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From: CSvax:Pucc-H:Pucc-I:Pucc-K:ags@pur-ee.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Re: Solution to 'new puzzle'
Message-ID: <112@pucc-k>
Date: Mon, 31-Oct-83 11:22:05 EST
Article-I.D.: pucc-k.112
Posted: Mon Oct 31 11:22:05 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 6-Nov-83 15:02:40 EST
References: <1671@fortune.UUCP> <620@ihuxi.UUCP>
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Lines: 41

*****
	I disagree with the assumption several people have made to the effect
	that "since the sum and product do not provide enough information, we
	must look at the solutions that have the same sum..." It seems that
	the only justification for this assumption is that it is the only way
	to find a unique solution. Would you make this assumption if there
	were three solutions with the same sum? Since this condition was not
	specified or suggested or even hinted at in the problem statement, I
	contend that while it produces a valid solution, it can not be the
	"correct" solution.
	
	Nice try, but I think "back to the drawing board" is in order!
	
	-- 


                               D. Wallis
                   AT&T Western Electric, Naperville Il.
                             (312) 979-5894

*****

  Since you think that the problem statement did not contain enough information
to produce a unique solution, you must have in mind a second solution, other
than (3,3,8), which satisfies the conditions of the problem.

  Before you answer, let me point out why (2,4,9) (to choose a random example)
is NOT a possible solution.  If the ages had been (2,4,9), then the house 
number would have been 15.  We do not know the house number, but the census
taker did.  Given that the product of the ages was 72 and the sum was 15, the
census taker (who, like all people in puzzles of this type, has a computerlike
mind and never makes mistakes) would have deduced immediately that the only
possible answer was (2,4,9).  However, he deduced no such thing!  He said
he did not have enough information.  This means that the house number could
not have been 15, and therefore that the ages were not (2,4,9).

  Do you have in mind a solution other than (3,3,8) which passes the above
test?  If so, please share it with us.

				Dave Seaman
				..!pur-ee!pucc-k:ags