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magicjohn2278 Special user Isle of Man UK 544 Posts |
...This is so old, it MUST have been posted before in some guise, but as it is impossible to search for to check, here it is again (probably!)
Three men go to a restaurant for a meal, they are each charged $10, but complain to the waiter that it is too much. The waiter takes the $30 to the manager, and after discussing the mens complaint, he gives the waiter $5 to return to the men. The waiter thinks about this, and has difficulty dividing $5 by 3, so he keeps $2 for himself and gives each of the men $1. So, now they have each paid $9 for their meal, (3 x $9 = $27), the waiter has $2. $27 + $2 = $29 Where is the missing $1....? |
0pus Inner circle New Jersey 1739 Posts |
I keep it in the other side of my Himber wallet.
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magicjohn2278 Special user Isle of Man UK 544 Posts |
..my dad always told me that they had left it as a tip for the waiter....
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stanalger Special user St. Louis, MO 998 Posts |
I know!!! Because I was there, dining at a nearby table.
Here's what happened: I was having dinner with a friend. Our bill came to $20, so we each paid $10. We, too, were less than pleased with the food. After complaining, we received a $5 refund. Now the food was horrible, but the waiter did an OK job, so my friend and I each took a $1 and gave the other $3 to the waiter. The next day I thought about what had happened. My friend and I each paid $10 and we both got $1 back. $10 - $1 = $9 2 x $9 = $18 $18 + (the $3 the waiter got) = $21. I was puzzled as to where the extra dollar came from, but now I know. Thanks for solving that mystery for me. |
LobowolfXXX Inner circle La Famiglia 1196 Posts |
A classic that goes, one again, to the framing of the question... the waiter's $2 is actually part of the $9 that they each paid, so you're not missing one dollar; you're missing three. Where are the three dollars they didn't pay? Those are the three dollars they got back. The nine dollars they DID pay went: $8.33 to the restaurant ($25/3) and $0.67 to the waiter ($2/3).
"Torture doesn't work" lol
Guess they forgot to tell Bill Buckley. "...as we reason and love, we are able to hope. And hope enables us to resist those things that would enslave us." |
magicjohn2278 Special user Isle of Man UK 544 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-03-09 09:48, LobowolfXXX wrote: Are you sure? Sounds right but I've never looked at it like that! |
magicjohn2278 Special user Isle of Man UK 544 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-03-09 10:29, magicjohn2278 wrote: ... Can't possibly be true, I forgot to mention that all the transactions were done in dollar bills.... |
TomasB Inner circle Sweden 1144 Posts |
Yes that is true. 25 whole dollar bills went to the restaurant and two whole dollar bills went to the waiter. Total of 27 which they shared evenly paying. Neither of 25 and 2 is dividable by 3 but that's not even a paradox.
Easier example: You and me buy two items together. One cost 3 and one cost 1. We each pay 2. We have each payed 0.5 of one item and 1.5 of the other. /Tomas |
magicjohn2278 Special user Isle of Man UK 544 Posts |
... so how much do you owe me? ....and how on Earth are we going to sort it out without any change?
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niva Inner circle Malta (Europe) 2970 Posts |
I just love this puzzle.
Yours,
Ivan |
dlhoyt Regular user 176 Posts |
This is easier for me to understand:
The men pay $30. The waiter returns $5. So the men, collectively, have paid $25 for their meal. They each take $1 from the $5 returned by the waiter. $25 plus $3 = $28. They leave the $2 as a tip. $28 plus $2 = $30, and everyone is happy, except the waiter, who was tipped less than 10%. The original puzzle is an example of Enron accounting practices. |
Wolflock Inner circle South Africa 2257 Posts |
It is more logical if you minus the $2. That would give you $25 which sets up the $5 discount. people tend to think forwards when backwards is the answer.
30-5=25+2+1+1+1 or 3X9=27 -2 = 25 +5=30
Wolflock
Pro Magician & Escapologist Member of JMC (Johannesburg Magic Circle) South Africa |
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