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From: arash@jendeh.UUCP (Arash Farmanfarmaian)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Re: Horses, Pigs, and Rabbits
Message-ID: <156@jendeh.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-May-85 04:59:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: jendeh.156
Posted: Fri May 31 04:59:03 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Jun-85 03:05:35 EDT
References: <235@ihnet.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: The Coalition of United Associations
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> < down on the farm >
> An old puzzle comes to mind.
> A farmer goes to market, and buys 100 animals for 100 dollars.
> Horses cost 10 dollars, pigs cost 3 dollars, and rabbits cost 50 cents.
> How many of each animal did he buy?
> During a long boring bus ride in my youth, I found a solution.
> I have since found the second, and I believe there are no others.
> Diophantus experts have a real advantage here.
> By the way, does anyone have any programs for solving such problems?
> I am too lazy (and have no real need) to write any,
> but they might be fun to play with.
> -- 
> 
> Karl Dahlke    ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad

	Since when one needs to be a diaphantine expert to solve such problems?
 Especially since Diaphantine problems accept rational solutions (ever tried to
 buy a rational  number of rabits?). I would have thought you would need modular
 arithmetic, as developped by Fermat, to solve  this kind of problem.

			Arash Farmanfarmaian'85

-- 
Arash Farmanfarmaian
...!allegra!princeton!jendeh!arash

		"Any man who lives within his means suffers from a lack of
		imagination"