The appeal of Logic puzzles cuts through the ages, young or old, alike. You could be a neophyte Engineer or an Engineering Professor, or a consulting CEO, still these posers brings a challenge which few Engineers, with their Math background, could resist. So you think you got what it takes? Try the problems below for size.
Our Office Escalator
It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and everyone was in a hurry to get home. Our Managing Director was generous enough to let everyone go early for the day, giving them time to prepare for New Year’s Eve. So I hurriedly shuffled the loose pile of paper on my desk and pushed each one into the trays, shut down my laptop and shoved it into its carrying case. “Happy New Year. See you next year, everyone”, I hollered to nobody in particular as I walked to the exits. Work could wait for next year which will start next Sunday! Everyone was filing out of the office into the parking lot. I needed to go, too! I could not wait for the slow descent of the escalator so I walked down even as it descended. It took me 10 steps with my normal gait to get down from the First Floor level to the Ground Floor level. I was about to dash away to the Parking Exits when Mar, looking down from the Second Floor level called my attention. “Hey, Sonny – you dropped your wallet!” In my eagerness, I dropped my wallet at the top of the descending flight that I just traversed. Wanting to get to my wallet as quickly as possible, I forgot to use the ascending flight and instead huff-and-puff my way up the descending flight at a rate which is 5 times my pace in going down. It took me 25 steps before I got to my wallet – thank God. Now Louisian Engineers, pray tell me how many steps has our office escalator?
Our Office Escalator
It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and everyone was in a hurry to get home. Our Managing Director was generous enough to let everyone go early for the day, giving them time to prepare for New Year’s Eve. So I hurriedly shuffled the loose pile of paper on my desk and pushed each one into the trays, shut down my laptop and shoved it into its carrying case. “Happy New Year. See you next year, everyone”, I hollered to nobody in particular as I walked to the exits. Work could wait for next year which will start next Sunday! Everyone was filing out of the office into the parking lot. I needed to go, too! I could not wait for the slow descent of the escalator so I walked down even as it descended. It took me 10 steps with my normal gait to get down from the First Floor level to the Ground Floor level. I was about to dash away to the Parking Exits when Mar, looking down from the Second Floor level called my attention. “Hey, Sonny – you dropped your wallet!” In my eagerness, I dropped my wallet at the top of the descending flight that I just traversed. Wanting to get to my wallet as quickly as possible, I forgot to use the ascending flight and instead huff-and-puff my way up the descending flight at a rate which is 5 times my pace in going down. It took me 25 steps before I got to my wallet – thank God. Now Louisian Engineers, pray tell me how many steps has our office escalator?
If only a few could solve the above problem, it is probably because it does not fall into any of the common categories by which algebraic problems are usually classified. So I want to give everyone a chance by posing a problem which is in a class that is familiar to all : AGE PROBLEM. Peanuts, isn’t it? Then try the age problem below.
How old is Danny?
I have two friends named Manny and Danny who are very conscious of their ages. They don’t only keep tract of their years, they also are aware of their age combinations and ratios along the way. You see, the combined ages of Manny and Danny is 80 years, and Manny is twice as old as Danny was when Manny was half as old as Danny will be when Danny is three times as old as Manny was when Manny was three times as old as Danny. So how old is Manny?
I’ll wait for your solutions and interesting posers of your own. I will publish the first correct solution that comes by e-mail.
No comments:
Post a Comment