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A similar (simpler) well known puzzle > A census taker approaches a woman leaning on her gate and asks about her children. She says, "I have three children and

A similar (simpler) well known puzzle > A census taker approaches a woman leaning on her gate and asks about her children. She says, "I have three children and the product of their ages is seventy–two. The sum of their ages is the number on this gate." The census taker does some calculation and claims not to have enough information. The woman enters her house, but before slamming the door tells the census taker, "I have to see to my eldest child who is in bed with measles." The census taker departs, satisfied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_Three_Children_puzzle?wprov=sfla1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_Three_Children_puzzle?...

waterhouse 4y ago
Hmm. I don't like how "I have an eldest child" is used to imply "therefore my second-oldest child can't have the same age [when rounded down to a year number]". As the article says: "although one could be a few minutes or around 9 to 12 months older". I could imagine parents objecting to the claim that one twin is older than the other (or even saying they didn't keep track of which was born first); but a child having been born 10 months before another is something I'd expect parents to remember, and I don't think it would be weird in that case to call the older one the "eldest".
bertil 4y ago
There’s actually many variation of those Peter and Simon/Sally problems. I’ve seen with two, three and up to four numbers. Often, one of them claim they (finally) know the answer after a certain number of interactions and _then_ the other claiming that they either can, or can’t figure it out. “I knew that” or “Oh, really?” respond the one who knows, and finally: “Then I know what those are.” One can include certain clues, like “Those are three beautiful numbers” to indicate those are different, or “You would like them” if either of them is presented as a fan of prime numbers, perfect numbers or something like that. With children’s age, they might be in school, boarding school, went to university, or have children, to indicate they are below or above 6, 14, 18, etc.

waterhouse 4y ago

Hmm. I don't like how "I have an eldest child" is used to imply "therefore my second-oldest child can't have the same age [when rounded down to a year number]". As the article says: "although one could be a few minutes or around 9 to 12 months older". I could imagine parents objecting to the claim that one twin is older than the other (or even saying they didn't keep track of which was born first); but a child having been born 10 months before another is something I'd expect parents to remember, and I don't think it would be weird in that case to call the older one the "eldest".

bertil 4y ago

There’s actually many variation of those Peter and Simon/Sally problems. I’ve seen with two, three and up to four numbers. Often, one of them claim they (finally) know the answer after a certain number of interactions and _then_ the other claiming that they either can, or can’t figure it out. “I knew that” or “Oh, really?” respond the one who knows, and finally: “Then I know what those are.” One can include certain clues, like “Those are three beautiful numbers” to indicate those are different, or “You would like them” if either of them is presented as a fan of prime numbers, perfect numbers or something like that. With children’s age, they might be in school, boarding school, went to university, or have children, to indicate they are below or above 6, 14, 18, etc.