Question:
I have got a math/logic teaser: A census taker goes to a house
for some information. The lady says she has 3 kids, and the product of their
ages is 36. The sum of their ages is equal to the address next door. He goes
and comes back for more information and she says the oldest one is asleep
upstairs. What are their ages?
Replies:
Make a list of all triplets of positive integers whose product is
36. By each triplet write its sum. Do not forget that two kids could be
twins! Note that only two triplets have the same sum. Since the census taker
had to return for more information, the address next door must have been that
sum. I will let the reader take the final step in the solution!
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