[Guest]

A man is dying and he has 17 goats that he want to give to his sons. He said the first son gets half of the total goats. The second son will get 1/3 and the third son will get 1/9.. Then the father died. How his sons will be dividing the goats??

Borrow a goat from someone. So the total is 18.

1/2 x 18 = 9

1/3 x 18 = 6

1/9 x 18 = 2

total 17 goats. Then return back the goat that they borrow earlier..

[superprismatic]

This problem has been posted before. Please read the board guidelines and search before

posting.

A father on his death bed gave his three sons 17 silver coins. However he had some conditions:

1. The first son will get half of the coins

2. The second son will get one third of the coins

3. Third son will get one ninth of the coins

Knowing that 17 cannot be divided by 2, 6 or 9, three sons needs your help before the father dies.

[Glycereine]

This problem has been posted before. Please read the board guidelines and search before

posting.

Also try to avoid putting the answer in or it discourages people from solving it on their own anyways.

[Guest]

That's the third variation of this problem I see in this forum. Also I've seen it in a brazillian book entitled The Man Who Calculated, but in the book there were 35 camels and the same fractions. The mathematician borrowed his friend's camel to make 36, then when he was done there were 2 left. He returned his friend's camel and took the other one for himself.

[Guest]

This is a practical solution but an invalid answer. As none of the totals fit the appropriate fractions.

[Guest]

I have seen the answer to this question and have one reply. Who gives the goat back? Anyone who does pretty much has wasted their time borrowing it.

[Guest]

Add 1 goat from your side. The total will be now 18. First son gets 9, second son gets 6 and third son gets 2. You can take back 1 goat which you added earlier.

[Guest]

why hasnt this been locked yet?

[Guest]

I posted a better version of this puzzle on 4/19/10

here is a link.

I hope this is not a copy of my version.