Comments on: Sadistic math problems

By: Al

Al — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 03:05:13 +0000

Hi DQ and highlander,
Thanks much. The issue is where you put the decimal point.
(always a vexing problem)
As far as going beyond “One Hundred”, you could also consider
logrithims(spelling?) That would really confuse 99.9999% of the populace. Since we have hand held calculators, few know what logs are. Just ask Issac Asimov.
Gee, I just had a thought. Do you think little Book’s math
teacher knows what logs are/where? Doubt it.
Al

By: Zabrina

Zabrina — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 01:03:56 +0000

The question is puzzling, and I think it’s a typo in the math book, so I wouldn’t even answer it (or have my child answer it). Or I would cross it out, rephrase it to make more sense, then have my child answer it. If my kid thought she’d get in trouble with that, I’d write a note to the teacher about it for her to take in with her math homework. I’d like to hear the teacher explain that problem if it’s NOT a typo.

By: Don Quixote

Don Quixote — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:56:42 +0000

Hi Al,

Highlander’s got it. The interesting question is whether the next in sequence after “N”inty is O, H or maybe OH for One Hundred. DQ

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:25:48 +0000

hilarious. One? Haha.

By: highlander

highlander — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 15:07:17 +0000

Congratulations Al. I think DQ’s is:

“T”en “T”wenty “T”hirty “F”orty “F”ifty “S”ixty, etc.

By: Al

Al — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:19:28 +0000

The answer was 1 ???? !!!
Time to find a new math teacher.

I got highlander’s sequence in short order, but I am dismayed that I still haven’t solved DQ’s.
Could I have the answer, please?
Al

By: highlander

highlander — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 01:59:55 +0000

Here’s the answer as promised:

The next letter is “T”.

To see why, count the letters:

“O”ne “T”wo “T”hree “F”our “F”ive “S”ix “S”even “E”ight “N”ine “T”en

Those of you who got it: congratulations! Those of you who didn’t: console yourselves that neither did a Nobel Laureate after a whole day working on it.

By: Oldflyer

Oldflyer — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:44:28 +0000

I am worried, because I thought that 1 was the answer they were seeking.

I confess that when I first read the problem, I uttered an expletive and moved on. After reading the comments, I went back and struggled through it. (Actually, I thought the logical answer should be 4, but decided that did not fit the phrasing.) Unlike Highlander, I defined the universe as the capacity of the bags. Of course I was lousy in math.

I wait with bated breath for the answer to the sequence. I have an answer, but I am not confident.

By: greg

greg — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:26:42 +0000

You asked for a clarification [9], Bookworm, and I offered what I recalled from having heard a presentation the subject of testing to identify the exceptional student [10]. Apparently, obfuscation is one approach. It’s not the approach I’d adopt — basically for the reasons you outline, but also for the reason that I indicated above — that, in fact, there is every reason to think that the exceptional student is as baffled by unclear language as the rest of us.

By: judyrose

judyrose — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:48:59 +0000

BW, Greg is worthy of about as much respect as a horse’s hind end, but I’m glad you came back at him. As the recipient of perhaps his most insulting volley (Comment No. 18, What is Racism?, posted by DQ, Jan. 2nd), I applaud you and agree wholeheartedly with your remarks. Since the purpose of language is to convey meaning, those who choose instead to obscure meaning have not joined the discussion in good faith. (Granted, some people are better at writing clearly than others, but I’m talking about people who play games with words just to get under your skin.)