[itachi-san]

Every morning, a monk walks up the steps to his temple. First, he climbs up to the middle step and meditates for 1 minute. Then he climbs up 8 steps and faces east until he hears a bird singing. Then he walks down 12 steps and picks up a pebble. He takes one step up and tosses the pebble over his left shoulder. Now, he walks up the remaining steps three at a time which only takes him 9 paces. How many steps lead up to the temple?

[Guest]

Every morning, a monk walks up the steps to his temple. First, he climbs up to the middle step and meditates for 1 minute. Then he climbs up 8 steps and faces east until he hears a bird singing. Then he walks down 12 steps and picks up a pebble. He takes one step up and tosses the pebble over his left shoulder. Now, he walks up the remaining steps three at a time which only takes him 9 paces. How many steps lead up to the temple?

..48 steps

[Guest]

..48 steps

46 steps

up 23

up 8 = 31

down 12 = 19

up 3*9 = 46

edit...no, that's wrong, too

[spoiler='because

']he started by climbing to the middle step, so there are an odd number of steps.

so his first move was to climb to the 24th step out of 47!

Edited December 4, 2008 by Cherry Lane

[Guest]

46 steps

because that school in Charlottesville is not known for its math

.5x+8-12+1+27=x

[Guest]

46 steps

up 23

up 8 = 31

down 12 = 19

up 3*9 = 46

Re-read OP, you forgot one step

[Guest]

Re-read OP, you forgot one step

yes, I did, but you're still wrong (and so am I) see my edit above

correction coming

edit:

means there are 49 steps

Edited December 4, 2008 by Cherry Lane

[Guest]

One of you is right...

That would be CL? I think I'm still confused. Monks got a lot of time on their hands, I guess.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Grayven

[Jiminy Cricket]

Every morning, a monk walks up the steps to his temple. First, he climbs up to the middle step and meditates for 1 minute. Then he climbs up 8 steps and faces east until he hears a bird singing. Then he walks down 12 steps and picks up a pebble. He takes one step up and tosses the pebble over his left shoulder. Now, he walks up the remaining steps three at a time which only takes him 9 paces. How many steps lead up to the temple?

If there are 49 steps:

Walks to 25 (24 below, 24 above)

climbs up 8 to 33

walks down 12 to 21

takes one step up to 22

Then 9 paces x 3 (27) = 49

[Jiminy Cricket]

If there are 49 steps:

Walks to 25 (24 below, 24 above)

climbs up 8 to 33

walks down 12 to 21

takes one step up to 22

Then 9 paces x 3 (27) = 49

WOW, A whole bunch of posts while I was typing!

Well, somebody got the right answer :-)

Edited December 4, 2008 by Jiminy Cricket

[Prof. Templeton]

Well I did until she said 49. There has to be an odd number of steps for the monk to stop in the middle. On his ninth pace to the top, he must have covered only two steps instead of three. 47 steps.

[Guest]

If there are 49 steps:

Walks to 25 (24 below, 24 above)

climbs up 8 to 33

walks down 12 to 21

takes one step up to 22

Then 9 paces x 3 (27) = 49

yeah...I got there eventually. I just missed that one step up.

edit: I love how Jiminy Cricket posted that he agreed with the Hokie even though his answer was different! Of course that slip-up is gone now.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Cherry Lane

[Guest]

What's wrong with the math for 49?

[Prof. Templeton]

Well, that's what I get for doing the math in my head.

[Guest]

Well, that's what I get for doing the math in my head.

My head gets rather upset if I do math in there. It usually ends in a stern talking to and straight to bed with no pudding.

[Prof. Templeton]

My head gets rather upset if I do math in there. It usually ends in a stern talking to and straight to bed with no pudding.

No Pudding! I was working backwards and I think I had the monk going down instead of up for his pebble toss.

[Guest]

I concede and willingly eat my crow for the Charlottesville remark

[Jiminy Cricket]

yeah...I got there eventually. I just missed that one step up.

edit: I love how Jiminy Cricket posted that he agreed with the Hokie even though his answer was different! Of course that slip-up is gone now.

Hey! I knew somebody got it right! I was still in shock over how many posts got put up during the span of time it took me to put up my answer!

[Guest]

Every morning, a monk walks up the steps to his temple. First, he climbs up to the middle step and meditates for 1 minute. Then he climbs up 8 steps and faces east until he hears a bird singing. Then he walks down 12 steps and picks up a pebble. He takes one step up and tosses the pebble over his left shoulder. Now, he walks up the remaining steps three at a time which only takes him 9 paces. How many steps lead up to the temple?

I agree with the '48' school of thought, but it may be a matter of semantics. In the attached image, I suggest that the X is on the second step (either from bottom or top perspective), and is in fact 1/2 way up the set of 4 steps. Note that steps might be different than stairs in this definition

1/2 way up = 24

+ 8 = 32

-12 = 20

+ 1 = 21

+ 3*9 = 48

Edited December 4, 2008 by xucam

[Guest]

so I want to add 28

Was it at Angor Wat?

[Guest]

I agree with the '48' school of thought, but it may be a matter of semantics. In the attached image, I suggest that the X is on the second step (either from bottom or top perspective), and is in fact 1/2 way up the set of 4 steps. Note that steps might be different than stairs in this definition

1/2 way up = 24

+ 8 = 32

-12 = 20

+ 1 = 21

+ 3*9 = 48

I can go with either side, the question is this: What is a step? In your diagram, the top landing is considered a step but not the bottom landing? Why? Should both be considered steps? Only one? Which one? Does the monk go 1/2 way up the steps or does he go to the middle step? This makes the difference. When he takes 3 steps at a time does he stop on the last step or does he end up on the landing? I assumes he ends up on the landing, but that means either the top landing is a step or that he actually only takes two steps in his last stride. Argument can be made either way, so I say everyone's right

BUT now I have a new answer

The answer is ONE!

Only one step can actually lead to the temple. All the rest of the steps lead to the next step not to the temple.

[Guest]

I hope OP intends to shed some light???

[Guest]

I agree with xucam. If you count the vertical rises, there are 4 that you must 'step up' to, which eliminates the bottom level as a step. Following that, the X is clearly on the middle step.

If you reason that the 'step' itself is the vertical climb, then the flat between these rises is a middle point. Thus, you have 2 vertical climbs, a midpoint (i.e. the flat location), and then 2 more. This would eliminate the need to have an odd-number of steps.

[Jiminy Cricket]

That diagram you posted has five steps if you ask me.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Jiminy Cricket

[Guest]

Hmm...Now doesn't this look familiar.

Edit: And no...I don't mean that it's been posted before...Itachi will know why I said that.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Prince_Marth85

[Guest]

How do you reach 5? By my count (and past experience), that setup would cause me to raise my feet up a step 4 times (4 vertical rises). Even if you count the 'flats' at steps, the step cannot begin until the vertical rise, so there are 4 flats following vertical rises.

I could see a case for 3 steps (because the top and bottom would be the floors) but I feel counting the vertical rises is the most accurate way to count steps, and that diagram clearly has 4.

[Guest]

How do you reach 5? By my count (and past experience), that setup would cause me to raise my feet up a step 4 times (4 vertical rises). Even if you count the 'flats' at steps, the step cannot begin until the vertical rise, so there are 4 flats following vertical rises.

I could see a case for 3 steps (because the top and bottom would be the floors) but I feel counting the vertical rises is the most accurate way to count steps, and that diagram clearly has 4.

You are counting the # of steps you take, a verb, as opposed to counting the # of steps, a noun. Using the noun, there is either 3 or 5. Using the verb, there are 4.