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From: Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.ai
Subject: Commonsense Reasoning?
Message-ID: <1247@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Jun-84 01:34:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.1247
Posted: Mon Jun 25 01:34:57 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Jun-84 03:26:16 EDT
Lines: 22

From:  Ken Laws <Laws@SRI-AI.ARPA>

    1/2 * 5 = 2.5 round up to 3
    1/3 * 10 = 3.333... round down to 3
                  -Shaun Keller


Shaun's solution is the same as Richard Treitel's solution in the
previous issue, derived independently.  I like it better than my
own solution except for the fact that it makes the problem less
metaphysical.

Roger Hale's solution of (temporarily) subtracting one from each
number was essentially a solution to "If 3-X were half of 5-X, what
would X plus a third of 10-X be?"  It seems as valid as my own
solution to "If 3 were half of 5X, what would a third of 10X be?"

I am surprised that such good alternatives to my explanation were found,
especially after I had exposed everyone to my own way of thinking.
For 18 years I've thought I had >>the<< answer.

                                        -- Ken Laws