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        riddles >> easy >> 3 daughters problem
        
(Message started by: marco on Feb 25^th, 2003, 8:02am)

Title: 3 daughters problem
Post by marco on Feb 25^th, 2003, 8:02am

i was wondering if anyone can help me answer the following riddle (which i've heard einstein once told a class of his).

one man asks another how old his 3 daughters are;

the other responds "if you multiply their ages together you obtain 36 and if you add their ages you get my house number". the man says "ok but i'm missing one piece of data". the other says "the eldest plays the piano"

this is how it was told to me and as you will quickly work out there are several possible solutions; has anyone heard this in a different form (i.e. one that has one unique solution) and could you share it with me please

Title: Re: 3 daughters problem
Post by towr on Feb 25^th, 2003, 8:25am

I recall seeing a similar riddle on this site somewhere..

puzzle:
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/riddles/hard.shtml#daughtersAges
thread:
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=riddles_hard;action=display;num=1027805208;start=0

Title: Re: 3 daughters problem
Post by towr on Feb 25^th, 2003, 8:51am


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

only in the case of 1 6 6 and 2 2 9 does the sum not give enough information.
But seeing one also has to be the oldest, it has to be 2 2 9.