Mathematical Puzzle for Competitive Exams
Mathematical Puzzle for competitive examinations- Friends this is a maths puzzle. Solving this type of maths puzzle could be very useful for students taking competitive examinations like CAT, GMAT, etc. Please let me clarify the puzzle is complete and no information in missing. For more such puzzle keep checking back WWW.QUICKERMATHS.COM
Mathematics Age Puzzle
At a census there is the following dialog:
Field helper: number of children?
Citizen: three!
Field helper: age of Your children in whole numbers?
Citizen: The product of the years is 36.
Field helper: This not a sufficent answer!
Citizen: The sum of the ages equals the
number of the house of our next neighbour.
(Field helper acquires the number.)
Field helper: That is still not a sufficient answer!
Citizen: Our eldest child plays the piano.
Field helper: (after some mental calculations) – Fine, now I know the age of your three children. But it would not have been possible without the last clue.
How old are the three children?
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Recent Comments
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September 2nd, 2011 - 10:39
The answer is 6,2,3.
May 4th, 2011 - 23:14
Something that you all need:
http://www.free-iqtest.net/
May 4th, 2011 - 23:13
Abe tum sab chutiye ho kya?
October 9th, 2010 - 17:59
are there really twins?! i just can’t get it
August 9th, 2010 - 21:19
why cant they be 3x3x4. this also gives 2 twins and an elder child. and the product is still 36.
May 25th, 2010 - 14:40
it’s 14 9 or 2 3 6
May 5th, 2010 - 18:18
@ Maheswari –
this statement is important to determine that they are twins – “But it would not have been possible without the last clue”
Last Clue is “Our eldest child plays the piano.”
This clue is required only when the sum is 13. In case of 13 there are 2 possibilities. 1, 6, 6 and 2, 2, 9.
First case be rejected based on the last clue as there is only one elder son.
May 5th, 2010 - 13:58
Vineet,mohit,shalin had given so many combos,.. but then my doubt is that why should we consider the other two as twins?.. how does this gets justified?my e-mail id is mukeshkatara@gmail.com
May 5th, 2010 - 17:16
@ Maheshwari: It is clear from the following statement that they are twins : “But it would not have been possible without the last clue.”
In all the cases where the sum is distinct (and he knows the sum) he can guess the age of al 3.
Only in case of sum being 13, the last clue is required.
there are 2 possible cases – 1,6,6 and 2,2,9. From the last clue we know that there is only one eldest son and not 2. Hence the ages are 2, 2 and 9
May 5th, 2010 - 18:17
@ Maheswari –
this statement is important to determine that they are twins – “But it would not have been possible without the last clue”
Last Clue is “Our eldest child plays the piano.”
This clue is required only when the sum is 13. In case of 13 there are 2 possibilities. 1, 6, 6 and 2, 2, 9.
First case be rejected based on the last clue as there is only one elder son.
April 1st, 2010 - 12:25
hats offffff……. mohit and shalin..
and thanks for nice puzzle. it actually puzzled me.
February 25th, 2010 - 19:42
BTW Mohit & Shalin your answers were correct. Good work. Keep it up
February 25th, 2010 - 19:40
Answer –
36 = 2^2 x 3^2. If one considers also the one year olds, then there are the following combinations:
1st 2nd 3rd sum
1 1 36 38
1 2 18 21
1 3 12 16
1 4 9 14
1 6 6 13
2 2 9 13
2 3 6 11
3 3 4 10
Only in case of sum 13 there are 2 combinations so we need another hint. But there is an oldest child only if the family has 2 years old twins and a 9 years old child.
I hope you liked the above puzzle
February 24th, 2010 - 22:58
THE AGES ARE 2, 2 AND 9 YEARS.
February 24th, 2010 - 12:51
2,3,6
February 23rd, 2010 - 22:26
2,2,9
February 22nd, 2010 - 15:25
I guess the ages are 2, 3, & 6.
It looks like elder child must be atleast five years of age to play the piano.
What is the right answer then? 2,3,6 or 3,3,4?
What is the house number of the neighbor?