Mathematical Imposibility?????

It goes something like this...

3 Guys go to the hotel... each pay 10 dollars each... (but are sharing the room) so the hotel manager gives the bellboy 5 dollars back (5 dollar bill) to give back to the three travelers. The bellboy knew that they each paid 10 each and knows they didn't tip him - so he takes out 5 1 dollar bills pockets 2 of the dollars and goes to the room and hands each of the guys 1 dollar back.

So if each paid 10 and get 1 dollar back - they paid 9 dollars each - 9 X 3 guys = $27. The bellboy kept $2 dollars = $27 combined + the $2 dollars the bellboy kept = $29... What happend to the other dollar.

This is called situation mathmatics. From the Hotel Manager it works - they paid $30 - he gave them 5 back = they paid $25... From the other perspective - it looks like one dollar would be missing - if worked in reverse.

There are a few variations of this story - the one I just gave you - a guy named Raj Uttamchandani and I wrote this one up in 1987 in a Colletge mathmatical theory class at St. Joseph - (now to make sure we don't take full credit) - very similar stories with variations came before and after we did it If you do a search on my name on Google - you might find it out there still... I have dozens or so little fun ones that I use in presentations as well... Maybe I will start a thread ;-)

 

There is no other dollar.

The room cost $25. The bellboy took $2, ($27), and gave the men each back $1 ($30). The men each spent $9, $25 for the room, $2 for the tip. The total cost of the transaction was $27, 3 men x $9.

 

For starters, the three guys should not have stayed in such a cheap hotel!

 

I agree - I would hate to park my F-car there... and you can bet no valet ;-)

 

That works if you round dollars off.

Paid ..... Cost ..Change .. Tip .. Return
30.00 .. 25.00 .. 5.00 .... 2.00 .. 3.00

Without ever having to fuss with coin change, each individual paid 8.33 & .67 (9.00) for hotel room & tip, respectively; received 1.00 change for their 10.00 bill.

 

Good job Wax,

I was the only one who showed it correctly in college when we got it. Got a full point credit on my grade too!!!

 

Are you serious?
*Bemoans lack of intelligence/common sense amongst collegians*

I guess that's why we're household names.

 

No kidding.

I should point out it was my freshman year.