Mathematical Word Puzzle
We saw this elsewhere, posted today, and have figured out the answer...can you?
John celebrated his birthday yesterday. He realised that this particular birthday was a once in a lifetime event.
He also realised this would not happen to anyone next year, and did not happen to anyone last year but would happen to his sister, who was 1 year younger than him, in 2006 and had happened to his brother, who was one year older than him, in 2002..
How old was John?
(btw he was NOT a newborn baby).
Note: Observant persons might realize the originator of this puzzle was probably British. They'd be correct, we believe, but it is irrelevant to the solution of the puzzle. But for extra bonus points -- tell us how we know.
Submitted by
Jimh
at 11/8/2004 12:37:09 PM- My guess was that the date is a palindrome, when expressed in the european format, but I don't really have time to figure out the problem right now.
Submitted by
freddy
at 11/8/2004 3:40:44 PM- I give up. I'm stumped.
Submitted by
Christy
at 11/10/2004 1:33:22 PM- I emailed nobody an answer though I don't know if it's correct.
Submitted by
nobody
at 11/11/2004 6:19:24 AM- Christy's answer worked...though we don't think, in the words of Candide, it was the best of all possible answers.
This comment is long, and includes all answers we know of up til now:
Take the Year = ABCD
If age = D/A, all the requiremens of the puzzle are met except for 1 assumed but unstated requirement.
John turned 2 in 2004 (4/2)
His sister, 1 in 2004, will turn 3 in 2006 (6/2)
His brother, 3 in 2004, turned 1 in 2002 (2/2)
However, there's the funky British sentence "John realised this was a once in a lifetime event". Unless British toddlers are much more intelligent than American ones...this is absolutely amazing for a 2 year old.
Christy's solution was slightly better in this regard.
Take Year = ABCD
AD/2 = age
John turned 12 in 2004 (24/2)
Sister, 11 now, turns 13 in 2006 (26/2)
Brother, 13 now, turned 11 in 2002 (22/2)
The individual on rec.games.puzzles who posted this had something much less formulaic in mind though.
Brother, born in 1951, turned 51 in 2002
John, born in 1952, turned 52 in 2004
Sister, born in 1953, will turn 53 in 2006
"realised"
(But, I don't know how old John is).