# WTF Math?

Discussion in 'General Off-Topic Chat' started by amrboghdady, Aug 15, 2011.

# WTF Math?

1,343 Views

Newcomer
1
Sep 4, 2010
Ok, here is the equation, tell me why it does not work?

3 guys go to a Hotel to rent a room.

Clerk says its 30 bucks.

Each guy gives the clerk 10 bucks [ 10x3=30 ]

They go to room.

Clerk finds his mistake and calls bellboy over.

Tells bellboy, I overcharged these guys 5 dollars. Room is only 25 dollars. Take this 5 dollars to them.

Ok, says bellboy and goes to guys room.

After they answer door he explains they were over charged 5 dollars. [ 25 + 5 =30 ]

Ok, say the guys, give us each back one dollar, and keep 2 for a tip to make it work out. [ 1+1+1+2=5 ]

Bellboy does that and leaves with his 2 dollar tip.

WTF math is happening. 25 + 5 =30 right? right.

OK, now the 3 guys starting out paying 10 dollars each. They now each get back one dollar. [ 10 -1 = 9 ]

Now they have only paid 9 dollars each and the bellboy got a 2 dollar tip.

3 x 9 =27 plus the 2 the bellboy got = 29 dollars. WTF ? They started out with paying 30 dollars.

If the math works one way, then why not the other? Imagine if this is a business transaction and the numbers are millions. Who gets the missing dollar?

2. ### Narayandesu~

Member
4
Sep 29, 2010
edit: wait, that doesn't work...

okay, 2 paid \$8 and one paid \$9 = \$25
and the 5 dollars.

edit: haha think you can fool me with saying each one paid \$9, and adding the \$2. if that's the case, you need to add the \$3 too, then it would be \$32.

3. ### prowlerSony

Member
10
Jul 14, 2009
Ragol
You lost me at equation.

4. ### Nathan DrakeObligations fulfilled, now I depart.

Member
11
Jan 2, 2011
They each pay \$10.

10 10 10

5 is taken. That is about \$1.67 taken off per person. So that's about \$8.33 paid per person.

8.33 8.33 8.33

That totals \$25. They are then given \$1 back each, and \$2 is given to the bellhop.

8.33 + 8.33 + 8.33 + 1 + 1 + 1 +2 = 30

The problem was that when looked at collectively, the numbers are a little harder to see. Regardless, businesses are handled carefully and with far more than basic math skills.

5. ### Zarcon.:~Enigmatic Wanderer~:.

Former Staff
4
Nov 6, 2002
Toronto, Ontario

Newcomer
1
Sep 4, 2010
Haha, its really much simpler than that
It took me a good while to figure it out, just to discover how easy it is

They each paid \$9, which sums to \$27, that \$27 already includes the \$2 tips, so you need not add it again

Hope I made it clear enough, cause all these numbers make it so complicated xD

7. ### Shinigami357Current "give a fuck" level: Honey Badger

Member
2
Jul 29, 2010
Without having to resort to decimals and stuff [change? what's that? LOL], I think this question, and many more like it, are deliberately made just to make this conundrum.

I think the thing that really makes questions like this is, as far as I remember, the number subtracted from the original tally is always prime. 5 is a prime number. We are then forced to divide it as equally as possible, but without resorting to decimals, in which case [because prime numbers cannot be divided by anything other than 1 and the number itself] we are left with a surplus on one side and a deficit on another. And thus, the whole thing evolve into a clusterf*ck [even if you mash B. LOL]

That's my take on it.

8. ### SnailfaceMy frothing demand for 3ds homebrew is increasing

Member
10
Sep 20, 2010
Engine Room with Cyan, watching him learn.
Here's a graph for the visual thinkers :

The confusion* comes from the way it's explained. If you follow the numbers, things make sense.

*This is what change artists prey on.

9. ### Chikaku-chanᏁᎽᎪ~

Member
2
Aug 9, 2011
You lost me at "Ok,"

Member
2
Feb 18, 2010
in your heart...coz secretly you love me !!!!
this ^ ,or you can 5/3 and it comes out 1.66666666....7
this 0.00000000....7 is the guilty as the number without this 0.0000000...7 cant become a full one (i dont know hot to write it in English hope its ok )
for example 1 and say at 0.944444444444444444...3

11. ### r3gR3tGBAtemp Regular

Member
1
Dec 7, 2010
The pits of Hell
Ha, this brings back old memories
The first time I saw this riddle was when I first played MMBN4 Red Sun and installed the 'Humor' program on MegaMan

Anyways, I second what Shinigami357 said

12. ### SinHarvest24Shiroyasha

Member
1
Oct 8, 2010
Anywhere you think of me.
This.

Pretty nice teaser you got here but you'll need to up your game up for the temp.

Member
3
Apr 20, 2007
I cant really see how this is hard.
1 guy payed a dollar more to the hotel than the other 2 while the other 2 each payed a dollar to the bellboy.
What exactly doesn't make sense???

14. ### chris888222GBAtemp's Flygon Fan

Member
5
Oct 11, 2010
This riddle is very famous...

And it's not really math related, but rather logic.

15. ### WigWrmGBAtemp Regular

Member
3
Apr 17, 2007
Nathan Drake explains it the best. Each person paid 1/3 of the bill. They got the 5 bucks back. They gave 2 to the bell boy. 25/3=8.333 repeating. Take the decimal from that number and multiply it by 3. There's your lost dollar.
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