Impossible Math Problem

Flint • Nov 11, 2010 4:11 pm
Three men check into a hotel room. The price is 30 dollars. They pay 10 dollars each and go to their room.

But wait, the clerk remembers that the weekday rate is 25 dollars--he overcharged them by 5 dollars! So, off he goes to refund the 5 dollars. But...he can't figure out how to divide 5 dollars evenly between the three people, so... he gives them back 1 dollar each, and pockets the other 2 dollars.

Now each man has paid 10 dollars, and has been refunded 1 dollar.

So, each man has paid 9 dollars. 9 times 3 = 27.

The clerk pocketed 2 dollars. 27 plus 2 = 29.

But...they originally paid 30 dollars.
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What happened to the other dollar?

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xoxoxoBruce • Nov 11, 2010 4:15 pm
It's not 27 + 2, it's 27 - 2 = 25.
Sundae • Nov 11, 2010 4:16 pm
I once impressed a date by knowing the answer to this.
I dissimulated of course, pretending to work it out there and then.
In fact it had been an ice breaker on a training course I attended.

Silly thing is, the chap I was hell-bent on trying to impress was probably just trying to get into my knickers anyway - we could easily have dispensed with the posturing.
Cloud • Nov 11, 2010 4:34 pm
er . . . each man hasn't paid 9 dollars. Each man paid 10 dollars less 1/3 of 5 dollars, which isn't the amount that was refunded to them. Just because the clerk can't do math, doesn't mean there's a "disappearing" dollar.

of course, I'm crap at math, so this could be completely wrong.
jimhelm • Nov 11, 2010 4:56 pm
the dollar took off from the treadmill in the aeroplane
Sundae • Nov 11, 2010 5:00 pm
Not wanting to split hairs, given that yours was probably a joking response, but I think the real answer is that Bono had it in his pocket.
Flint • Nov 11, 2010 5:22 pm
jimhelm;693868 wrote:
the dollar took off from the treadmill in the aeroplane
No, the dollar can't take off because the clerk is running the exact same speed in the opposite direction.
Cloud • Nov 11, 2010 5:27 pm
and what were the three men doing in the hotel room in the first place, hmm?
Flint • Nov 11, 2010 5:34 pm
Cloud;693880 wrote:
and what were the three men doing in the hotel room in the first place, hmm?

You know, that's a really good question. And what kind of place rents one room to three dudes?
Cloud • Nov 11, 2010 5:39 pm
the kind of place where the clerks can't divide worth shit?
smoothmoniker • Nov 11, 2010 5:54 pm
The kind of place that has rooms for $30.
jimhelm • Nov 11, 2010 5:57 pm
PER HOUR
BigV • Nov 11, 2010 6:34 pm
Cloud;693884 wrote:
the kind of place where the clerks can't divide worth shit?


There probably was some shit being divided because we know they weren't in there to multiply.
Cloud • Nov 11, 2010 6:54 pm
:facepalm:
footfootfoot • Nov 11, 2010 10:24 pm
If two men can dig two holes in two hours
and three men can dig three holes in three hours
The how long does it take one man to dig half a hole?
smoothmoniker • Nov 12, 2010 1:33 am
There's no such thing as a half a hole. It's either a hole or it isn't.
Gravdigr • Nov 12, 2010 3:18 pm
As I was traveling to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Every wife had seven sacks,
Every sack had seven cats,
Every cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, and, wives
How many were going to St. Ives?
Happy Monkey • Nov 12, 2010 3:24 pm
Depends on whether the man you met was also going to St. Ives, and was just moving slower because of all of the giant sacks full of cats his wives were dragging.
footfootfoot • Nov 12, 2010 3:31 pm
smoothmoniker;693930 wrote:
There's no such thing as a half a hole. It's either a hole or it isn't.

There's also no such thing as half a whole.;)
Happy Monkey • Nov 12, 2010 4:27 pm
smoothmoniker;693930 wrote:
There's no such thing as a half a hole. It's either a hole or it isn't.
Unless you give half to Jeremy.

[YOUTUBE]cmTw6AsKs0M[/YOUTUBE]
ZenGum • Nov 12, 2010 5:47 pm
You can dig half a hole, provided someone else digs the other half.
Lamplighter • Nov 12, 2010 6:33 pm
There you go, Zen... talking quantum mechanics again :3_eyes:
sexobon • Nov 13, 2010 6:46 am
Will you help him change the world
Can you dig it? Yes, I can
Spexxvet • Nov 13, 2010 9:10 am
ZenGum;694020 wrote:
You can dig half a hole, provided someone else digs the other half.


I'll dig the top half..... after you dig the bottom half ;)
Gravdigr • Nov 13, 2010 2:20 pm
sexobon;694051 wrote:
Can you dig it?


I knew that you could.

[YOUTUBE]Dw9yEuwohkk[/YOUTUBE]
ZenGum • Nov 13, 2010 6:53 pm
Spexxvet;694058 wrote:
I'll dig the top half..... after you dig the bottom half ;)


Done. I've dug from Australia to the Earth's core. Your turn, Northerner. :D
footfootfoot • Nov 13, 2010 9:08 pm
I missed Oz blud, ended up in the Indian Ocean and shit like that. Didn't it? Got all wet and shit. Just like it.

http://www.antipodemap.com/
ZenGum • Nov 14, 2010 6:51 am
Did you turn left at Albuquerque?
footfootfoot • Nov 14, 2010 10:56 am
We just watched that episode yesterday!