers are much more likely to knock on the doors of barmy farmers who have 36 year old chocolate scoffers still on their hands than they are on barmy farmer's doors who still have hopes of their daughter's prospects due to the general appearance and other unfortunate dispositions which census takers are prone to.

They obviously live at No39 Highway 61.

Have you not read Madame Bovary?
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