[Guest]

Andrew is 33 years old today. This is three times as old as I was when Andrew was as old as I am now. How old am I?

EDIT: I decided to remove the answer spoiler for now, I'll repost when it someone solves it.

Edited May 14, 2008 by frotorious

[Guest]

22 - Is this riddle about me?

[Guest]

11 or 33?

[Guest]

That didn't take long, nicely done Enlightened. Stefanopolis, sorry, those answers are wrong.

Now that at least one person has figured it out, here's my in-depth solution:

Although confusing, you are given enough information to set up a system of equations using information from now and 'then', the timeframe of the second sentence. Assume the following variable definitions: AN is Andrew now, AT is Andrew then, MN is my age now, and MT is my age then.

System of Equations:

AN = 33 (Given, "Andrew is 33 years old today")

MT = AN / 3 (Given, "This is three times as old as I was...")

AT = MN (Given, "...when Andrew was as old as I am now")

MN - MT = AN - AT (Logically, the same number of years will have passed for both people)

Solve the System:

AN = 33

MT = AN / 3 = 33 / 3 = 11

MN - MT = AN - AT

MN - MT = AN - MN

2*MN = AN + MT = 33 + 11 = 44

MN = 22

Therefore, I am 22 years old now! (MN - MT) = 11, so 11 years have passed the condition.

[Guest]

Although confusing, you are given enough information to set up a system of equations using information from now and 'then', the timeframe of the second sentence. Assume the following variable definitions: AN is Andrew now, AT is Andrew then, MN is my age now, and MT is my age then.

System of Equations:

AN = 33 (Given, "Andrew is 33 years old today")

MT = AN / 3 (Given, "This is three times as old as I was...")

AT = MN (Given, "...when Andrew was as old as I am now")

MN - MT = AN - AT (Logically, the same number of years will have passed for both people)

Solve the System:

AN = 33

MT = AN / 3 = 33 / 3 = 11

MN - MT = AN - AT

MN - MT = AN - MN

2*MN = AN + MT = 33 + 11 = 44

MN = 22

Therefore, I am 22 years old now! (MN - MT) = 11, so 11 years have passed the condition.

Wow, that was a little confusing. Which state is AN again?

[Guest]

Wow, that was a little confusing. Which state is AN again?

AN is Andrew's age now. The riddle begins by saying Andrew is 33 years old, so AN is 33. The end of the riddle asks what age am I, which is the value we're attempting to find. This value is represented by the variable MN, standing for My age Now.

However, in order to find these values, you have to use the situation described in the second sentence (when my age then was one third of Andrew's age now and concurrently when Andrew's age then was my current age now). I have called this past time 'then', and labeled the past ages AT and MT for Andrew's age Then and My age Then.

[Guest]

AN is Andrew's age now. The riddle begins by saying Andrew is 33 years old, so AN is 33. The end of the riddle asks what age am I, which is the value we're attempting to find. This value is represented by the variable MN, standing for My age Now.

However, in order to find these values, you have to use the situation described in the second sentence (when my age then was one third of Andrew's age now and concurrently when Andrew's age then was my current age now). I have called this past time 'then', and labeled the past ages AT and MT for Andrew's age Then and My age Then.

Sorry, I'm just messing with you

[Guest]

Sorry, I'm just messing with you

Yeah, I figured you probably didn't need an explanation since you solved the riddle yourself