[math-fun] Diophantine puzzle
Puzzle: Solve this equation in positive integers U, V, W: U/(V + W) + V/(W + U) + W/(U + V) = 4 (But don't spend *too* much time on it; it's hard.) When you give up, the answer can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/y9neq7p7. —Dan
On 14/08/2017 20:02, Dan Asimov wrote:
Puzzle: Solve this equation in positive integers U, V, W:
U/(V + W) + V/(W + U) + W/(U + V) = 4
I first saw this posted on Facebook, with the presentation usual for trivial questions: "More than 90% of people can't solve this problem!" followed by the equation written with fruits or something in place of the variables. Hilarious but cruel. -- g
Surely 90% is vastly optimistic. I looked at it long enough to say, "That's a cubic, ut-oh," before I went and read the spoiler. I would say "More than 99.9%." On Mon, Aug 14, 2017 at 5:30 PM, Gareth McCaughan < gareth.mccaughan@pobox.com> wrote:
On 14/08/2017 20:02, Dan Asimov wrote:
Puzzle: Solve this equation in positive integers U, V, W:
U/(V + W) + V/(W + U) + W/(U + V) = 4
I first saw this posted on Facebook, with the presentation usual for trivial questions: "More than 90% of people can't solve this problem!" followed by the equation written with fruits or something in place of the variables.
Hilarious but cruel.
-- g
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Replace 4 by 2 and it becomes a reasonable puzzle for anyone. On Tue, Aug 15, 2017 at 3:00 PM, Gareth McCaughan < gareth.mccaughan@pobox.com> wrote:
On 14/08/2017 22:33, Allan Wechsler wrote:
Surely 90% is vastly optimistic.
That, I believe, is part of the joke.
-- g
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participants (4)
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Allan Wechsler -
Dan Asimov -
Gareth McCaughan -
James Buddenhagen