/sci/ - Science & Math

1 18 and 2

>>5367681
Incorrect.

1 1 36

1 9 4

1 3 12

1 6 6

if you had given the sum, I would know which was correct.

>>5367670
3,3,4

>>5367701
Incorrect.

>>5367704
Incorrect.

>>5367713
Well it fits the puzzle rules, which means the puzzle is retarded or there's missing info.

Let me have a shot at this. Began solving at 2:15 pm EST.

Okay, let daughter's ages a,b,c be whole numbers, with abc=36=2^23^2. It's a combinatorics problem to figure out how many possibilities there are to assign ages such that this works; given three indistinguishable (wlog) number, assign digits to them so this works. Maybe a partitioning problem? We can solve this by saying each one on the left has less than/equal to age to the one on the right. With sums:

1 1 36: 38
1 2 18: 21
1 3 12: 16
1 4 9: 14
1 6 6: 13
2 2 9: 13
2 3 6: 11
3 3 4: 10

Only possibilities are (2,2,9) and (1,6,6). But there's an oldest daughter, so (1,6,6) is out of the question; we are left with (2,2,9) as the ages for the daughters.

This question is bullshit. The only other information is that Annie likes dogs, but there's no way that is useful in finding out their ages.

>>5367713
You, sir, are retarded. These all fit the rules of your puzzle. (except 1,6,6). Good-day

>>5367721
Correct.

>>5367720
It doesn't fit.

>>5367723
No.

2, 2, 9
The sum is 13
There are two combinations of numbers with a product of 36 and sum of 13, so the census-taker would still not be able to tell which one it was, so it must be one of these two combinations:
6, 6, 1
2, 2, 9
She says she has an 'oldest daughter' - assuming that she doesn't count a child as being older than another if it was born just before another one (ie twins), there is only one combination where the highest number only occurs once:

2, 9, 9

>>5367736
Oh well, already beaten to it.
Still got it right though, normally I am shit at puzzles like these.

>>5367736
whoops, also that should be 2, 2, 9

>>5367736
Why are you looking for a sum of thirteen? The puzzle never mentions a sum

>>5367732
/thread
we all win, OP loses

>>5367732
>>5367749
Haha, no.

>>5367747
it does, it merely says the sum is not sufficient to select the answer. If this is the case, it must be because there are multiple answers with this particular sum

>>5367747
>>5367749
>>5367732

So, part of it is that even if she did tell him the sum, he would not be able to tell the ages of the children.
This implies that there must be two values with the same sum - looking at all of the possible combinations we can see that there are only two with the same sums: 2, 2, 9 and 6, 6, 1.
She then says that she has an oldest child, implying that the highest value in the set must only occur once, therefore the correct combination is 2, 2, 9: the only one which fits OPs rules

>>5367762
'no' is not an argument. You look dumber with your every new post

>>5367749
Please, get on my >>5367721 level

Seriously, why can't /sci/ into elementary math today?

>>5367760
no it doesn't

>>5367772
> answered from google
omg you so geniusz

>>5367773
yuh-huh

>>5367773
From OP: "I'd tell you the sum of their ages, but you'd still be stumped." This implies that some number of factorizations have the same sum; if one particular sum has a unique factorization, it's not sufficient as a solution due to this rule.

>>5367777
Nice quads. And if it makes your oversized ego happier, sure I answered from google. Whatever makes you feel better.

>>5367784
Thanks for confessing. Now you start to grow mature.

>>5367721
this you retards

after her first response: 8 possibilities
after her second response: 2 possibilities
after her third response: 1 possibility

>>5367788
Nice dubs, my extremely mature friend.

>>5367778
that isn't saying it, implying is not saying, math is not about implications, i don't strut around assuming random shit in math, this is not psychology board.

>>5367803
> math is not about implications

> captcha: sage sage

>>5367803
I actually get stuck with this when I write proofs. Is there a better way of saying "if a then b" than either that or "a implies b" ? Because a way to do that implies I'd like to know what that way is.

>>5367720
You need a set of factors where one element is greatest and where the sum of the factors is the same as another sum of the factors of 36.

>>5367721

what the fuck?

why arent all those valid solutions?

a*b*c = 36
2*2*9= 36

Done. It's 2, 2 and 9

>>5367814

See >>5367812

>>5367803
If 1,1,36 was the correct answer then being told the sum would have been sufficient to tell their age, as 38 is a unique sum in that set of factor sets. This extends for the other unacceptable answers in the same way, contrapositives are very much a part of mathematics.

>Is there a better way of saying "if a then b" than either that or "a implies b" ?
What exactly is wrong with either?

The census taker marks the family down as terrorists, calls in a napalm strike on the dwelling and marks down a zero.

2, 3 and 6?

OP is a fucking retard and didn't realize that there are numerous valid solutions

>>5368142

>"I'd tell you the sum of their ages, but you 'd still be stumped."

Well played, OP. I'm enjoying watching people call you dumb, and would enjoy it more if I could see their faces when they realize how wrong they are. Especially since they're still doing it when it was solved/explained 3 hours ago....

It's a nice problem. Subtle hints.

>>5368180

I wish this was a honaypot thread and all the retards unable to read a question and especially the ones posting after >>5367721 would get a swift ban for polluting sci

>>5367670
9, 2, 2,

>>5368193
>sum won't give you the answer
which means that there are three other numbers besides the answer that have the same product and sum as the answer

>oldest girl
the answer cannot have twins as the oldest.

game over

Nice problem OP. Now that I read >>5367721 it makes sense. The second hint is what threw me for a loop. I didn't figure out that the "stumped" part implied that the two sets of numbers (two possibilities) would add up to the same number, thus causing the stumping.

>>5367723
Don't be so daft.

OP's hint saying that the sum wouldn't give us the answer eliminated all but two options.

(6,6,1) & (9,2,2)
>both add up to 13

>"Okay, my oldest daughter Annie likes dogs."
Is not a hint about dogs you dumbfuck

>oldest
eliminates (6,6,2)

answer: (9,9,1)

Itt: Idiots who should be polluting a different board than /sci/.

>>5368218

9, 2, and 2 hypocrite

>>5368229
oops
Thats what I get for pulling an allnighter for finals

>>5368147
> I would tell the sum of their ages, but you would still be stumped
She never said the sum of their ages, all she did was call him stupid

>>5368218
Why do they have to add up to 13?

>>5368277
Every other choice of factors results in a unique sum, except for those choices of factors which sum up to 13. We can prove this by looking at every choice of factors and noticing which don't have unique factor sums.

>>5368267
>>5368277

Because that's the only sum you can get from more than one set of factors.

If the sum was unique (such as 38), he wouldn't still be stumped, since that would solve it (36, 1, 1).

>>5368277
They don't HAVE to add up to 13.

>>5368293
Well, I could tell you that I could tell you the sum of their ages, but it would still stump you because you're a retard
>9, 2 ,1

ITT, /sci/ asks the same stupidass questions that got answered in >>5367721 over and over.

>>5368338

BUT WHY CANT IT BE 1 6 6???????

>>5368330
>the product of the ages is 36
>>5367670

>>5368343
>my oldest daughter
>>5367721
>there's an oldest daughter

>>5368347
9 4 1*

>>5368356
>you in charge of knowing how to read

>>5368294
Yes they do, because 13 is the only non-unique sum that appears from summing the elements in each factor subset.

>>5368338
ITT somebody is trolling. Hard.